We are now into what is called phase 4 of the Scottish Government Eradication scheme for BVD. There are changes to the scheme in phase 4 that mainly affect herds classed as 'not-negative'.
So far ...
The ambitious Scottish BVD eradication scheme has made substantial progress, with 83% of herds now ‘negative’ across the country. In total 1750 Persistently Infected (PI) animals have been identified and the vast majority of these have been eliminated.
And going forward ....
To build on this successful platform, from 1st June 2015, the BVD eradication scheme moved into its next phase (Phase 4). This involves the following key changes:
- Any herd with a “not negative” status will now only be allowed to move animals (other than direct to slaughter) if they have an individual virus negative status. Individual animals will therefore be required to be tested before movement
- Bulk milk antibody testing has been removed as a testing option. This test was useful for initial screening but, as the scheme progresses, it is important to understand whether there is active infection in the herd
- Any animal moving on to a holding from a “not negative” herd, or a herd outside Scotland, will require isolating and testing for virus. If you do not individually test these animals your BVD status will become ‘not negative’.
What to do now...
Given these changes, it is important to contact the practice if your herd is “not negative” so we can help you successfully eliminate the disease from your farm. We can advise on testing as well as vaccination, which should be considered to help protect against the birth of Persistently Infected (PI) animals.
If your herd is “negative” then it is essential to take steps to maintain this status. As your herd is likely to be at risk of coming into contact with the BVD virus, a review of herd biosecurity is recommended. Where biosecurity is sub-optimal, vaccination should be considered to help protect your herd.
Please contact the practice to discuss the most appropriate action for your herd.