Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

Hauliers warned over African swine fever risk
The advice cautions hauliers not to bring pork, wild boar meat or meat products back to the UK from affected areas.
Chief veterinary officer writes to UK transport associations 

Hauliers are being warned of the risks of bringing African Swine Fever (ASF) into the UK.

According to the National Pig Association, the UK's chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss has written to the Road Haulage Association, the British Retail Consortium, the Freight Transport Association and the Federation of Wholesale Distributors.

Ms Middlemiss is reported to have sent the associations a poster explaining why there is a heightened risk associated with ASF and what steps they can take to minimise the risk.

The advice cautions hauliers not to bring pork, wild boar meat or meat products back to the UK from affected areas. It also urges hauliers to use a secure bin to dispose of waste food, to never feed pigs or wild boar with meat or meat products, and to avoid contact with dead or sick wild boar.

Ms Middlemiss also gives instructions on how to clean and disinfect vehicles and stresses the importance for everyone travelling between the continent and the UK to take ‘several precautions to reduce the risk of ASF entering the UK’.

The poster and letter form part of continuing efforts by chief veterinary offiers to raise awareness of the risk of ASF to the UK’s pig population.

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.