A single cow has tested positive for bluetongue serotype 3 at a premises near Canterbury, Kent. The case was discovered on 11^th November as part of routine surveillance.

A 10km temporary control zone has been declared around the premises where the animal was kept. Movement restrictions apply to cattle, sheep and other ruminants.

A number of serotypes of bluetongue are currently circulating in Europe including, BTV-3, BTV-4 and BTV-8.

Last month, reports of the new strain of bluetongue (BTV-3) spreading rapidly in the Netherlands, prompted a series of emergency meetings by the Ruminant Health and Welfare (RH&W) group.

Vaccines are available for serotypes 1, 2, 4 and 8, but existing vaccines will not offer cross-protection against the new strain.

As a result, it’s especially important to follow advice to take action and prioritise good biosecurity measures, whilst remaining extremely vigilant to the disease.

The virus does not affect humans or food safety, it can cause significant production losses. Dr Hazel Wright, deputy head of policy for the Farmers’ Union of Wales said:

“Alongside purchasing livestock from responsible sources, surveillance is the best way to combat the spread of this disease and we are therefore urging members to be vigilant and report any suspicions of disease immediately.”

RH&W advises a three-pronged approach to preventing the disease:

1. Buyer beware, only source animals from Europe responsibly
2. Take action, prioritise biosecurity and report any suspicious clinical signs
3. Vigilance is key, monitor livestock closely.

Bluetongue can spread to the UK through infected midges, which can be carried across the channel by the wind. The south and east coasts of England face the highest risk.

The risk level is impacted by the level of disease in nearby parts of Europe, weather conditions – especially wind speed and direction – and temperature.

The virus could also be brought into the UK through the import of infected animals, blood or germinal products, from countries where it is circulating.

Further information and resources can be found here: https://ruminanthw.org.uk/bluetongue-virus/ or on gov.uk

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The risk of HPAI H5 in wild birds has been reduced from high (event occurs very often) to medium (event occurs regularly).

Meanwhile, the risk of HPAI H5 remains low (event is rare but does occur) in poultry.

Since 1^st October 2023, there have been no cases of HPAI confirmed in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, and one case in Scotland.

This is compared to 366 cases in the UK since October 2021, when the UK began battling its largest ever outbreak of avian flu.

While the risk in wild birds has reduced the virus is still circulating in wild birds in Great Britain and all bird keepers should remain vigilant for signs of disease, Defra said.

The risk is continually reviewed and may increase again as autumn migration continues.

The outbreak has hit poultry farmers hard, resulting in the loss of millions of birds and extended mandatory housing periods meaning eggs could no longer be labelled ‘free range’ in early 2022 and 2023.

One egg producer who shared his story at the BFREPA Live event this year, lost 192,000 hens to avian flu after a mandatory cull in January.

New insights in avian flu, from scientific consortium FluMap, recently revealed avian flu can travel less than 10m through the air, so airborne travel between farms is very unlikely. They also found Northern Gannets and Shag are showing signs of developing immunity to AI, though AI viruses are prone to change and antibody levels will likely decline over time.

Defra has launched an interactive map of reporting wild bird mortality, and findings of avian flu in wild birds and mammals.

There is also an avian flu in wild birds interactive dashboard, updated weekly, which shows results from APHA’s surveillance programme.

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Data from 274 bulk milk tank PCR samples showed 50% of herds tested were positive for Q fever, according to Ceva Animal Health.

Q fever has been historically underestimated and awareness of the disease amongst farmers and related industries has been low – despite the fact that it’s been endemic in GB dairy herds for some years.

While Q fever has the potential to impact herd productivity, the disease is frequently overlooked as other infertility causes are often investigated first, which can lead to economic losses for farmers in the meantime, Ceva says.

The disease, which is caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, is also zoonotic which makes it a health risk to those in contact with infected animals including farmers, farming families, vets and abattoir workers.

Infected dairy cattle generally do not display clinical signs, however these signs include: severe hyperthermia and rapid pneumonia in the acute phase (inflammatory stage) with spontaneous recovery over seven days.

In the chronic phase Q fever primarily affects reproductive performance in cattle and presents a serious threat to productivity. Signs reported in Q Test samples that tested positive include: Infertility (79%), abortions (71%), metritis/endometritis (36%), retained placenta (15%), and pregnancy loss/still borns/weak newborns (11%).

80% of farms test positive

Tom Angel, a veterinary surgeon at Synergy Farm Health, comments: “The bulk milk Q fever testing we have been undertaking in our practice has returned positive results in approximately 80% of farms sampled.”

