Mycoplasma bovis was first confirmed as present within New Zealand in July 2017. Now it’s the first country to ever attempt an eradication of the disease – a decision that will cost upwards of US$598 million and will see around 152,000 cattle culled over a two-year period. Being a disease that’s very difficult to detect, the eradication effort is predicted to take up to 10 years to complete. It’s a bold move to prevent production losses and animal welfare issues, as Mark Ross of Agcarm discusses.