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Figures show further reduction in campylobacter levels
An average of 4.5 per cent of chickens tested positive for the highest level of campylobacter contamination.
Retailers publish their testing results for October to December 2017

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has thanked retailers for their work to reduce campylobacter levels in chicken.

Nine top retailers in the UK have published their testing results on campylobacter contamination in fresh whole chickens for the period October to December 2017.

The figures show that an average of 4.5 per cent of chickens tested positive for the highest level of campylobacter contamination (those carrying more than 1,000 colony-forming units per gram cfu/g). In the previous quarter (July to September), the figure for the highest level of contamination was 5.1 per cent - a fall of more than 0.6 per cent.

The FSA says that the fall builds on results released by retailers in November 2017, with the overall trend continuing to show a reduction in the highest levels of contamination.

“It’s good to see that levels of campylobacter found continue on a downward trend. We will continue to monitor the results and procedures of the major retailers and encourage them to maintain the significant progress made so far,” said FSA director of policy and science, Michael Wright.

“We would like to thank the British Retail Consortium and the retailers for continuing to take the issue of campylobacter seriously and for working together to coordinate the publication of their results. We are actively working across smaller poultry businesses so that they can also contribute to reducing campylobacter levels.”

The FSA has been testing chicken for campylobacter since February 2014 as part of a campaign to bring together the whole food chain to tackle the problem. In September 2017, the organisation announced that retailers would be carrying out their own sampling and publishing their results under strict protocols set out by the FSA.

The nine retailers that submitted their campylobacter results were Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

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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. 

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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.