Mandatory bovine viral diarrhoea screening: guidance for vets

PART 2 THE SCOTTISH BVD ERADICATION SCHEME

Key features of mandatory annual screening:

• Every keeper of a breeding cattle herd must screen their herd no later than 1 ^st February 2013.
• It is the keeper's responsibility to ensure a screening test is done.
• There is a range of testing methods available, to suit the individual circumstances of each herd.
• Samples must be sent to an approved laboratory, along with any other information they need.
• The laboratory will declare a herd status of negative or not-negative, depending on the outcome of the test result.
• The laboratory will inform the keeper and the Scottish Government of the herd status.
• Vets may change the herd status of a client where they have conducted follow-up testing, once they have completed a free online course.
• The herd status may have consequences for trade and movement of cattle from December 2012.
• Where a calf is born in a non-breeding herd, it must be tested for BVD virus within 40 days of birth.

Breeding herds:

Keepers of breeding herds of cattle in Scotland must arrange to have their herds screened for BVD.

What is a breeding herd for the purposes of the legislation?

A herd is defined in the BVD Order 2012 as a breeding herd if breeding is planned or allowed to happen. There is no set number of births or cattle that are needed to constitute a breeding herd - one cow used for breeding would be enough.

The first test must be conducted by 1 ^st February 2013. The next test must be conducted within 13 months of the first, and then at up to 13 month intervals as long as the scheme lasts.

How must they be screened?

A range of six minimum testing methods is available, and these are set out in full at Part 3. These are minimum requirements; it will often be in your clients' interests to do more than this.

Who can take samples?

	Veterinary surgeon	Veterinary nurse	Milk recorder	Milk collector	Keeper
Blood	√
Ear tissue tag	√	√			√
Individual milk	√	√	√
Bulk milk	√	√	√	√

Who can test samples?

To constitute a mandatory screening test, samples must be tested by a laboratory approved by the Scottish Government. Part 5 gives more details. A list of approved laboratories is available at www.scotland.gov.uk/bvd.

Who determines the herd status?

The laboratory will determine the herd status, based on the results of the samples submitted and other information provided.

Can a herd status be changed?

Yes - a veterinary surgeon can change a herd status for a client from not-negative to negative, subject to certain conditions - see Part 7 for more details.

Non-breeding herds:

For any other type of cattle herd, such as a finishing herd, any calves born are required to be tested for BVD virus within 40 days of birth. This can be by blood or ear tissue tag test.

From December 2012

The Scottish Government will consult the proposals below in the Spring of 2012, to come into force on or after 1 December 2012 depending on the responses received.

1. Persistently Infected cattle

It is highly likely that it will be illegal to knowingly sell or move a PI animal from 1 December 2012, other than directly to slaughter. They may not pass through a market or any other holding. The Scottish Government will be informed by the laboratory each time an animal tests positive for BVD virus, and will know through movement records if a virus positive animal is moved to another holding.

2. Herd status declarations

The Scottish Government will propose that, from 1 December 2012, when cattle are being presented for sale the keeper must declare them to be in one of the following three categories:

Category 1: BVD Certified Negative	Either; From an accredited BVD-free herd through a CHeCS cattle health scheme. Or; Individually tested BVD virus-free.
Category 2: BVD Screened Negative	From a herd with a 'negative' herd status for BVD through mandatory annual screening.
Category 3: BVD Status Unknown	All herds not in either of the categories above (including from not-negative herds).

3. Movement restrictions - likely to be later than Dec 2012

At some point movement restrictions will be required to prevent the transmission of BVD around Scotland. The proposal will be that cattle from not-negative herds will only be allowed to move straight to slaughter, unless the cattle to be moved have individually tested negative for BVD virus. It is possible that this will be phased across Scotland according to the BVDV prevalence in each area, beginning with those with the lowest prevalence.

Biosecurity

From a date not earlier than 1 December 2013, and probably some time after, keepers of herds with a continued BVD problem that they do not adequately address will be required to protect their neighbours' cattle. This could include a requirement to house cattle or to double-fence where there are neighbouring cattle herds.