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University of Bristol initiative honoured at antibiotic awards
University of Bristol Veterinary School receives its award in the Agriculture & Food category.

AMR Task Force wins in the agriculture & food category

An antimicrobial resistance research initiative led by vets at the University of Bristol scooped top honours at the Antibiotic Guardian Awards.

Led by Dr Kristen Reyher, The ‘AMR Force’, programme won first prize in the agriculture and food category. The British Poultry Council and Wayland Farms were also highly commended.

The category - a first for the annual awards ceremony - attracted 16 retailers, universities, independent businesses and farmers, with nine scoring enough to be shortlisted by the judges. The wins in other categories were more focused on healthcare.

Now in its third year, the Antibiotic Guardian Awards celebrate organisations and individuals who have shown achievements in tackling antimicrobial resistance at a local, regional or national level. The campaign is led by Public Health England in collaboration with Defra and professional bodies.

Chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies opened the awards by acknowledging the antibiotic achievements of the poultry meat and pig sectors.

The Prescribing & Stewardship award went to the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance for its ‘Target Task Force’ initiative - a cross-sector collaboration between vets and farmers to identify baseline antibiotic usage. RUMA also scooped the Community Communications award for its #ColostrumIsGold campaign - an initiative to cut the need for antibiotics in neonatal and older animals through improved colostrum management.

Collecting the awards on behalf of RUMA, Amy Jackson said: “The last two years have been incredibly hard work for all involved in engaging the farming industry with the issue of antibiotic resistance. But tonight’s event, including the number of entries from farming and the quality of the shortlists, shows the progress we’ve made.

“The discussion really has moved on from ‘who is to blame’, to ‘what can we do?’, and the best practice on show will help us all take a truly One Health approach in the future.”

Image (C) RUMA

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.