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Chief vets raise awareness of African Swine Fever risk
"ASF presents an important and increasing risk to the pigs in the UK" - Christine Middlemiss, CVO UK.
Vets urged to report any suspect cases to the APHA 

Chief veterinary officers have joined forces to raise awareness of the risk of African swine fever (ASF) to the UK’s pig population.

Christine Middlemiss, chief veterinary officer (CVO) UK, Robert Huey, CVO Northern Ireland, Sheila Voas, CVO Scotland and Christianne Glossop, CVO Wales have all endorsed an article raising awareness of the growing risk of the disease, which has been spreading throughout eastern and central Europe.

Christine Middlemiss, CVO UK, said: “ASF presents an important and increasing risk to the pigs in the UK. In an outbreak, heightened disease control measures and a potential ban on pork exports could have a financial impact on the pig industry.

“The arrival of ASF would also affect the modest export market of our native rare breed pigs, and those with small populations and genetic pools could be heavily compromised if they had to be culled for disease control purposes.

“We must all play our part in raising awareness with all pig owners of this significant risk, promoting good biosecurity, and ensuring early detection and effective control if the worst happens.”

The article was sent to official veterinarians on Thursday (8 November) by the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA). Together with information on how to keep pigs free of ASF, the article also includes images of the clinical signs and pathology of ASF.

‘Anything you can do to promote these messages amongst your colleagues and to your pig-keeping clients is valuable in reducing the risk of introduction of ASF to the UK, whether their pigs are pets, or in small-scale or commercial herds,’ said the APHA. ‘In addition, if you are visiting clients who have pigs, take the opportunity to discuss and demonstrate best biosecurity practices to them.’

Anyone who suspects they have identified ASF is urged to report the disease immediately to the APHA. Guidance on how to spot and report the disease can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/african-swine-fever 

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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...
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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.