Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

‘New approach’ needed to tackle TB in Wales
cows
The report calls on the Welsh government to set a national target date for Wales to be officially TB-free.
Committee agrees with proposals for targeted badger cull

Proposals to start targeted badger culling in Welsh cattle herds with persistent outbreaks of TB has been welcomed by a National Assembly committee.

A new report by the committee says a ‘refreshed’ approach is needed to tackle the disease in Wales. However it warns that culling must be scientifically monitored and reviewed to ensure its efficacy. If it is shown to be ineffective, it must be stopped or changed. Evidence gathered must also be made available for independent peer review.

The committee is calling for a regional approach to tackle the disease, which would see areas of Wales categorised as high, medium or low risk, with different restrictions for each level.

Surveillance testing of cattle and risk-based trading should also be among the options considered. In the first instance, the committee recommends a voluntary system for risk-based trading, but this should be kept under review and made mandatory if necessary.

The report calls on the Welsh government to set a national target date for Wales to be officially TB-free, and provide some clarity on how this will be achieved. Unlike England and Ireland, the Welsh government has not yet set a timetable for TB eradication.

Jenny Rathbone, interim chair of the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, said they had examined the strategies being used across the globe, seeking the best evidence on how to eradicate TB in Wales.

“We concluded that the a refreshed strategy is needed, which encompasses a regional approach to eradicating TB, movement restrictions on infected herds and risk-based trading among other options. We also need to keep a close eye on the management of larger dairy herds and any link with the slurry they generate.”

The Welsh government had also proposed to cut the maximum amount it pays in compensation from £15,000 to £5,000. Over the past decade, around £150 million has been paid to farmers whose animals were destroyed through the TB eradication programme. Part of the reasoning behind the proposal to reduce compensation relates to the expected end to EU funding, which is currently worth £2-3 million a year.

Responding to the proposal, the committee called on the government to ensure farmers are paid a “reasonable sum” in compensation. Ms Rathbone said the policy will be reviewed after 12 months to make sure it is the most effective way to ensure Wales is TB-free. The government was also urged to ensure current funding received from the EU for bTB testing and other measures is guaranteed within future governmental budgets.

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.