Vets voice value of vaccination for World Veterinary Day
Since 1796, when Edward Jenner performed the world’s first vaccination against smallpox, enormous strides have been made in the development of vaccines which have helped to prevent – and, in some cases, eliminate – disease in humans, farm animals and pets. The veterinary profession, through effective and efficient veterinary services, is crucial to the success […]
Schmallenberg Disease confirmed on a Dumfriesshire farm – calf born to suckler herd
The birth defects in the calf, born into a suckler herd, are consistent with the pathology of the disease and tests carried out by SAC Consulting: Veterinary Services (a Division of Scotland’s Rural College) and the Moredun Research Institute have confirmed the presence of the virus. Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is related to a known virus […]
Study identifies “chink in the armour” of Schmallenberg virus
The disease, which causes birth defects and stillbirths in sheep, goats and cattle, was first discovered in Germany in late 2011 and has already spread to more than 5,000 farms across Europe, and 1,500 farms in the UK alone. There is currently no way of treating infected animals, but a study published in Nucleic Acids […]
More farmers battle TB as new figures show 3,000 cows are culled in one month
In the latest up-to-date figures released by Defra today 3,215 cattle were slaughtered across Great Britain in January, meaning a 24.2 per cent increase on the same time last year, and the month-on-month figures also show a jump. And in Wales the picture has worsened considerably despite a vaccination programme for badgers which had its […]
New research finds that cattle and badgers with TB rarely meet
Direct contact between badgers and cattle is rare, suggesting that it as a result it may be rare for bovine tuberculosis (TB) to be passed on through the two species meeting each other on pasture, new research by the Royal Veterinary College and the Food and Environment Research Agency published in the journal Epidemiology and […]
Pig wasting syndrome costing farmers millions
Stark new figures show that a common pig virus, present on 99 per cent of pig farms has major economic implications for individual farmers and the pig industry as a whole, costing British farmers as much as £84 per pig (if the pig dies from the syndrome), and during epidemic periods, such as 2008, costing […]
Unprecedented rainfall during 2012 brings increased risks for 2013
According to NADIS, the risks from parasites such as liver fluke have been greatly increased by last year’s weather – the worst rainfall the UK has seen since records began in 1910, there has also been a lack of frost which would ordinarily reduce the risk of diseases such as fluke. The National Animal Disease […]
Bovine TB still on the rise as thousands of cattle slaughtered
The number of cattle slaughtered in Great Britain as reactors or direct contacts increased by 10% to 37,753 in 2012, and this figure does not include those slaughtered as inconclusive reactors. The latest statistics also reveal that the number of farms tested has increased by nearly 18% as new measures have been put in place […]
Ramsgate report questions still remain
The report details the events at Ramsgate Port on 12 September 2012 that resulted in the deaths of the sheep that were due to be transported to France. NFU Deputy President, Meurig Raymond said: “We have been calling for this report to be released since the events in September, having sent over 150 questions to […]
