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Philippines confirms first outbreaks of ASF
Strict quarantine and monitoring protocols are in place to protect pig farms elsewhere in the country.
Fourteen out of 20 samples test positive 

The Philippines has culled more than 7,000 pigs following the country’s first outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF).

Agriculture secretary William Dar told a press briefing that 14 out of 20 samples tested positive for ASF at a UK laboratory.

Tests are ongoing to confirm if the strain is similar to that seen in Vietnam and China.

According to local news reports, the outbreaks occurred in two towns close to the capital Manila. Authorities suspect the source of the infection could be backyard pig keepers feeding ‘swill’ - leftover food scraps from hotels and restaurants.

Other possible routes include frozen meat being smuggled into the country and overseas workers returning with infected pork products.

Strict quarantine and monitoring protocols are in place to protect pig farms elsewhere in the country. The Department for Agriculture also suspended ground operations in Rizal province to focus on cleaning and disinfecting.

The Philippine government is reassuring the public that it is safe to eat pork. Around 65 per cent of the country’s PHP260 billion (approx £4 billion) swine industry is contributed by small backyard pig keepers.

Myanmar and Serbia last month confirmed their first cases of ASF, while 130,000 pigs were culled in Bulgaria due to the virus between 19 July and 3 August.

The disease has spread widely across Asia, as well as to parts of central and Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. It has led to the deaths of more than 800,000 pigs and wild boar in Europe and around four million pigs in Asia.

Defra implemented a new campaign at UK borders in July, in a bid to keep ASF out of Britain. It is predicted that if the disease enters the UK, it could have a devastating impact on the country’s commercial pig industry, which numbers five million pigs.

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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.