It’s challenging for vets to determine the impact of Q fever on farm, he adds. “In some cases, where other causes have been excluded, signs such as increased pregnancy losses and still birth rates have been identified.

“However, on other units more subtle, but still costly effects, such as increased days open and increased transition disease may be attributable to Q fever.”

Supplementary diagnostics – such as serological testing of animals in different management groups, and the cost calculator from Ceva’s Q audit – have helped the practice develop vaccination protocols on different farms in a cost-effective manner.

Where vaccination protocols have been put in place, early results have been positive, with an apparent reduction in pregnancy loss and still births, Tom said.

“Whilst it is too early to assess any long-term impact of vaccination, these preliminary findings are encouraging and should increase the awareness and engagement from farmers and vets with this disease.”

New Q fever map

A new Q map from Ceva Animal Health highlights the incidence of Q fever in dairy herds throughout the UK based on the Q Test data.

Katherine Timms, ruminant veterinary advisor at Ceva Animal Health, says: “The Q map clearly demonstrates that Q fever is endemic throughout the UK and it will be updated on an ongoing basis.

“Diagnosis can be challenging, as it is similar to many other diseases in dairy herds, however farmers should ask their vet to investigate the disease if cows in their herd are experiencing fertility issues; these include unexplained abortion and still birth, high levels of metritis and endometritis, or if there is unexplained poor fertility performance such as repeat breeding, higher calving to conception rate and embryo loss.”

For further information please contact your local vet. To view the Q map or for further information on Q fever go to: www.qfever.co.uk.

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Cattle and sheep farmers are being warned to be vigilant for increased parasite burdens.

Due to the increased number of parasites in the environment, lambs are continuing to suffer from high worm burdens, which can have knock-on performance impacts – slowing down their finishing times, said Ben Strugnell during Elanco’s ‘Parasite’ update video.

“It’s crucial to monitor lambs closely, looking for signs of poor performance. If you can, weigh them frequently and faecal egg count (FEC) test, to confirm any suspected worm burdens within a flock,” he said.

Never ignore a husky cough

Mr Strugnell explained that he has recently seen increased numbers of cattle come into his clinic with heavy worm burdens.

“I’ve performed several post-mortems on calves who’ve died after losing condition suddenly,” he said.

“Although the cause of death was originally thought to be liver fluke, it was revealed that these calves had bad cases of parasitic abomasitis (inflammation caused by worms) or lungworm.”

While lungworm is uncommon in sheep, it is more prevalent in cattle, though generally only occurring every few years.

Mr Strugnell said: “I’d caution all farmers not to forget about lungworm in cattle, and never ignore stock with a ‘husky’ sounding cough, as this is a key symptom.

“In terms of testing for lungworm, although both methods aren’t 100% reliable, you can send faecal samples away to check for larvae, and blood samples to check for antibodies after infection.”

Harder to monitor 

He explained worms are harder to monitor in cattle than in sheep, as the egg numbers present in FECs are not as high – but in general, anything over 200 eggs per gram means it is worth worming.

“Again, in cattle, anthelmintic resistance isn’t as common as it is in sheep, but it’s still important to follow best practice by worming to weight and conducting a second FEC two weeks after drenching, to check wormer efficacy.”

Mr Strugnell will continue to provide regular update videos on current disease and parasite threats on the updated Elanco Parasight webpage.

Visit the page and sign up to receive Parasight updates directly to your inbox: https://bit.ly/3s38gX0.

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Rumen acidosis occurs when the pH of the rumen becomes acidic. The change in pH can result in some rumen microbes dying off, impaired rumen function and performance dropping. In severe cases, liver abscesses can form, and animals may die.

“When talking about acidosis in cattle, we are talking about the excess production of acid within the rumen,” says Howard Kellock, managing director of Fakenham Farm and Equine veterinary practice.

This can occur by feeding too much of something, like cereal or compound feed. From his experience, Howard tends to see more cases of acidosis in cattle fed high-energy rations. This is because it drops the rumen pH more regularly. Any animal fed a well-managed total mixed ration (TMR) tends to suffer less from acidosis effects.

How to prevent acidosis

Farmers can protect against acidosis by providing plenty of fibre. Fibre will encourage more cudding and, in turn, saliva production. Howard believes saliva production is critical because this is where all of the natural acid buffer produced by the cattle is from.

