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ASF risk level raised to medium in the UK
The risk of exposure to the UK’s pig population is still considered to be ‘low’.
Bulgaria reports first outbreak in backyard pigs

The risk of African swine fever (ASF) entering the UK via contaminated pig products has been raised to ‘medium’, following a recent upswing in outbreaks on commercial pig farms in Romania and Poland.

Bulgaria also reported its first outbreak in backyard pigs on 31 August. Four out of seven pigs died and the remainder were culled.

Several thousand tonnes of Romanian-origin meat per annum are consigned to the UK from EU member states.

According to the APHA’s latest risk assessment, the risk of exposure to the UK’s pig population is still considered to be ‘low’.

Since 22 August, Romania has seen 42 new outbreaks in several regions - four of which occurred on commercial pig farms with more than 140,000 pigs on affected premises.

Meanwhile, the disease was detected for the first time in China in early August. The country’s sixth outbreak, on a farm with 459 susceptible pigs, was reported on 31 August in Yanhe Village, Anhui. China’s agriculture ministry has introduced a ban on transporting pigs or pig products from provinces where ASF has been confirmed, and is set to shut down live pig markets in the region.

APHA will reassess the risk to the UK every two weeks. Pig keepers are reminded not to feed swill to their animals and to be aware that visitors to their premises should not have had any recent contact with affected regions.

ASF should be considered as a possible diagnosis, even in single pigs with haemorrhagic lesions, lethargy, skin discolouration or petechiation and high fever. Any suspected cases must be reported to APHA immediately.

 

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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.