SPECIAL REPORTS FROM DR SANDY CLARK,
SAC VETERINARY SERVICES, THURSOCATTLE ABORTIONS
An important aspect of disease control is to report all cases of abortion in your cattle to your vet who will arrange for appropriate testing to determine the cause and rule out some of the diseases which could spell disaster for Orkney such as Brucellosis or BVD. It is a legal requirement for all cattle owners to report abortions to either the local Animal Health Office in Kirkwall or to their vet. Through examination of abortions in the past, there has been early warning of the presence of certain diseases which vets have been able to tackle before more serious herd damage occurred. Vigilance will pay off, and a number of causes of abortion can be treated successfully - especially if the first cases are examined.

The recent detection of BVD in a herd through examination of aborted foetuses has given early warning that the disease was present and further testing will be carried out to determine the source. This method has proved successful in Shetland in finding the disease before it could spread further and cause infection in other herds. One cow or heifer can be infected by over the fence spread, and therefore at present in Orkney, vaccination is recommended to prevent creation of "red" calves. If you are buying in pregnant animals, remember that "green" cows and heifers could be carrying a "red" calf (unless you know she was "green" BEFORE she went to the bull), which has the potential to infect many other animals. Test all bought in animals while they are in quarantine before mixing with your herd and isolate those that are a potential danger.

SENDING SAMPLES TO THE LAB
There are arrangements with Northwards to transport calves and aborted material to the SAC vet centre in Thurso.

Please let your vet know is you are sending samples.

The carcases are transported in sealed boxes on the Hamnavoe and these are collected at Scrabster and taken to the vet centre for examination. The farmer is responsible for the cost of the calf being transported and there will be a laboratory charge for the first calf examined but no subsequent charge until the cause of the problem is found.

BE AWARE OF THE RISKS
Over the past two years, Orkney Livestock Association through Orkney farmer members and vets has shown that improved health status for cattle herds, both beef and dairy, can have rewards in terms of animal production and overall health. The BVD eradication programme part paid for by Orkney Islands Council (over £200,000 of Council funds spent so far) has shown that freedom of certain diseases like BVD can have advantages, for example less animal disease and less time spent looking after sick animals. This has been achieved through hard work by many people, and now vigilance is required to ensure that BVD does not reappear in herds which have been cleared of this damaging viral infection.

The greatest risk to the improving health status of Orkney cattle is from bought-in animals that carry disease.

DISEASE DANGER IN IMPORTED ANIMALS
BVD, Tuberculosis, Brucellosis and Johnes disease could all arrive unannounced from mainland UK and Europe. At present it is the responsibility of the buyer to quarantine the animals and have them tested for the presence of undesirable diseases. The most important diseases to test for are TB, BVD and Johnes disease, since these have the potential to cause major economic loss and could lead to restrictions being imposed. It is important to have animals sampled even if they carry a health certificate since they could meet infections at marts and in transit.

The other essential advice for owners of newly arrived animals is that they should be transferred to an on-farm quarantine facility where they are isolated from your own stock for at least 7 to 10 days, or until laboratory results are available. This should initially help to prevent the spread of disease to animals already on the farm and neighbouring herds and flocks. The greatest risks with BVD are the recently exposed bull and the pregnant cow or heifer. The transiently infected bull could produce infected semen for 20 weeks after meeting the virus and although "green" at sampling, this animals has the potential to create red calves in "white" cows or heifers. The "green" heifer or cow that is pregnant could be carrying a "red" calf, and this could introduce infection into a clean herd.

The advice is to buy a bull ahead of when he will be needed for work and to buy cows and heifers from vaccinated or BVD free herds -or better still to buy bulling heifers or recently calved cows that are empty.

The two most common causes of BVD breakdown in herds is from over the fence spread and "red" calves in bought-in cows or heifers.

TUBERCULOSIS
Tuberculosis is common in some parts of the UK and if you intend to purchase animals privately, your vet or the local Animal Health Office in Kirkwall will be able to advise on TB status. It is safer to test than to risk introducing this disease into your herd since eradication can be a lengthy process.

JOHNE'S DISEASE
Animals with Johne's disease are to be avoided principally because of the spread of the disease, but also since breeding stock could be produced from bulls that are susceptible to the disease. Testing is recommended and seek advice from your vet when the animal is still in quarantine.

SANDY'S SUMMARY
It is responsibility of every stock-owner to maintain the high health status of Orkney cattle herds. Taking risks with bought in animals is bad news. Think before you buy, quarantine on arrival home, and after consultation with your vet, test for the relevant diseases.

SEASON GREETINGS FROM ORKNEY LIVESTOCK ASSOCIATION
We wish to thank you for your continued support and we are grateful for the time and effort you have given towards making this scheme a success.

Special thanks to the OLA Board members, to Northvet, Flett & Carmichael, Dr Sandy Clark and his staff at Thurso vet lab, the local animal health office and ministry vets, and to Orkney Auction Mart and everyone who supported our sales, Steven Heddle of Orkney Enterprise and NorthStar New Media. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.

The OLA office will be closed on Monday 29 December 2003, but you may contact Karen on her mobile (07900 231 954) or at home (01856 721 448) from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.