LAUSR

SOME progress is being made on tackling bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) across the UK but it is very much a mixed picture and there is a need to align actions and ensure a consistent approach. That was the general consensus at a special BVDZero congress in Cardiff earlier this month. Vets, vet nurses and farmers from across the UK gathered to assess progress on eradicating the disease at a one-day congress organised by Boehringer Ingelheim, the company behind the online BVDZero information platform. England and Wales currently lag behind Scotland and Northern Ireland in tackling BVD. At an alignment meeting the day before the congress, key players in the ‘BVDFree’ movement (a voluntary eradication programme) agreed to work together to produce a report that sets out the different approaches used by each administration and identify successful strategies for universal uptake. In light of success in Northern Ireland, which has reduced BVD prevalence by around 40 to 50 per cent since 2013, Wales may consider legislation to strengthen disease control obligations; for example, introducing additional measures such as restricting herd movements and enhancing enforcement powers. Christianne Glossop, chief vet for Wales, told the meeting: ‘The key is that we are going to learn from each other so those that are slightly ahead and have learned lessons [can share]. We are really interested in how the legislation is working and how we devise ours with the benefit of others who have gone down that route.’ Results of a UK-wide BVD survey of 1243 farmers were also presented (see box). The survey revealed a range of problems in cattle encountered by farms with BVD – from poor fertility, poor weight gain, high level of disease in calves and low milk yields – as well as a range of biosecurity measures that farmers are using to control/prevent the disease (using double-fenced boundaries, closing their herds, vaccination, testing and quarantining all incoming cattle). The survey found growing support among farmers for BVD eradication programmes in England and Wales (in Scotland and Northern Ireland these are obligatory) and strong recognition of the benefits they can bring; for example, reducing antibiotic usage. But the results point to some stubborn problems – too many farmers are retaining persistently infected (PI) cattle and, in some cases, selling them on to other farms. Across England, Scotland and Wales, 22 per cent of farmers who have detected PIs in their herds have chosen to either do nothing, rear them for slaughter or sell the infected animals on instead of culling. Across the UK around 60 per cent of farms declare themselves closed to new cattle but the perception of what constitutes a closed herd varies widely. In England, for example, of the 62 per cent identifying their herds as closed, 19 per cent brought in bulls, 2 per cent brought in heifers or cows and 1 per cent introduced fattening stock. The conference heard that BVD is one of the biggest drivers for antibiotic usage on farms and is frequently the reason behind an outbreak of pneumonia (BVD can result in immune suppression, making cows more susceptible to secondary diseases such as pneumonia). In England, around half of farmers surveyed (247 out of 506 respondents) are not signed up to the BVDFree programme – it is a similar proportion in Wales – mainly because they have not got around to it or are not aware of the initiative. But at the congress Glossop reiterated the significance of tackling BVD – not just because it was the right thing to improve consumer confidence or because BVD affects farmers’ bottom line, but because of the need to trade UK produce globally. ‘Never before has it been more important to make sure we can uphold our high standards of health and welfare for trading purposes, across our own administrations, across Europe and across the world,’ she said. ●