The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Fight against BVD calls for swift culling, says animal welfare chief
CATTLE: Former NFUS president urges farmers to adopt tissue tag testing
Scotland’s farmers will only stop the cycle of bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) by culling persistently infected animals from their herds.
Speaking from his new role as chairman of industry-wide animal welfare body Livestock Health Scotland, former NFU Scotland president Nigel Miller stressed the importance of eradicating the ‘driving force’ behind the spread of BVD.
According to Mr Miller, who is also a vet and farmer, PI animals – which he termed a new generation of “virus super-shedders” – that continually shed high levels of virus, seeding and spreading the disease among a herd, must be removed.
“We are entering the toughest stage of BVD eradication in Scotland with now less than one in 10 herds affected in many regions, but PI calves are still being born and can quickly spread infection,” said Mr Miller.
“To maintain the momentum of eradicating BVD, PIs must be identified promptly and culled as quickly as possible.”
Mr Miller said farmers should turn to tissue tag testing, which aids early detection and is an effective way of screening calves born to animals purchased in-calf.
His message comes as farm management systems move towards spring turn out and the bulling period, which are crucial moments in the fight against the disease.
“It is vital to remove PI calves before the bulls start working to break the disease cycle and avoid a new generation of PI calves being born next year,” added Mr Miller.
“It is important to ensure PI cattle do not go to grazing and pose a risk to all contact cattle, including neighbouring stock.
“Unless we get this right BVD will continue to fight back.”
Earlier this month the Scottish Government introduced a new class of BVD status for cattle herds.
The BVD ‘positive herd’ status, which came into effect on April 10, applies to any cattle herd where an animal has tested positive for the BVD virus.
The status applies to holdings where there is evidence of a PI animal in the herd.
The herd status will only revert to notnegative once the PI animal has been removed from the holding or it has been re-tested and found not to have the virus.
The Scottish Government, which runs the BVD eradication scheme, has previously said removal of the disease in Scotland will save the industry up to £80 million over a 10-year period.
As such, the Scottish BVD Eradication programme incentivises the detection and removal of PIs.
“The faster that process moves,” said Mr Miller, “the faster herds become free of the virus and the lower the risk of spread.”
pmerry@thecourier.co.uk