Schmallenberg vaccine ready for use this summer

Schmallenberg vaccine ready for use this summer UK farmers will be the first in the EU with access to a vaccine to help protect sheep and cattle against birth defects caused by the Schmallenberg Vir... Dog attacks on livestock rise across the UK Dog owners are still not acting responsibly enough to prevent a high number of injuries and deaths to livestock according to the National Sheep Associ... Schmallenberg surveillance results out The first round of Schmallenberg surveillance testing in Scotland is almost complete with no positive samples identified. NFU Scotland, working wit... Compensating for delayed spring grass growth This year's severely delayed start to grass growth makes it all the more important to maximise conversion of grass to live-weight in growing cattle, a... Price is more important than welfare, poultry delegates told European calls for animal welfare standards to be written into international trade deals were described as "challenging" by a Canadian delegate at the... Vital vaccine shortfall for hill farmers Hill farmers may struggle to control tick-borne diseases in their flocks this season after it emerged that supplies of vital vaccine have been disrupt... Farmers asked to share TB incidence to improve disease control The South East and South West Wales Regional TB Eradication Delivery Boards have joined in the fight against bovine TB in Wales by launching a pilot s... Phenylbutazone detected in horsemeat of 'low concern' says EU A joint assessment from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has concluded that the illegal presence of r... Schmallenberg disease confirmed in Dumfriesshire The first confirmed case of the Schmallenberg disease has been identified on a Dumfriesshire farm after birth defects were found in a calf. Spread ... Options for working with TB to be outlined at Beef EXPO Options for working with TB rules will be the focus of the TB Opportunities area at Beef Expo 2013 at Malvern on 23 May. The event's TB Opportunit... More farmers battling TB as 3,000 cattle culled in a month The number of cattle slaughtered because of TB has risen again this month bringing the total number of cattle culled to 186,664 (from January 2008 – J... Pig disease that costs millions is target of genetic study A fast mutating virus that affects pig herds and costs pork producers millions of pounds each year is being targeted by scientists. A transatlantic... Producers urged to check returning sheep for scab Farmers are being urged to check stock returning to their farms for the presence of sheep scab. This is the time of year when ewe hoggs traditional... Asda 'Smart Price' Corned Beef recalled due to bute Asda has recalled all 'Smart Price' Corned Beef because traces of the veterinary medicine phenylbutazone, known as bute, was found in some batches of ... AB Vista to launch Quantum Blue in South Africa AB Vista is set to introduce Quantum Blue to South Africa, where it is now registered for use. The product gets its official South African launch ... Geoff Skerritt wins veterinary award Veterinary Instrumentation, one of the leading suppliers of instruments and orthopaedic implants to veterinary surgeons, announced today the Simon Awa... NFU blasts EU policing of pig and poultry welfare The National Farmers' Union has used a European advisory meeting to challenge Commission officials on their 'ongoing failures' to police pig and poult... 'Holy grail' of foot-and-mouth vaccines developed A group of scientists have developed a new type of vaccine to combat food-and-mouth disease which contributed to the deaths of over 7 million livestoc... 38,000 cattle slaughtered to combat TB in 2012 In 2012, the spread of bovine TB led to the slaughter of 38,010 cattle in Great Britain, a 10% increase compared to 2011, according to new statistics ... Deer cull logic must apply to badgers says FUW As recent calls have highlighted the dangers of an increasing deer population, the Farmers' Union of Wales have called on scientists to recognise the ... FSA to begin poultry health risk assessment The Food Standards Agency is putting out a research call to provide a better understanding of public health risks associated with partially eviscerate... Lamb prices and Schmallenberg 'worrying farmers' Adverse weather conditions and cheap imports are suppressing the domestic lamb market and ruining margins, according to the NFU. The union recently... RSPCA has questions to answer over Ramsgate, says NFU The publication of a report into the incidents that led to the deaths of over 40 sheep last year still leaves unanswered questions, the NFU said today... Schmallenberg figures grow as farmers wait on vaccine New government figures have revealed the Schmallenberg virus has spread to more than 1,500 farms in the UK with the disease moving progressively north... Badger cull 'will not stop TB in cattle' says new research New research conducted by Durham University has claimed a 'widespread badger cull' will have no impact in solving the problem of tuberculosis in cattl... Improved PCR test