FMDThere is no change is situation of FMD we still have 7 IPs. The temporary control zone near Maidenhead, Berkshire should be lifted shortly.
Movements between the low risks and the risk areas are allowed using licence 450 but once the animal has entered risk area they cannot leave and become subject to the movement restrictions of the risk area.
BTA fifth cow has proved positive on clinical signs on a new farm in the Ipswich area, however, it is still not possible to show spread within the country. The OIE is to be notified that cases of Bluetongue are occurring but there is still no evidence of transmission from animal to animal through vectors.
Four of the five animals with BT have been diagnosed on classical clinical signs as outlined in various articles.
For completeness all the signs have been in cattle and include:
The research aims to establish:
To take part in the survey, which takes between 10 and 15 minutes, click here.
Photo: I, Flukeman
The EU Commission has approved the marketing authorisation variation of Boehringer Ingelheim's PCV2 vaccine Ingelvac CircoFLEX. This approval allows the combined use of the pig vaccines Ingelvac CircoFLEX and Ingelvac MycoFLEX in the European Union.
Boehringer says it will market this unique vaccine concept under the name FLEXcombo. The company highlights that protection against two of the most prominent and costly pig diseases, Porcine Circovirus Disease (PCVD) and Enzootic Pneumonia, can now be achieved with a single injection instead of up to four injections. More than 70% of European pigs are currently vaccinated against both these diseases.
According to the company, the combined use of Ingelvac CircoFLEX and Ingelvac MycoFLEX is already registered and widely used in North America and Asia. It is globally the first and only product combination of its kind.
Dr. Joachim Hasenmaier, global head of Animal Health within BI said: "We are very proud that we can now also supply EU veterinarians and farmers with this latest innovation that will help tremendously in reducing the number of injections to pigs, supporting the wellbeing of the animals and the farm economics by saving a substantial amount of labour."
Defra has announced the detection of Bluetongue in 18 imported cattle on premises near Bishop Auckland, County Durham. The animals originated from within the BTV8 Restricted Zone in Germany and were detected as a result of post-import testing carried out by Defra on all Bluetongue susceptible animals arriving from Continental Europe.
This is the fourth incidence of infected animals being imported to the UK. Alongside the premises in East Sussex, Hertfordshire and Devon identified in August, the imported animals will remain under restrictions.
As of 1 September the whole of England and Wales is now in a Protection Zone and approximately 30 million doses of vaccine have so far been made available to farmers throughout England and Wales to protect their stock. However, it may take up to six to eight weeks from now for livestock keepers in the North of England and Wales to have had sufficient opportunity to vaccinate their livestock and to gain immunity (at least three weeks in sheep, and six weeks in cattle).
To allow livestock keepers in those areas sufficient opportunity to protect their animals, and while further veterinary investigations are carried out, these particular infected animals will remain under restriction until late October. Any further positive import cases detected may also be restricted for a period of time depending on veterinary risk assessment, while vaccination continues.
Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Alick Simmons said: "This incident shows how important it is for farmers to consider potential disease risks when buying stock, regardless of source. Buyers need to consider how best to protect their own businesses and those of their neighbours and make sure they are clear about the stock they are intending to buy.
"I also want to remind farmers about the importance of vaccination. It is the only effective tool to protect susceptible animals from Bluetongue. Recent evidence indicates a drop or delay in vaccine take-up in counties recently brought into the Protection Zone. Sales data for some of those counties suggest that the number of animals vaccinated in these areas could be as low as one in three, and in Northumberland and Cumbria, the most recent counties brought into the Protection Zone, as low as one in five.
"The threat from Bluetongue is present and real, as shown by the most recent import cases. Vaccination as a preventive measure is therefore more important than ever, so the message to the industry remains clear: don't hesitate, vaccinate".
With just a few days to go before the first anniversary of bluetongue being detected in England, the JAB campaign group is urging farmers to vaccinate their livestock to stop the disease from taking hold in this country as it has in Europe.
So far this year France has reported 4,543 cases of bluetongue, including cases in Calais, and the Netherlands has just confirmed its first case of the disease in 2008. The affected small holding reported a sick cow found with serotype eight which had not been vaccinated against infection.
With the threat of bluetongue re-emergence in the UK growing by the day, JAB leaders have issued a reminder to farmers to contact their vets as soon as their region is in the protection zone and vaccine is available.
In a statement JAB said: "The amount of cases being reported across Europe shows the disease is on the move. This most recent case in Holland demonstrates that not vaccinating livestock leaves farmers vulnerable to outbreaks now the midge season has started.
