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FSA plans to tackle campylobacter
Strategy aims to reduce food poisoning

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has pledged to tackle campylobacter in an attempt to reduce cases of human food poisoning in the UK.

A strategy has been published which aims to help control campylobacter in chicken, which remains the most common cause of food poisoning in humans.

Campylobacter is thought to be responsible for around 460,000 cases of food poisoning, and 110 deaths in the UK each year.

According to the FSA, 50 to 80 per cent of campylobacteriosis cases in the UK and other EU countries come from poultry.

Back in 2007/8, an FSA survey found that 65 per cent of chicken on sale in shops was contaminated with campylobacter. Although the agency says reducing cases is its top priority, there is as yet no evidence to suggest that the number of cases has decreased.

Part of the FSA's plan to address this involves improving the available information on campylobacter levels at all stages of the supply chain.

The agency says it expects the food industry to develop new initiatives, continue to improve biosecurity on farms and ensure that slaughter and processing methods prevent the contamination of carcasses.

Working alongside government partners, the FSA has also pledged to ensure that businesses using chilled chicken are aware of the risks of campylobacter.

Long-term interventions to tackle the problem, such as vaccinations, will also be investigated through research programmes.

Catherine Brown, FSA Chief Executive, said: "I feel that because this is a complex and difficult issue there has tended to be an acceptance that a high level of contamination will inevitably occur and that there’s little that can be done to prevent it.

"The FSA doesn’t believe this is the case and this paper sets out how together we can make progress towards reducing the number of people who get ill from campylobacter."

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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.