Farm Specific Management Program for Salmonella Dublin in B.C. Dairy Herds (Phase 2)
Last updated on April 22, 2026On this page
Background
Salmonella Dublin (S. Dublin) is a bacteria that has significant negative impacts on dairy health, welfare, and productivity. It can cause calf loss, abortion, and reduced milk yield. Some infected cattle can shed the bacteria for life. Once S. Dublin enters a herd, it is very hard to eliminate. Approximately 30% of BC dairy herds are infected, and reducing infections is expected to benefit animal health and business operations. Given the significance of this disease, the Province runs an investigation and management program. The program is currently in Phase 2 (2026-2028). In this phase, producers may choose to OPT IN to one of three Options described below. View the full program guide (PDF, 262 KB).
This program is funded in part by the governments of Canada and British Columbia under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
Program eligibility
To be eligible for the program, applicants will require an IRMA number and a premises ID number.
It is anticipated that up to 20 to 30 dairy producers will be accepted into Options 1 and 2. Proposals will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis. All producers that apply will be accepted into Option 3.
Applications
Applications will collect information that includes:
- Farm name, contact name, IRMA number, address, phone number, email and business number
- Name of your herd veterinarian and consent for laboratory results to be shared with them
- Standard demographic information (Indigeneity, gender, age)
Reimbursement
Funding is provided through a periodic reimbursement process to approved applicants via a claim form.
On acceptance to Option 1 or Option 2, applicants must submit the direct deposit application form (PDF, 407 KB) for General and Service Suppliers along with a void cheque.
Option 1: Individual farm plan for strict control or eradication on S. Dublin infected farms
Producers, with support from the provincial dairy inspectors, must complete a survey to assess farm specific risk factors at the time of initial acceptance (estimate 30 minutes to complete). The survey is designed to be valuable for farm‑specific program planning. A summary of farm‑specific results will be shared back to the producer and their herd veterinarian within 2 weeks of completing the survey.
Before submitting any claims, and within 3 months of being accepted to the program, producers, with the support of their herd veterinarian, must develop a farm‑specific S. Dublin control or eradication plan, based on the unique goals and context of the farm. Time billed to the producer by the herd veterinarian for developing the plan is an eligible program expense. The plan must be submitted to chief.veterinarian@gov.bc.ca and will be subject to review and feedback. Program staff are available to aid in the development and review of plans, as needed.
Plans must include:
- Explicit goals, with success metrics, with regards to control or eradication of S. Dublin
- A clear, stepwise recipe that will be followed for achieving goals and meeting metrics, including use of laboratory testing
- A budget for eligible expenses
Eligible expenses include:
- Veterinary professional service fees for consultation and sampling related to S. Dublin
- AHC laboratory services
- Periodic bulk milk testing
- Individual animal testing, including screening of new animals
- Post‑mortem examination of dead animals where S. Dublin is a differential diagnosis
- Environmental and fecal testing
- Other expenses are ineligible
Accepted applicants are eligible to be reimbursed for costs up to $8,000 in total. AHC laboratory fees will be discounted at the time of case submissions, and invoices for veterinary fees will be reimbursed via quarterly claim.
Option 2: Individual farm plan for prevention of S. Dublin infection on S. Dublin free farms
Producers, with support from the provincial dairy inspectors, must complete a survey to assess farm specific risk factors at the time of initial acceptance (estimate 30 minutes to complete). The survey is designed to be valuable for farm‑specific program planning. A summary of farm‑specific results will be shared back to the producer and their herd veterinarian within 2 weeks of completing the survey.
Before submitting any claims, and within 3 months of being accepted to the program, producers, with the support of their herd veterinarian, must develop a farm‑specific S. Dublin prevention plan, based on the unique goals and context of the farm. Time billed to the producer by the herd veterinarian for developing the plan is an eligible program expense. The plan must be submitted to chief.veterinarian@gov.bc.ca and will be subject to review and feedback. Program staff are available to aid in the development and review of plans, as needed.
Plans must include:
- Explicit goals, with success metrics, with regards to prevention of S. Dublin
- A clear, stepwise recipe that will be followed for achieving goals and meeting metrics, including use of laboratory testing
- A budget for eligible expenses
Eligible expenses include:
- Veterinary professional service fees for consultation and sampling related to S. Dublin
- AHC laboratory services
- Periodic bulk milk testing
- Individual animal testing, including screening of new animals
- Post‑mortem examination of dead animals where S. Dublin is a differential diagnosis
- Environmental and fecal testing
- Other expenses are ineligible
Accepted applicants are eligible to be reimbursed for costs up to $3,000 in total. AHC laboratory fees will be discounted at the time of case submissions, and invoices for veterinary fees will be reimbursed via quarterly claim. If a farm participating in Option 2 does become infected with S. Dublin during the program period, the producer can apply to switch to Option 1 at that time.
Option 3: Routine herd monitoring through bulk tank testing for S. Dublin
Ministry dairy inspectors will submit bulk milk samples to the AHC for S. Dublin testing on behalf of enrolled farms each quarter. Samples will be tested at no charge to the producer, and results will be reported back to the producer and their herd veterinarian.
After acceptance to the program, and with support from the provincial dairy inspectors, producers enrolled in Option 3 will be encouraged to complete a survey to assess farm specific risk factors (estimate 30 minutes to complete). A summary of farm-specific results will be shared back to the producer and their herd veterinarian within 2 weeks of completing the survey.
Option 4: Opt-out
No planned testing or intervention for S. Dublin in the herd. Producers can continue to submit samples to the AHC laboratory on a fee for service basis.
Program timeline
The program is planned to run until December 31, 2027.
The first application intake window for dairy producers to apply to the program will be open until June 30, 2026 at 4:30 PM. At that time, applications will close for a period until review of applications submitted by the deadline is complete.
After July 1, 2026, additional application windows will be opened to accept new applications as funding permits.
Applicants who do not submit completed applications by the above timelines will be considered to have withdrawn their application; previously approved funding may then be reallocated to other applicants.
Contact information
If you are a dairy producer and have questions about the application process or eligibility criteria, please contact program staff.
1-888-221-7141