THE BRUCELLOSIS AFFECTED DAIRY-HERD AND THE PROGRAM VETERINARIAN

A brucellosis task force was established in Ontario, California, in Ma rch 1989 for the purpose of attempting to eliminate brucellosis from a nearby, densely concentrated, community of dairy farms. The task forc e was a uniquely composed organization of both state and federal anima l health agency personnel, diary owners and dairy association represen tatives, private veterinary practitioners and the University of Califo rnia veterinary extension dairy specialist. The task force focused on the entire dairy farm community rather than on individual brucellosis affected herds. The effort was successful. The task force developed a set of minimum standards that were required to be implemented at any d airy where transmission of brucellosis was still occurring 3 months af ter the disease was diagnosed in the herd. The observations and experi ences of government program veterinarians, who worked with diligent an d concerted effort in these herds, provide an insight into aspects of herd management and veterinarian/herd-owner relationship requirements for success. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd