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Poultry health course returns after five year break
The course will run from 24-28 June.
Avian influenza and Newcastle disease will be among the diseases covered.

The Pirbright Institute is relaunching its poultry health course after a five-year break.

Providing CPD training for veterinary surgeons, as well as technical staff and poultry managers, the week-long course will look at best practice in poultry health.

Experts from Pirbright, alongside guest lecturers from the poultry sector, will look at topics including enrichment, hatchery practice, and field investigations, as well as virological, bacteriological and parasitological poultry diseases.

Munir Iqbal, head of Pirbright’s Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease group, will be providing insights into avian influenza and Ian Brown, who leads Pirbright’s Avian Virology Group, will be sharing his expertise on Newcastle disease.

The course will include demonstrations and lectures as well as practicals held at the University of Surrey.

Prof Brown said: “The course is specifically designed for those who work within the poultry industry and have a basic understanding of poultry health.

“By the end of the week, students will be able to recognise the clinical signs of key poultry diseases, perform a postmortem examination, and outline key diagnostic techniques including real-time PCR to detect viral genome, bacterial culturing, and microscopy.”

Prof Iqbal added: “In addition to recognising and understanding disease, and challenges to vaccination and vaccine failure, it will provide students with the ability to identify necessary biosecurity measures for a poultry farm, perform a field investigation, establish best practices for enrichment, and understand current industry issues including antimicrobial resistance.”

More details about the course, which will run from 24-28 June 2024, can be found on the Pirbright website.

Image © Shutterstock

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BSAVA partners with BVA Live 2026

News Story 1
 BSAVA is to partner with BVA Live (11-12 June 2026) to champion clinical research.

The organisation will be supporting BVA Live's Clinical Abstracts programme, showcasing selected abstracts of veterinary research throughout the event.

The clinical abstracts can be on any small animal veterinary subject, and must be based on research undertaken in industry, practice or academia. Abstracts can be presented in poster or oral formats.

Submissions will open on 15th December 2025, and close on 6th March 2026. You can register interest here

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Nominations open for RCVS and VN Council elections

The nomination period for the 2026 RCVS Council and VN Council elections is now open, with three veterinary surgeon seats and two veterinary nurse seats available.

Prospective candidates can download an information pack and nomination form from the RCVS website. Individuals can nominate themselves for the elections, with the results to be announced in the spring.

Clare Paget, the recently appointed RCVS Registrar and elections returning officer, said: "If you want to play your part in influencing and moulding how the professions are regulated, and making key decisions on matters of great importance to your peers, the public and animal health and welfare, please consider standing for RCVS Council or VN Council next year."

Nominations close at 5pm on Saturday, 31 January 2026.