Irish vets gear up for BVD eradication campaign
1st May 2012 – Over 100 veterinary surgeons from across Ireland have attended a series of “masterclasses” given by BVD expert Dr Richard Booth who has worked on the eradication of BVD across dairy herds in the south west of England.
Irish vets are three months into a voluntary BVD eradication campaign which will become compulsory on the 1st January 2013, when every new born calf will have to be tested using the tissue tag.
Organised by Novartis Animal Health, the masterclasses were designed to inform vets about eradication techniques. The classes covered identification of infected and BVDV free herds, eradication and control techniques and ongoing protection once the viral clearance had been achieved.
Richard Booth provided precise information on the identification and removal of persistently infected (PI) animals alongside protection of the herd by vaccination and good biosecurity improvements.
“Regular monitoring to ensure the disease is kept off the farm is an essential part of the programme and it is important that veterinary surgeons and farmers work together to ensure a robust BVD action plan is in place”, stressed Dr Booth.
The importance of reading vaccine labels to ensure the proper correct boosting intervals are adhered to was emphasised by Eugene Smyth of Novartis Animal Health.
“Bovidec BVD vaccine only requires a single annual herd booster following an initial course of two shots, three weeks apart. A single annual booster offers great flexibility and value for money in a climate where controlling cost is critical to the success of a business”, he said.
The meetings are now being followed up with workshops given by Novartis Animal Health and practicing veterinary surgeons for their livestock farmer clients.
“Over the last five weeks more than 1,000 farmers have been briefed as part of this ongoing campaign,” added Mr Smyth.
For further information
Eugene Smith
Novartis Animal Health
+353 86 2549684
Eugene.smyth@novartis.com
Henry Creagh
Kendalls
+44 (0)1394 610022
henry.creagh@kendallscom.co.uk
About Novartis Animal Health
Novartis Animal Health researches, develops and commercialises leading animal treatments that meet the needs of pet owners, farmers and veterinarians. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and present in nearly 40 countries, Novartis Animal Health employs approximately 2,900 people worldwide. For more information, please visit www.ah.novartis.com or in the UK & IE visit www.farmanimalhealth.co.uk
About Novartis
Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools, over-the-counter and animal health products. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2011, the Group’s continuing operations achieved net sales of USD 58.6 billion, while approximately USD 9.6 billion (USD 9.2 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges) was invested in R&D throughout the Group. Novartis Group companies employ approximately 124,000 full-time-equivalent associates and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.
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