Livestock June 2010 Newsletter.
BLUETONGUE LOWER RISK ZONE DECLARED
Following recent meetings of DEFRA with the EU, the case for a Lower Risk Zone (LRZ) for Bluetongue Virus serotype 8 (BTV8) has been accepted, and an LRZ across England, Wales and Scotland will be implemented from 12 June 2010.
. Current situation: At present GB is a single Protection Zone (PZ) for BTV 8 that is confluent with the BTV8 PZs on continental Europe. This means that animals can be imported from within that area without any requirement for vaccination or further testing, and GB has been reliant on its vital system of post‐import testing to minimise the risk of importing infected animals. However, this is not without risk, and there is a small but significant one of importing either an infected animal, or of one carrying an infected foetus. DEFRA's Bluetongue Expert Group has identified the most significant risk of entry of BTV into GB as being via importation of animals, an assessment reinforced by the much higher numbers of animals being imported thus far in 2010 compared with last year. Recent post‐import testing together with the additional winter surveillance undertaken in 2009 has not shown any evidence of BTV virus circulation, which has put us in an ideal position to review the situation.
What will the LRZ mean?
- Vaccination can continue within the LRZ.
- The LRZ will no longer be confluent with the European PZs, and animals will only be able to be Imported under stringent conditions. These are:
vaccination plus a 60‐day wait; or
vaccination plus a test 14 days after onset of immunity; or
booster vaccination (following a primary course) within the time stated on each vaccine's data sheet. - This gives GB much greater security against the risk of importing BTV8‐infected animals.
- Additional monthly testing will be required within areas of GB closest to continental Europe (i.e. SE and E England) to demonstrate ongoing freedom from BTV
This could be the next step towards potential eradication of BTV from the UK, with declaration of freedom of disease and the benefits to wider trade that that gives.
The British Cattle Veterinary Association continues to strongly support the JAB campaign, which advocates continuing vaccination against BTV8 and which we endorse.
Vaccination remains the single most effective BTV disease prevention method and, as there remains a small risk of windborne incursion of BTV8 from Europe and of foetal infection from imported animals we encourage the maintenance of protection via vaccination.
Veterinary Medicines Directorate statement on Pregsure BVD - 02 June 2010
As reported in previous editions of the newsletter Bovine Neonatal Pancytopenia (BNP), also known as ‘bleeding calf syndrome', is a new emerging disease affecting calves from birth to 4 weeks of age at the start of the clinical signs. It is characterised by spontaneous and prolonged bleeding from orifices or wounds and also from apparently intact skin. Fever and severe anaemia are frequently reported and the outcome is death in nearly all cases. A minority of calves die rapidly with few or no obvious clinical signs. A pathological change in the bone marrow is a consistent post mortem finding.
On 7 April 2010 Pfizer Animal Health, the Marketing Authorisation Holder for Pregsure BVD, voluntarily stopped selling Pregsure BVD in Germany to observe whether this had any effect on the incidence of BNP. Pfizer took this action as a result of an increased incidence of suspected adverse reactions in calves from vaccinated dams, specifically involving BNP.
Pfizer has informed the VMD that it will voluntarily stop selling Pregsure BVD in all EU Member States, including the UK, with effect from 3 June 2010, in order to assist the company and other investigators in understanding the aetiology of the disease and to facilitate the monitoring of its epidemiology.
No direct causal link between the use of Pregsure BVD and BNP has been proven. The VMD does not consider that a product recall is justified.
Defra will continue to work in collaboration with other research institutes and Pfizer to better understand the nature of this emerging disease. The VMD will continue to record and monitor cases of BNP reported as suspected adverse reactions.
Cases of BNP within the practice have declined as calving tails off but we continue to encourage you to report suspect cases to us and in the case of sudden deaths in calves 2-8 weeks of age to submit them for post mortem at Greycrook.
ZOLVIX
Zolvix, the all new generation of sheep wormer is now in stock in all depots of the practice.
It is recommended that this orange drench be used once a year as a mid season dose for lambs at or shortly before weaning. Zolvix rids sheep of worms that are resistant to the current classes of drench. To preserve this unique action we must restrict its use to a once per year lamb dose. Research undertaken by Moredun Institute has shown that resistant worms are present on a significant proportion of Scottish sheep farms without us being aware of it and with time if left unchecked their numbers will only increase whereupon there will be a dramatic impact on production.
By removing this worm burden lambs benefit at weaning and during fattening, an important growth stage.
Later in the year Zolvix should be used as a quarantine drench for purchased breeding replacements or lambs returning from summer grazings away from the home farm. Buying in worm resistance is the most common way of introducing resistant worms onto the farm. SCOPS advice on good quarantine protocol should be followed by keeping imported sheep off grass for 24-48 hours then turn out to dirty pasture.
Zolvix - key benefits
- Unique mode of action therefore no resistant populations exist
- Kills worms that are resistant or multi resistant to current wormer classes
- Aids resistance management when used mid season by removing any accumulated resistant worm burden
- Only 7 day meat withhold
- Convenient 1ml per 10kg dose ideal for use with the innovative Optimum drenching system
- Competitively priced with other premium wormers