NEW REGULATIONS regarding Bovine Viral Diarrhoea in Scottish herds came into force on December 1, with a focus on identifying the persistently infected animals in herds and encouraging owners to remove them.

These changes are part of the new ‘Phase 5’ of BVD eradication in Scotland and include guidance on measures such as: preventing the movement of cattle onto any BVD-positive holding; ensuring PI cattle are housed away from other animals; and the requirement of herds that have been ‘BVD Not Negative’ for a period of more than 15 months to perform a compulsory BVD investigation of all cattle.

Scientist George Russell has been leading on BVD research at the Moredun Institute: “We have been gathering samples from PIs and typing them as they come in, so if there is an investigation at a later date then we can look at types of BVD strains present and look for potential sources of infection for comparison. We have over 5000 samples in our banks which we have been collecting since 2012 and over 60% come from Scottish premises.”

Through typing BVD virus-positive serum samples from Scottish approved laboratories, there has been good progress in tracing of new outbreaks and identification of sources of infection.

Mr Russel continued: “We had a rare example of a BVD infected sheep and by analysing samples from those sheep and in-contact cattle we were able to show that cattle on the farm were not the source of infection.”

Despite concerns over post-Brexit trade deals on the horizon, Mr Russel added that biosecurity threats remain the same and that animal owners must apply vigorous biosecurity measures on-farm.

“A recent case we came across was an imported animal from the Netherlands. Irrespective of Brexit, animals are already coming in from abroad and these animals will still be a source of risk. The new measures which have come into place urge reluctant livestock keepers to change their behaviours and stress the importance of containing the disease.”

Moredun has also developed a new animation together with SRUC called ‘Battle against BVD’, to illustrate best practise for biosecurity in support of BVD eradication. The animation offers simple but important advice such as encouraging livestock owners to ideally run closed herds; to ensure a double fencing gap of at least three fences between neighbouring farms; to implement herd health plans and use vaccines as an effective way to prevent BVD.

For further information and to view the animation go to:- www.moredun.org.uk/foundation/outreach/animation-series