Mandatory bovine viral diarrhoea screening: guidance for vets

PART 7 CHANGING A HERD STATUS

Where your client is given a not-negative herd status, you may, subject to certain conditions, be able to change the status to negative.

A veterinary surgeon may only change herd results if they have successfully completed the Scottish Government online training course. This course is available via the Scottish Government website at www.scotland.gov.uk/bvd. It takes up to two hours to complete, and you will be sent a certificate following completion. The course is free of charge for veterinary practitioners with a client who has a herd subject to mandatory annual screening.

To change a herd status, you must notify the Scottish BVD Database Unit. You may wish to use a form for the purpose which will be available from the website above.

When changing a herd status, you must declare one of the following:

• "I have conducted appropriate follow-up testing and no persistently infected cattle have been identified on the holding."

Or

• "I have conducted appropriate follow up testing and identified PI cattle. The keeper has informed me that they have been removed from the herd." With this type of declaration you must provide the official ear tag identity numbers of any infected animals you have identified.

You do not need to check if PI cattle have been removed - you only need to have been told by the keeper that they have been removed. The Scottish Government will check that they have been removed.