AHVLA to tighten TB movement rules
The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) has announced changes to rules designed to regulate TB-restricted livestock movements. Following recommendations made after an audit of TB controls in England by the European Union Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), all herds that have an 'Officially TB Free Status Withdrawn' breakdown must now wait until they have completed their first Short Interval Test (SIT) after 60 days of the reactor animal being suitably isolated or leaving the farm altogether. The reforms were designed to ensure with greater confidence that infection has been removed from a herd. Failure to comply would result in the withdrawal of EU Grant Funding.
However, the changes have drawn sharp criticism from the National Farmer's Union (NFU), which alleges that farmers and vets have been 'left in the dark over new and complex changes'. President of the NFU Mr Peter Kendall stated that farmers would be 'bitterly disappointed not only because the changes will have serious impacts on some farm business already struggling to cope with a TB breakdown, but that such important changes have been communicated so badly’.
“The NFU has worked hard to ensure that farm businesses are able to continue working as effectively as possible in what can be very difficult and trying circumstances by making sure that, subject to a veterinary risk assessment and isolation of cattle that have reacted or proven inconclusive to a TB test, that those cattle can still be moved onto a holding. It is vitally important that these businesses are able to continue to operate and that means being able to replace animals lost to TB."
“Having a TB breakdown on farm is already hugely damaging and stressful. While we reluctantly understand that these new rules are necessary in order to gain EU approval for the TB Eradication Plan for England, I have grave concerns that our farmers have been left in the dark over how they are to be implemented.”
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
