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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 18th December 2018
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New app aims to help tackle ASF
ASF COMBAT allows pig farmers to improve biosecurity on their premises.
ASF COMBAT identifies areas for biosecurity improvement

Pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim has developed a new app to help farmers protect their stock from African swine fever.

ASF COMBAT allows pig farmers to improve biosecurity on their premises by completing a short questionnaire based on scientific literature and practical experience.

While the risk of the virus is higher in ASF-affected areas, all farms must be prepared and understand the risks they face, the company said. The app highlights the most important risk areas to allow improved biosecurity, pig flow, management and feeding practices.

Risk areas covered by the app are:
  • Animals - ASF virus spreads by direct contact, and live animals can carry the virus.
  • Transport - vehicles that have carried infected pigs can be a risk to other farms because ASF virus is highly resistant in the environment.
  • People - how farm staff behaves can affect the risk profile of the farm.
  • Management - the daily routines on the farm are critical in the prevention of ASF entering the herd.
  • Feeding - ASF virus can stay infective in kitchen scraps, catering waste or food leftovers contaminated with infected pork.
  • Location - proximity to infected swine, wild boar can pose serious risk that need to be understood.

Boehringer said the app is intended to identify potential areas for improvement, not to replace the advice of a veterinary surgeon or health authorities.

ASF COMBAT can be downloaded as an app from the Apple Store or Google Play, or accessed online: https://prevent-asf.com/index.php?action=users_public_login 

 

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise £100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.