11/02/2016: Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PED) to become notifiable disease from 2 March

From 2 March it will be a legal requirement for pig keepers to report any suspected cases of PED to the Scottish Pig Disease Control Centre (01466 705247), who will provide advice to affected keepers. There will be no mandatory restrictions or culling if PED is suspected or confirmed. A highly pathogenic PED strain has caused significant problems in China, North America and more recently has been seen in the Ukraine, so vigilance and early reporting is essential.

08/04/2015: Bovine EID numbering

The possible implementation of voluntary bovine EID as part of European legislation offers significant opportunities to the industry. However, the existing GB cattle numbering system is incompatible with the EID standard (ISO 11784) to be required by Europe. Therefore, there is a significant challenge in finding a cost-effective solution which will not discourage voluntary uptake of bovine EID. This paper details the problems, possible solutions and trade-offs.
Bovine EID numbering

05/03/2015: Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PED)

PED is a virus that causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration in pigs. A new highly pathogenic strain of the virus has spread quickly across North America and was confirmed in the Ukraine near the Polish border in December 2014. If keepers see an episode of unusual or rapidly spreading diarrhoea in pigs of any age they should contact their private vet immediately. To encourage prompt reporting test sampling kits Have been distributed, free of charge to all active pig keepers in Scotland.

If you have any further enquiries please contact Jill Thomson SAC Consulting on 0131 535 3130.