“Most commonly, acidosis is subtle and not obvious at first. The primary way to judge this is on dung consistency, which tends to be less solid the more severe the acidosis. The knock-on effect of these symptoms is a loss of production. For dairy cows, this is a loss of milk production; for growing or finishing animals, it is a loss of daily live-weight gain or poor feed conversion efficiency,” says Howard.

“Using high lactic acid silage, feeding high levels of cereals, and new season grain are all risk factors for acidosis,” says Jill Hunter, beef and sheep nutritionist for animal nutrition provider Harbro. “This could be seasonal, such as the switch to freshly harvested grain, or when they switch from growing to finishing rations.

“Prevention is always better than the cure. We know ruminants evolved to graze hills and long-stemmy forages, not to stand in a shed and eat ad-lib cereal. It is about returning to basics and ensuring the rumen environment is right, so animals can really get the most out of what we feed them.”

Farmers can mitigate acidosis risk by altering some management practices. Ensuring the silage’s chop length is correct and the structural fibre in rations can help. Jill advises transitioning to a finishing ration should last two to three weeks; any shorter, the risk of acidosis significantly increases.

Nucleus research farms

Harbro has been conducting trials using its unique rumen buffer Alkacid to optimise rumen health on its Nucleus beef research farm in North East Scotland. It is one of a pair of farms run by Harbro to conduct practical research, providing information to aid its advice to farmers. The other farm focuses on dairy cow research.

Alkacid combines rumen buffers, essential oils and natural hot spices in a honeycomb structure, which Jill claims will absorb 20% more acid than bicarbonate. The rumen buffers work immediately and for 24 hours. These are supported by the essential oils inhibiting starch-digesting rumen microbes and hot spices, increasing water intake and promoting saliva production.

“Scientific research is at the heart of our research and development programme, which is why we have close links with Glasgow Vet School. The Nucleus research farms aim to impart commercial reality into our research work; a great balance between science and farming reality.

“They are set up to replicate a finishing unit typical of many customers, meaning our findings are highly applicable when we discuss them with farmers,” explains Jill.

Rumen buffer trials

For the Alkacid trial, cattle were a typical mix of continental and native breeds, bought from auction markets throughout Scotland. Once they arrived on the farm, cattle were fed Harbro Beefstock nuts as a transition feed. This is gradually phased out and replaced with ad-lib barley, which has been processed using one of Harbro SuperBruiser machines.

The cattle were divided into four pens, with two receiving Alkacid with their feed ration. This provided two replicates in the trial and a more robust dataset. They were finished and sent to the processor within 100 days of arriving at the farm.

“We were astonished by the results. The cattle fed Alkacid in their rations gained, on average, 350g per head per day more throughout the transition period than those that did not. This gain is attributed to the cattle transitioning better, which led to improved rumen health and utilisation of their ration.

“By transitioning and finishing quicker using Alkacid, the cattle are on-farm for fewer days. This leads to an increase in profitability and a decrease in the carbon footprint. If a farmer can get cattle off their farm quicker, they can increase their business throughput by finishing more cattle in a year.

“When combined with thorough herd management, adding Alkacid to a feed ration is an easy choice when looking at our results,” concludes Jill.

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Top scientists have discovered that avian influenza can only travel short distances (less than 10m) through the air, and airborne travel between farms is therefore very unlikely. 

This is according to the findings of a major, eight-strong research consortium, FluMap, which was announced last year. Preliminary investigations on a small sample of some seabird species revealed specific immunity to H5N1, showing exposure and recovery in a proportion of birds. 

However, avian influenza viruses are prone to change so antibody levels will likely decline over time, with next year’s offspring not guaranteed to be immune – suggesting there are no great population level benefits yet.

Scientists hope to look at the effect of antibodies on infection, to better predict the emergence of new viruses with different protein combinations in the future, allowing experts to stay one step ahead to safeguard animal and human health.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is a significant burden on animal health, with over 350 infected premises detected between 2020 and 2023. 

Wild bird populations have also suffered significant mortalities across multiple species and wild mammals that have scavenged dead bird carcasses have also been infected.

The consortium also identified several genetic characteristics that explain the ability of the current H5N1 viruses to spread fast and infect a greater range of species. Research found that multiple virus genes have switched and evolved to act together to enhance fitness to infect, transmit and persist in birds, but remain un-adapted to humans.

The consortium has received £3.3 million in additional funding, to continue its research into the evolution of the virus and the ability to predict new strains. 

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The guide and videos are designed for the ‘Fab Five’ Foot Treatment Team – farmers, vets, foot trimmers, mobility scorers and nutritional consultants – to emphasise the importance of working together to improve herd mobility.