for bovine mycoplasma Veterinarians and farmers now have access to a new qPCR test to improve the diagnosis of mastitis and respiratory disease caused by Mycoplasma bovis. ... British Veterinary Association calls on VMD to restrict anthelmintic dispensing The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is calling on the veterinary medicines regulator to classify all anthelmintics as POM-V, meaning they can onl... Changes to bovine TB surveillance From 1st January 3013 the new surveillance for Bovine TB was introduced in a bid to stop the spread of the disease from the West Country. The pre... Tenfold increase in fluke with more to come, says NADIS There has been a tenfold increase in acute liver fluke cases in sheep in the last quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, according to AH... Farmers 'underestimating' cost of calf pneumonia Many farmers may be underestimated the true cost of calf pneumonia and failing to take appropriate steps to stop the disease according to Merial's vet... Research reveals level of illegal badger culling Over 10% of livestock farmers in Wales have illegally killed badgers according to a research paper published today. Using a method known as the ra... Schmallenberg vaccine must be available, warn NFU The National Farmers' Union has warned a vaccine must be available to help combat the spread of the Schmallenberg virus this year. Recent reports h... Disease fears blight early lambing season Recent reports have confirmed farmers' worries over a return of the Schmallenberg virus in sheep and cattle with figures indicating up to 60% loss bei... Farming groups warn of losses to liver fluke disease Liver fluke is causing havoc in many parts of the UK, recent reports show. Peter Baber, Chairman of SCOPS (Sustainable Control Of Parasites in Shee... Badger cull may start in other areas, farming minister says Farming Minister David Heath has hinted the badger cull could resume in other areas after a delay was announced by the government last October. Pla... Significant liver fluke risk across the UK There is a risk of very high levels of liver fluke disease across Scotland, Wales and western England according to a new forecast. January's Parasi... USDA issues final rule for animal disease traceability The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a final rule establishing general regulations for improving the traceability of U.S. livesto... Badger vaccination can cut TB by half says research New government-backed research has revealed that vaccinating badgers can reduce the level of TB within an infected colony by 54%. The results, whi... MEPs urge better animal transport conditions More animals are being transported inside the EU in 'sub-standard' conditions according to MEPs. During a debate in the European Parliament, they s... Defra warns of 2013 Schmallenberg return The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has warned the animal health sector that the Schmallenberg virus could return by 2013. ... Bovine TB testing rules 'will have serious implications' From January 1st next year a number of new TB rules will come into force which will have a direct impact on farmers in the counties of Cumbria and Lan... Fluke season is 'just as bad as expected' Recent heavy rains across the UK have maintained the high risk of liver fluke in sheep and cattle, and SCOPS Chairman Peter Baber has stressed the nee... EU identifies 'serious defects' in French GM rat study The European Union's food safety watchdog has identified 'serious defects' in the research undertaken by French scientists who said rats fed on a GM d... TB report shows complexity of disease, say vets Veterinary associations have welcomed the Review into Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) by the Assembly’s Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) Committee, an... Sheep scab to be a priority following inaugural conference At the inaugural conference of the Sheep Health and Welfare Group (SHAWG) last week, a clear mandate was given to the group when the 224 attendees vot... Disease eradication tops agenda at BVA meeting The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has used its Northern Ireland meeting to call on the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to ensur... Farming group attacks Charity Commission on RSPCA stance The Farmers' Union of Wales has accused the Charity Commission of 'bringing the nature of charities into disrepute by failing to confront the RSPCA' o... Measures to reduce antimicrobial resistance 'not sound science' Measures to reduce antimicrobial resistance in Europe are in danger of becoming 'kneejerk' reactions, the British Veterinary Association has warned. ... Hospital food welfare 'shocking' says survey Eggs, chicken and pork served in English hospitals are produced from animals reared in only basic welfare conditions, according to a survey published ... NFU attacks RSPCA over badger warning The National Farmers' Union has said the RSPCA 'overstepped the mark' over comments made about 'naming and shaming' people involved in the badger cull...