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New vice-chair of RCVS Fellowship Board elected
Professor James Wood works at the University of Cambridge.
Voter turnout was higher than in previous two elections.

James Wood has been elected as the new vice-chair of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Fellowship Board.

A veterinary epidemiologist who leads the Disease Dynamics Unit at the University of Cambridge, Professor Wood received the most votes from Fellows during the two week voting period. Voter turnout was higher than during the past two elections.

The other candidates who stood were Ian Battersby, Rachel Dean, and Aoife Reid.

The role of vice-chair involves working with other Board members to increase the visibility of the Fellowship within the veterinary profession and more widely, as well as broadening and consolidating the Fellowship’s influence and encouraging greater diversity in its membership.

In his candidate statement, Professor Wood wrote: “I believe that the opportunities for the RCVS Fellowship have not been realised yet and I am committed to working with the new chair to promote its effective development, reputation and role.

“The Fellowship is a critical element in the success of the Royal College (non-regulatory) functions of the College.

“My experiences of leadership and high-quality research, as well as professional profile, provide a good background to work with the Fellowship Board and Chair to develop an informed and effective strategy for the Fellowship.”

Professor Wood will be formally welcomed to the Board on Fellowship Day on 28 November 2024.

Niall Connell, chair of the Fellowship Board, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Professor Wood as the new Fellowship Board Vice-Chair.

“James’ impressive credentials and experience will be tremendous assets as we work with our Board, Fellows and the College to forge a valuable and positive future for the learned society that is the RCVS Fellowship.”

Image © RCVS

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New guidelines published for wildlife disease surveillance

News Story 1
 A set of international guidelines for disease surveillance in wildlife has been updated for the first time since 2015.

Released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Organisation for Animal Health, General Guidelines for Surveillance of Diseases, Pathogens and Toxic Agents in Free-ranging Wildlife is designed to help wildlife authorities and others working with wildlife carry out effective surveillance programmes.

The document, which cover areas including choosing appropriate strategies, safety and biosafety protocols, and ethical and legal considerations, can be read here.  

Click here for more...
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Farmer survey to reveal on-farm impact of bluetongue

A nationwide survey has been launched to better understand how the bluetongue virus is affecting UK farms.

Results will inform the support that farmers receive for bluetongue, as well as preparing the livestock industry for the future.

The short online survey is open to all livestock farmers, regardless of whether they've had a confirmed case of bluetongue on their farm. It asks how many animals have been affected, the severity of their clinical signs and how it has impacted farm business.

The survey takes five minutes to complete and is fully anonymous.

It is led by Fiona Lovatt, of Flock Health Limited, and the Ruminant Health & Welfare bluetongue working group, in collaboration with AHDB and the University of Nottingham.

Dr Lovatt says: "We need to find out what level of clinical signs farmers are seeing in their animals, whether they are experiencing mortality with BTV-3 cases, and what their appetite is to vaccinate in future for bluetongue serotype 3."

The survey can be found here.