Three new farms have been confirmed as being infected with the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis.
Authorities are working to eradicate the disease after the virus was first found in New Zealand in 2017.
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A report from MPI said six properties have had their Restricted Property (RP) status revoked, including five previously categorised as infected.
Four of the revoked Infected Properties (IPs) are in Canterbury and one is in Tasman.
The report said the three new infected properties are a beef farm in the Far North, a beef farm in South Canterbury and a dairy farm in Otago.
Meanwhile authorities fighting the disease said there is now a much greater understanding in rural communities about the risks of spreading M. bovis and how the presence of the disease affects cattle.
M. bovis can have a devastating impact on farms, causing severe mastitis, arthritis and pneumonia in cows, and can hugely affect the productivity on infected farms.
Newshub.
