Country / Rural

First case of cattle disease in North Canterbury found

13:30 pm on 9 May 2018

Mycoplasma bovis has been found on another South Island farm bringing the number of properties with the cattle disease to 36.

Photo: 123rf.com

The Ministry for Primary Industries said the affected property was a mixed sheep and beef farm near Cheviot and it was the first farm found to be infected in North Canterbury.

Ministry spokesperson Catherine Duthie said the farm was identified through the tracing of animals from known infected farms.

She said this latest find did not mean the disease was still spreading.

"Rather, the new finds are the result of our tracing uncovering historical movements of animals and then confirming the infection through testing. These movements, in many cases, took place before we even knew Mycoplasma bovis was in the country," she said.

Ms Duthie said as with all other infected farms it had been put under a restricted movement notice - meaning no animals could move on or off the property.

Most cases of the disease have been found in Southland, South Canterbury and North Otago, but there were also two cases in the North Island.

Ms Duthie said there were farms in the North and South Island that were under quarantine while testing for Mycoplasma bovis was underway.

She said it was possible that more infected farms would be found.