WITH CASES of both Avian Influenza and Schmallenberg Virus appearing across the UK, vets have highlighted the anniversary of the UK's devastating 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak (February 19) as a timely reminder that a robust veterinary surveillance system is vital to the health of UK livestock.

The British Veterinary Association's latest member survey found that, where there have been changes to post-mortem facilities since 2014, a third of vets affected thought their access to facilities had deteriorated and, where there have been laboratory closures, three-quarters of vets had seen carcase submission rates decline.

BVA president Gudrun Ravetz said: “Disease is unpredictable, particularly new diseases and novel strains of diseases in our increasingly globalised world. As a country we need to be alert to the threat posed to our livestock, food chain and agricultural business by disease incursions.”

Disease control was identified by BVA members as one of their top three highest priorities in relation to Brexit, with veterinary surgeons specifically citing zoonotic disease and a ‘break down in surveillance communication’ amongst the issues they are most worried about.

“While we understand the need to update and, in places, consolidate laboratory services, our survey figures show how the closure of laboratories and the cutting of resource to APHA services affect vets’ and farmers’ access to laboratories," said Ms Ravetz.

As the UK’s plans for exiting the EU progress, the BVA called on the UK Government to ensure resources for existing disease control and eradication programmes and surveillance systems are maintained to ensure the UK has effective and adequately resourced systems for detecting new and emerging diseases.