"The industry has rallied behind the JAB campaign and has done tremendously well in terms of vaccination. Nearly 19 million doses have already been made available to English farmers, and with another nine million doses planned to be released in the coming weeks we need those areas that are new to the protection zone to vaccinate as soon as they are able. We must remember bluetongue could already be circulating in areas where outbreaks occurred last year so the risks to everyone are very real.
"The explosion in the number of cases on the continent also acts as a timely reminder to those farmers in the current protection zone who have not vaccinated and the dangers this presents to their unprotected livestock
"We are entering the peak period for midge activity so vaccination is the only way to prepare and protect us from any potential outbreaks that may emerge in the coming weeks."
The webinar, which is exclusively for veterinary professionals, will include a Q&A session addressing common concerns around vaccination timing, use in Johne’s-positive herds, the role of extended colostrum feeding, and the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance.
Speakers for the event are:
Kat Baxter-Smith, Veterinary Advisor at MSD Animal Health (pictured), said: “Vaccination has an important role to play in cryptosporidiosis control, but we know that for some practices, concerns remain — particularly around colostrum management and use in herds with Johne’s.
“This session is about opening up those discussions, sharing the latest research, and addressing the barriers that may be holding back wider adoption.
"Our aim is to support vets in moving scour management from reaction to prevention.”
https://view6.workcast.net/register?cpak=7702733614498733
To what extent changing diets and adding novel feed additives can cut emissions from beef cattle is being investigated in a new three-year research project.
EBLEX, the organisation for beef and sheep producers in England, has teamed up with Scotland's Rural College, SRUC, in Edinburgh, to look at how changes to feeding regimes can improve efficiency and drive business profitability, while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced as a by-product of rumination.
Steers will be finished on either concentrate based or forage based diets, each with two different feed additives, such as vegetable oils. The role of the rumen microbial population in the responses will be measured to look at how rumen function changes according to diet, additive and breed. Results will be related to the greenhouse gas emissions and feed efficiency, as well as long-term effects of feed additives.
Dr Mary Vickers, senior livestock scientist with EBLEX said: "The animals will be moved into specialist chambers for short periods of time where their emissions can be captured.
"In addition, when they are accessing rations from group pens, special plastic hoods over the feeding stations can measure the specific emissions at those times. Measuring emissions, rumen function, feed intake and growth rates can help us build a picture of any effect the additives have.
"The ultimate aim is to ensure the cattle are having their full nutritional needs met in an efficient, cost effective way while minimising the emissions produced."
In addition, carcase quality, meat quality and shelf life will also be recorded to ensure quality of the final product is maintained. The outcomes of this project will provide producers with independent advice about the efficacy of two feed additives fed in a range of commercial conditions.
Unlike traditional PCR tests, Rhea molecular diagnostic tests need no lab equipment, allowing them to be used directly in the field.
The first panel test in the new range is Rhéa Vector-Borne Diseases, which simultaneously detects four major pathogens in under 40 minutes: Theileria spp., Babesia spp., Anaplasma spp. (including A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum), and Borrelia spp.
Enalees says the Rhéa range addresses a growing need in the sector, enabling vets to act quickly and accurately.
https://www.enalees.com
The BVA is calling for urgent reassurance from the government concerning farm animal welfare.
The association says the government decision to revoke farm animal welfare codes risks undermining public confidence in animal welfare standards.
When Defra consulted in 2013 on proposals to move away from statutory codes to non-statutory, industry-led guidance BVA broadly supported more flexibility to allow for guidance to be updated more regularly and in light of new welfare science, but raised a number of questions regarding enforcement and, critically, around the definition of 'industry'.
BVA emphasised that veterinary surgeons, farmers, animal welfare scientists with species-specific knowledge, industry bodies and other groups must all be involved and consulted.
BVA also warned Defra of implications in relation to the message conveyed to stakeholders by such a change and the value attached to the welfare codes by the government.
BVA President Sean Wensley, said: "It is essential that any changes to the welfare codes do not undermine public confidence in the high animal welfare standards set for English farms. Although BVA broadly supported the idea of moving to a more flexible system that could take account of new animal welfare science, we maintained that a range of expertise must be used to draw up new guidance.
"We are pleased that there will be no changes to the legislation that underpins animal welfare but it is unclear where the checks and balances now lie. It is vital that Defra puts measures in place urgently to provide that reassurance.
"The Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee has suggested that it would be possible for the fundamental principles to be laid down in statutory codes which are subject to parliamentary scrutiny with operational details being set out in guidance. This idea may be worth further exploration to allow both the flexibility required to reflect new animal welfare science and the public confidence that the statutory welfare codes currently provide."
