From 7th to 11th June 2026, the Action Group on Johne’s was represented at the 17th International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis (ICP) in Dresden, Germany, by Pete Orpin FRCVS, Chair of the Technical Group, alongside Delivery Team members Dr James Hanks and Dr Emma Holt.
The event brought together international researchers and industry leaders to share the latest developments in paratuberculosis (Johne’s disease) research and national control programmes.
At the ParaTB Forum, Pete Orpin presented progress from the National Johne’s Management Plan. For example, the National Johne’s Disease Tracker Database has been expanded to include data from non-milk recording herds. This development now enables the Action Group on Johne’s to monitor progress across more than 4,500 anonymised dairy herds.
During the IDEXX-sponsored satellite symposium, Pete shared key lessons learned through the development and implementation of the NJMP, emphasising the importance of industry education, stakeholder engagement and flexible, risk-based approaches to disease control.
Dr James Hanks also demonstrated how the National Johne’s Disease Tracker Database and JD Tracker Tool are being used to improve farmer engagement, enhance monitoring of the JCI and support informed Johne’s disease management decisions at herd level.
As part of the main scientific programme, Dr Emma Holt presented analysis from 2,200 herds and more than 41,000 lactations exploring links between Johne’s disease and dairy productivity. Herds with higher average test values (ATVs) showed longer calving intervals, lower milk yields and higher somatic cell counts, while cows with higher ELISA titres were more likely to be culled.
The colloquium provided an important opportunity to share GB progress internationally, strengthen collaboration and showcase how data-driven approaches are supporting continued improvements in Johne’s disease control.
Website link to the 17th International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis: Scientific Program – icp2026.com