The step-by-step cattle mobility guide highlights the importance of implementing a robust and ongoing treatment plan to improve cow comfort and reduce lameness in the short-term. This will lead to increased production and herd welfare in the longer-term.

The steps feature advice on reviewing whole herd mobility by a suitable person if lesions are identified; treating affected cows within 48 hours of identification using a combination of trim, block, topical antimicrobial spray and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID), as appropriate; and the importance of ongoing treatment, prevention and monitoring every fortnight.

A suitable person would include: an independent RoMS (Register of Mobility Scorers) accredited mobility scorer, seeking veterinary advice or contacting a mobility mentor (someone who has been trained to deliver the ADHB Healthy Feet Programme).

The guide also includes tips for the successful use of NSAIDs, which include the importance of using a NSAID with a zero milk withhold.

Expertise-led lameness management videos

The lameness management videos are produced in collaboration with James Wilson BSc (Hons) PhD, a foot health consultant from Herd Health Consultancy and feature contributions from:

• Alex Burrows, professional foot trimmer and chair of the National Association of Cattle Foot Trimmers (NACFT)
• Dave Bacon, a dairy farmer from Gleadthorpe Farm in Nottinghamshire
• Shannon Trinder, assistant herdsperson at Gleadthorpe Farm
• Harry Walby, veterinary surgeon and ruminant technical advisor at Ceva Animal Health.

They cover the benefits of regular mobility scoring, prioritising lameness prevention in heifers and maintaining successes with practical and effective lameness treatment and prevention programmes across the whole herd.

“I was delighted to be involved in the new dairy cattle mobility videos and guide which provide extensive advice on lameness treatment and prevention programmes and the importance of rigorous mobility scoring.

“Using this guide to help you prioritise mobility in heifers, particularly in regard to NSAID usage, will help to deliver measurable positive change to herd mobility,” comments James Wilson, foot health consultant.

Harry Walby, ruminant veterinary advisor at Ceva Animal Health, manufacturer of Ketofen, adds: “Our new cattle lameness step-by-step guide and lameness management training videos provide invaluable advice to promote best practice and the planning and implementation of an effective and easy to follow herd mobility improvement programme which will help increase production and herd welfare.”

How to get you cattle mobility guide and videos

To download a copy of the step-by-step guide, go to: www.wavegoodbyetopain.co.uk/pdf/step-by-step-guide.pdf

To view the lameness management training videos, visit: www.wavegoodbyetopain.co.uk/training-videos.html

Read more of our articles on livestock.

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Farmers are being warned of the emergence of a new strain of bluetongue virus (BTV-3), which is spreading rapidly in the Netherlands.

Ruminant Health and Welfare (RH&W) has facilitated emergency meetings this week, bringing together over 40 key stakeholders and representatives from across the industry, to ensure the four nations are prepared for this emerging disease threat.

The existing BTV-8 serotype vaccine will not offer cross-protection against the new strain, making any outbreaks difficult to control, said Dr Joseph Henry, president of the Sheep Veterinary Society and member of RH&W’s steering group.

As a result, it’s especially important to follow advice to take action and prioritise good biosecurity measures, whilst remaining extremely vigilant to the disease.

Dr Henry added: “What we are advising is three-fold. Farmers need to beware when buying animals in, especially from Europe, take action to report any signs of the disease, and at all times, remain vigilant,” explains Dr Joseph Henry, president of the Sheep Veterinary Society and member of RH&W’s steering group.

New BTV strain in two European countries

BTV-3 is a viral disease transmitted by biting midges, which affects all ruminants (e.g. sheep, cattle, goats and deer) and camelids (e.g. llama and alpaca).

The new strain has been reported on more than 700 farms in the Netherlands and a new case was reported in Belgium this week. BTV-3 appears to mimic BTV-8 in its behaviour, according to Cat Mclaughlin, NFU chief animal health and welfare advisor, and member of RH&W steering group.

She added: “Currently, there are no reports of the new strain in the UK. But it is felt that due to the nature of bluetongue’s ability to spread via infected midges, and current warm weather conditions, the risk of it reaching the UK is increasing, so we must adhere to advice and do all we can to keep it out,” she says.

Dr Henry said: “It remains extremely difficult to protect against midges and a vector borne disease. However, there is always a role for good biosecurity and insecticides, but it’s important to differentiate between products licensed for use on animals, and those designed for use on building and vehicles.”