With 2024 support payments for farmers in England now at half former levels and significant changes to subsidies for farmers in Scotland and Wales set to come into play next year, Elanco says effective flock health management to maximise efficiency and performance within flocks has become increasingly important.
Elanco's Ruminant Technical Consultant, Matt Colston MRCVS said: “Policymakers recognise the importance of animal health and welfare for better productivity and are putting an increasing onus on vets to deliver improvements, for example via the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway (AHWP).”
“Its crucial vets have the knowledge and confidence to support sheep clients on important flock health issues, with worming programmes high up on this agenda.”
"By developing farm-specific worm control strategies and working closely with clients to better monitor worm burdens, you can help achieve immediate flock performance benefits and manage the longer term risks of anthelmintic resistance on that farm.”
Elanco says that by dosing lambs with its newer Group 4 wormer, Zolvix, at the right time during the mid to late grazing season, farmers can clear out any resistant worms that have survived previous treatments and see an uplift in daily liveweight gain as a result.
Matt added: “We shouldn’t wait for problems to manifest.
"By the time wormer groups have stopped working, or clinical signs of worms are visible, damage is already done; regular monitoring and early intervention is a better option.
“More farmers are Faecal Egg Counting (FEC) but many are unsure how best to go about it.
“A practical demonstration of how to collect samples, and what to collect from which animals, is often the best way to show how easy FEC can be.”
“Farmers can be cautious about change, but by taking small steps and consistently offering sound, practical advice, vets can help farmers adopt more sustainable worm control strategies and improve margins in sheep production.”
Edinburgh-based charity the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) has announced three drug discovery contracts in an effort to combat animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT), a disease which is estimated to cost Africa US$5billion a year.
Animal African trypanosomosis, transmitted by the tsetse fly, is a parasitic disease which affects livestock, resulting in a chronic illness which often ends in death. An estimated 50 million cattle and 70 million sheep and goats are at risk, with around 3 million cattle dying annually from the disease.
AAT causes economic losses in livestock, reducing meat and milk production and leaving animals so weak they are unable to help cultivate land. It affects over 10 million square kilometres of fertile land spread across nearly 40 countries in Africa and therefore has a huge impact on food and nutritional security and livelihoods across the continent.
The drugs that are currently used were developed in the 1950s and 60s and drug resistance is now a commonly reported problem. With few other options available, these drugs are the most important method of controlling the disease.
In May 2011 the Department for International Development (DfID) awarded GALVmed 30 month grant for £8million to facilitate the development of drugs, diagnostics and potential vaccines for the control of AAT.
The first contract was awarded to Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc., a California based biopharmaceutical company established in 2002.
As part of a Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) supported project, Anacor and their partners discovered a series of compounds to combat the human form of AAT, Human African Trysanosomsis (HAT). A number of compounds produced under this programme have properties which could make them suitable for the treatment and prevention of animal AAT. These relevant compounds will now be screened for efficacy and safety under the GALVmed contract.
The second and third contracts have both been awarded to the College of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee, one of Europe's top-ranked universities for life science research.
Dr Kevin Read, who is Head of Drug Metabolism and Pharmokinectics at the drug Discovery Unit is leading a piece of drug discovery and development research, which aims to develop new drugs for the treatment and possible prevention of AAT in cattle, and also a diagnostic test for use in the field. This builds on the university's work on HAT and drugs that were unsuitable for human treatment are now being re-evaluated as potential drugs for cattle.
Dr Read said: "I am very excited to be working in partnership with GALVmed to apply our extensive drug discovery expertise in HAT to identify and bring forward new potential drugs for the treatment and prevention of AAT. The new project offers an exciting opportunity to reposition compounds showing great promise for the treatment of first stage HAT into AAT, thus improving food security in some of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa."
The webinar will be presented by Will Gratwick BVSc MMedVet MRCVS (pictured), veterinary surgeon at LLM Farm Vets in Shropshire and RCVS Recognised Advanced Practitioner in Cattle Health and Production.
Along with colleagues at LLM, Harper-Keele Vet School and VetPartners, Will carried out an Udder Cleft Dermatitis (UCD) prevalence and risk factors study which demonstrated that over 10% of cows are affected by the condition, drawing attention to the need for improved awareness and management of the condition.
The webinar will cover the causes and risk factors for UCD, as well as how vets can approach the diagnosis and management of this challenging condition in their clients' dairy herds.
To register, email Joely Plunkett, digital marketing manager at NoBACZ Healthcare, on j.plunkett@nobacz.com.
