Dairy New Zealand is hoping it will quickly get on top of a disease affecting cows, which has never been seen in New Zealand before.

Over a dozen cows in South Canterbury have been found to have Mycoplasma bovis - and another 150 are showing signs of the disease.

It can cause a range of health issues for the animal - but doesn't impact the meat or milk they produce.

Dairy New Zealand CEO Tim Mackle told Mike Hosking the disease can spread quite quickly.

"It is quite infectious so if you do have mobs of animals together and some are affected it can spread quite quickly, particularity in calves."

Mackle said it's still too early to know how it got here, and how far it's spread.

But he said it's a blow for our clean biosecurity status.

"Most beef and dairy producing counties do have this condition so it won't be a huge surprise but none the less for us and our records it's disappointing."

LISTEN ABOVE AS TIM MACKLE SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING