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Veterinary disease centre receives funding boost
"The St Boswells centre is an important part of the national disease surveillance programme."

Scotland’s Rural College invests £500k in St Boswells to upgrade facilities

A veterinary disease surveillance centre in the Scottish Borders has received £500,000 from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) to improve its facilities and promote animal health.

The money will be used to support the refurbishment of St Boswells and extend the life of the building. Among the planned works include a revamp of the interior and exterior and an upgrade to the laboratory facilities.

“The St Boswells centre is an important part of the national disease surveillance programme helping to improve animal health and support farm production,” explained George Caldow, head of SRUC Veterinary Services.

“The refurbishment of St Boswells will help secure this service for many years to come and provide a focal point for farm animal health across the region.”

Based at Greycook in St Boswells, SRUC Veterinary Services provides animal health diagnostics for livestock across the Borders, Midlothian and East Lothian and further afield as required.

Other planned works include an upgrade to the post-mortem room with a new hydraulic table and a new cradle design to improve efficiency and safety when examining adult cattle post mortem. The room will remain closed while the work is in progress, and vets will provide an alternative post-mortem service from an alternative location nearby. 

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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...
News Shorts
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.