The webinars will include a presentation by Peter Geldhof, Professor of Molecular Veterinary Parasitology at Ghent University in Belgium, who will focus on the development of novel diagnostics and vaccines for parasitic infections in pigs, and share the results of some of his research and academic projects.
Tuesday: https://www2.dechra.com/l/877972/2023-05-11/2f43x8p
Thursday: https://www2.dechra.com/l/877972/2023-12-19/2f4ll1q
The badger culls planned to take place in West Somerset and West Gloucestershire this year have been postponed until 2013.
The postponement came at the request of The National Farmers Union (NFU), following new survey results which revealed higher than anticipated badger numbers in the two pilot areas (4,300 in West Somerset and 3,600 in West Gloucestershire ).
The NFU informed Defra that in light of these new figures they could not be confident of removing the required minimum 70% of the badgers in the two pilot areas this autumn.
Defra agreed to postpone the pilot culls until summer 2013 to allow farmers to continue their preparations and have the best possible chance of carrying out the cull effectively.
Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said: "Despite a greatly increased effort over the last few days and weeks, the farmers delivering this policy have concluded that they cannot be confident that it will be possible to remove enough badgers based on these higher numbers and considering the lateness of the season. It would be wrong to go ahead if those on the ground cannot be confident of removing at least 70% of the populations. Today I have received a letter from the President of the NFU, on behalf of the companies coordinating the culls, explaining why they do not feel they can go ahead this year and requesting that they be postponed until next summer. In these circumstances, it is the right thing to do and, as the people who have to deliver this policy on the ground and work within the science, I respect their decision.
"The Government is determined to tackle bovine TB by all the means available to us. Now, in the next few months, we will ensure that the pilot culls can be implemented effectively, in the best possible conditions, with the right resources. Having looked at all the evidence over many years, I am utterly convinced that badger control is the right thing to do, and indeed the higher than expected badger numbers only serve to underline the need for urgent action. I remain fully committed to working with the farming industry to ensure that the pilot culls can be delivered effectively, safely and humanely next summer."
The Government and NFU say they will now continue to plan so that the pilots can go ahead in Summer 2013.
Novartis Animal Health is warning livestock producers to keep an eye on the weather, because wet conditions are ideal for fluke to thrive and pose real challenges to cattle and sheep this year, even in areas where there has been little risk before.
Novartis Animal Health veterinary adviser Saul Harvey said: "We are approaching the main season for fluke and with the changes in weather patterns and two previous wet seasons, there is a serious risk of an increase in the fluke challenge this year. The wet spell will also increase worm challenge on pasture as increased moisture allows worm larvae to migrate away from dung pats to be ingested by stock."
Mr Harvey said there were already definite signs of snail activity in regions much further east than before: "The recent rains and warm temperatures at up to 2o centigrade above normal in some parts of the UK will kick off the fluke cycles this year.
"In cattle, liver fluke can lead to falls in milk yield of 500g / day over a 305-day lactation, as well as reduced weight gains of up to 1.2 kg a week in growing cattle. A flukicide that kills all three stages of fluke including immatures should be used in this high risk period, such as Fasinex 240 which is a low volume concentrated formulation and can be given through the floating hook doser for ease of administration.
"Liver fluke also affects the condition and growth of sheep and often leads to "sudden death" in acute cases. The first indication of fluke in sheep may come after slaughter at the abattoir, where damaged livers are often condemned due to liver fluke damage. To avoid these problems a flukicide such as Novartis's Fasinex, that kills all three stages of fluke - early immature, immature and adult - should be used. Fasimec Duo S, with ivermectin, should be used if worm control is also required."
Mr Harvey advised cattle farmers to dose their cows with a flukicide two weeks after they had been housed to clear out all the fluke ingested by the livestock while they were out grazing infected pastures. He said: "It is particularly important that they use a product like triclabendazole (in Fasinex 240) that will kill all stages of fluke after housing, because using an adult-only treatment will leave immature fluke around to continue to cause liver damage and that will affect productivity over the winter period."
Zoetis has announced that Suvaxyn MH-One, its vaccine against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in pigs, has a revised licence allowing it to be administered from seven days of age with a two-week onset of immunity.
The company says this means that piglets can be protected by three weeks of age when they are commonly already infected with M. hyo. Duration of immunity extends well beyond the average UK pig slaughter age of 176 days.
Nigel Lodge, National Veterinary Manager for Zoetis in the UK said: "This is a significant step forward, recognising the full efficacy of the Suvaxyn MH-One vaccine against enzootic pneumonia. Trials have confirmed that use of Suvaxyn MH-One at seven days reduces lung lesions - even in the presence of maternally derived antibodies.