Buyer beware

Phil Stocker, NSA chief executive and member of RH&W steering group, adds that bluetongue does not pose a threat to human health, but it remains a notifiable disease.

“We’d strongly advise farmers to beware when buying livestock from Europe, and to request pre-movement testing of animals prior to departure,” he says.

“All imports of live animals are subject to post-import testing with restricted movements until a negative post-import test result has been confirmed, so caution is key.”

Symptoms of BTV-3 can vary across ruminants, with sheep generally exhibiting more overt symptoms than cattle, but both can showcase clinical signs.

In sheep these include: drooling, mouth lesions, high fever, lameness and oedema (swollen heads) and sudden death. Cattle are not usually as severely affected but may show similar clinical signs as well as teat, eye, coronary band and nose lesions.

RH&W’s advice to farmers and their vets is as follows:

1. Buyer beware, only source animals from Europe responsibly.
2. Take action, prioritise biosecurity and report any suspicious clinical signs.
3. Vigilance is key, monitor livestock closely.

In the UK, bluetongue, including BTV-3, is a notifiable disease, so anyone suspecting the disease must take action and report it to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

Further information and resources can be found here: https://ruminanthw.org.uk/bluetongue-virus/

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The Association is now urging UK governments to consider what next steps will be made following the report to advance sheep health and welfare.

NSA chief executive Phil Stocker has welcomed the report, saying the Association is “especially encouraged to see the appreciation from the committee that there is value in a four-nation, consistent approach to any future action or amendments to the regulations, ensuring the removal of potential confusion on best practice in the different home nations and frictionless trade across UK borders continues”.

The report, titled ‘Animal Welfare Committee report on the Implications of Castration and Tailing in Sheep’, concludes that current operations of tailing or castrating lambs do impair the comfort of animals and that solutions should be investigated to minimise this.

Mr Stocker continued: “NSA is in agreement that work needs to be done to find solutions to minimise any discomfort felt by animals. This report is an opportunity for new techniques and innovations to be thoroughly explored and legislation amended to accommodate these.”

While in support of the report’s findings, the Association still considers it important that the fundamental reasons for tailing and castration to improve the welfare of stock, including preventing flystrike and unwanted pregnancies must not be ignored in any future recommendations.

NSA is clear that any future amendments or proposals to legislation must consider the whole farm and supply chain implications.

So far, the report has been published on the Scottish and Welsh government websites, and Mr Stocker urged Defra to follow.

“Defra’s own findings and responses from this report were expected to be published months ago. We would welcome further opportunity to discuss this with Defra at the earliest given opportunity.”

The work was published by the AWC, formerly the Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC), an expert advisory body on farm animal welfare matters. Read the full report here.

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Mr Baxter, who farms near Stranraer and is also the chairman of the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA), has been confirmed as one of the keynote speakers at Europe’s largest free range egg show, taking place on Wednesday 15th November at the Telford International Centre.

His honest and open talk will cover his avian influenza journey, from losing an entire flock, to how he sees his business recovering, as well as the lessons learnt.

Mr Baxter’s talk will be just one of several discussions throughout the day, including a panel on AI vaccination, hosted by BFREPA CEO Robert Gooch with APHA’s Gordon Hickman, Dave Hodson from Rosehill Poultry, and Crowshall’s vet Ian Lowery joining as panellists.

A debate will also be held on whether there should be a Great Britain-wide vaccination programme, the pros and cons of having one, and how it might work if it became a reality.

The afternoon programme includes a series of technical presentations, with AD Harvey’s Oliver Harvey giving practical advice on preparing for end of lay, alongside Premier Nutrition’s Ralph Bishop talking about nutritional strategies for extending the laying cycle.

The day will conclude with a talk by Nick Bailey from Joice & Hill, covering the latest in genetics and breeding developments, as well as the benefits of breeding white hens.

Kate Dickinson, BFREPA events manager, said: “BFREPA Live’s speakers will offer an insight from all aspects of the free range egg sector, from the producer in the shed, to the officials making decisions on behalf of the whole industry.

“We believe that we’ve struck a great balance between the two, and that those in attendance will learn something valuable to take back to their farms.”

BFREPA Live 23 has been reformatted into a one-day show featuring a sold-out exhibition and the Free Range Awards dinner taking place on the same evening.

The awards dinner, which will be hosted by comedian Al Murray, will have a record number of attendees, with over 600 people already booked to attend the evening.

Tickets are on sale at www.bfrepa.co.uk and are open to anyone with an interest in egg production.

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