Press Release - higher percentage of abortion reporting is needed

Higher percentage of abortion reporting is needed.

The National Beef Association is advising cattle farmers to report all abortions, especially those involving imported livestock from countries that are affected by bovine brucellosis, to protect Britain’s brucellosis freedom status.

It says, England, Scotland and Wales has reviewed the GB risk based surveillance programme for the disease, but warns that this will only continue to be effective if government vets have all the information they need at hand.

“The most important knowledge to ensure rapid detection and ongoing maintenance of brucellosis freedom is to know when and where an abortion occurred so potentially threatening incidents can be identified,” said NBA director, Kim Haywood.

“However vets estimate that only five per cent of abortions are reported by breeders, especially in England and Wales.  This potentially compromises the effectiveness of the surveillance that is undertaken”.

“Abortions are triggered for many reasons, not just brucellosis, and breeders wishing to raise cow productivity need to make sure as many live calves are bred each year as possible.”

“Both individual and national herd performance would be raised if more breeders reported all abortions to their vets and immediate action was taken to ensure that other cows in the herd were not at risk.”

“Breeders would also benefit from a third party view on whether the cow which had slipped its calf should be given another chance with the bull or sent down the road to take advantage of a buoyant cull cow market,” Ms Haywood added.

For more information contact:
Kim Haywood, NBA director,   Tel. 0131 336 1754/07967 698936