"The vaccine, which adds to our large and growing pig vaccine and product portfolio, also benefits from using adjuvants carbopol and squalane."
According to the company, the performance gains from early protection are shown in a field trial with 240 pigs injected at one week of age which showed significantly higher average daily weight gain, providing nearly 5 kg extra weight over the study period to 166 days.
Lantra, the UK Sector Skills Council for environmental and land-based industries, has backed a report that addresses veterinary expertise in food animal production.
The 'Unlocking Potential' report, produced by Professor Philip Lowe on behalf of Defra, identifies the potential for veterinarians to increase their role by providing expert advice to the farming and food industries.
Industry Partnership Manager, Lisa Jarvis, said: "Lantra welcomes this report on the farm animal veterinary services, which encourages the discussion of the future of veterinary businesses and services, role of support staff and para-professionals. We are pleased to be recognised alongside Defra, the RCVS, the BVA and the NFU, as a key organisation to drive the development of training and career structures in the industry."
The report highlights that the scale of and demand for veterinary technical services for farm animals and the food sector should be investigated, identifying training needs and obstacles to skills development. This is currently being addressed through Lantra's LandSkills project which is part of the Rural Development Programme for England.
Lantra's National Director for England, Madge Moore, said: "Through the LandSkills programme, Lantra has already engaged with a number of veterinary practices from across the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands and West Midlands to deliver practical courses and farm health plans to eligible farming enterprises. So far in Yorkshire and Humber vets have run a number of practical poultry courses where farmers have learnt how to carry out post-mortems on their own flock so they can find out if there is a recurring problem which they may need to rectify. LandSkills West Midlands is also currently recruiting a number of vets in the region to deliver a farm health plan initiative."
Madge continued: "Working with farmers and vets as part of LandSkills means that we are in a great position to look at the demand of these services whilst highlighting the importance of farmers utilising their vets more effectively by showing them what they can offer. However we also look forward to working with partners in leading the continued progression of the veterinary profession."
For more information about LandSkills and how veterinary surgeons are working with the programme visit www.lantra.co.uk/RDPELandSkills or call 08452 788800.
To view the report visit www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ahws/vservices/index.htm
According to the results of DairyCheck 2008, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health's subsidised milk testing service, 65% of herds tested positive for IBR infection, 69% positive for Leptospirosis and the majority of herds tested showed evidence of previous BVD exposure.
According to Intervet/Schering Plough, it is widely known that exposure levels of these three endemic diseases are high, yet many producers don't see the hidden losses. Making use of DairyCheck can demonstrate infection levels on an individual unit and help encourage a control and management programme to be put in place
Vet adviser Ruth Vernon said: "It can be a case of 'out of sight, out of mind'. After the initial infection, cows may appear healthy, but be suffering from the effects of immune suppression as a result of BVD virus infection. This results in herd performance that is often below expected levels."
"When the news is good - and on average around 33% of DairyCheck tested herds were found to be clear of all three diseases - farmers need guidance and advice on keeping a naïve herd clear of disease.
"Taking time to explain how to incorporate biosecurity measures on a day-to-day basis as well as quarantine and vaccination programmes can significantly improve the health status of previously infected units."
Further information on DairyCheck is available from Intervet/Schering-Plough Account Managers.
Janssen Animal Health is advising vets to be on the look out for coccidiosis as the spring lambing season approaches: cases usually rise in March and peak in April and May.
According to the company, some reports also suggest that the incidence of coccidiosis in calves may apparently increase during the grazing months. However, vets are reporting that interpretation of laboratory tests used to confirm diagnosis, such as oocyst count, can be problematic due to the ubiquitous nature of the Eimeria parasite in the UK.
Young animals may be infected by oocysts shed by asymptomatic carriers or infected older cohort animals. Low levels of challenge can help young animals develop immunity but exposure to high oocyst numbers, particularly in combination with stress can lead to clinical and subclinical forms of the disease. Diagnosis can be problematic, particularly in subclinical cases of disease where failure to gain weight is the main presenting sign and in clinical cases the differential diagnoses include all causes of scour in young animals.
Janssen Animal Health has suggested a few indicators that may be useful in identifying cases of coccidiosis. The Vecoxan Coccidiosis Survey in 2008 and 2009 asked farmers about their experiences of coccidiosis and identified that bad weather was a major trigger particularly in lambs; while castration and weaning were also factors in calves. As the parasite life cycle is 21 days, vets should be alert to disease 2-3 weeks after a stressor event.
The company has also suggested a few guidelines to aid interpretation of laboratory results:
Janssen says Vecoxan (diclazuril) does not interfere with the development of immunity and kills all stages of the parasite in the host.