Since 1st July 2024 all Welsh holdings are legally required to know their BVD status, and are required to have completed their first annual screen by the end of June 2025.
As a vet practice you will need to register with the EID CYMRU Database to allow you access through a vet portal onto the BVD section. This section will list the BVD status, screening result and history of your farm clients who have tested after 1st July 2024.
All holdings will begin as BVD not negative as no historical data transferred onto the database.
Farmers will receive notification of the requirement to carry out a BVD screen at the same time as their annual TB test.
Annual screen: performing this at the time of an annual or other whole herd TB test would be advisable as you will see all the groups of animals: it saves the client a callout fee, negates extra handling and ensures suitable animals are present for screening (see below). However as each herd is different you will need to use your clinical judgment as to the most appropriate time to undertake a screen.
The antibody screen is to be carried out ideally, on five home bred and reared animals between 9-18 months of age and not vaccinated for BVD, from each management group. If there are fewer than five calves in a group, then test all the calves in the group.
There will be a range of options for alternative groups if the above is not available. See Annex A.
The submission form for the testing requires a number of fields to be completed and requires signatures of both the vet and the keeper. This form is available in a prepopulated format for practices to access via Iechyd Da – Dewin webpage. Blank forms are available on the WVSC website.
If all the form requirements are completed accurately then the laboratory results will be loaded onto the EID Cymru database and both farmer and vet will be notified of the status using the contact details supplied on the submission form.
Antibody Screen Results:
- If the results are all antibody negative, then the farm gets the BVD negative status (no certificates will be issued in the new scheme)
- If there are any positives, then farm remains BVD non-negative:
- If there is one positive out of a screen, then it is advised that another screen of that management group is completed at least three weeks later to check for further antibody seroconversion.
- If two or more out of five are positive, then a whole herd PI hunt should be planned to be undertaken, in stages if necessary, and biosecurity, with specific reference to BVD infection, reviewed on the farm.
Please note there is no requirement to carry out a PI hunt on farms finishing cattle direct to slaughter. However, it is recommended that biosecurity / cattle sourcing etc. is reviewed as good practice.
Please be aware that the PI hunt will require sampling of all bovines in the herd. At present the database will not be able to distinguish which is the dam of a calf at this stage.
Carrying out a PI hunt in the light of positive results will not be compulsory in the first year of the scheme but will be strongly advised as an undetected PI will cause problems going forward.
Any PI cattle subsequently detected will be required to go into isolation. For further information see The Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (Wales) Order 2024 (legislation.gov.uk). From 1 July 2024 it will be an offence to sell a known PI animal to another holding. Known PIs can only be sold direct to slaughter.
The vets in the WVSC can give advice regarding results and testing, however they will not have access to test results from other laboratories.
This is a service offered by WVSC on a voluntary basis as a stimulus to get the scheme underway.
WVSC BVD helpline number: 01970 612 374, during office hours, Monday to Friday.
For BVD Cymru database enquiries please call 01970 597 425. The helpdesk is managed by Livestock Movement Wales officers who are responsible for the database
If your practice holds Gwaredu BVD postage boxes, they are still valid for use. There isn’t a requirement for rapid postage, but if you do want the results by day two of TB testing, then you will need to post for next day delivery.
Annex A
Where the preferred screening group is not available, options (b) and (c) should be followed in order:
b) Ten unvaccinated calves aged 0 – 9 months.
If any of the sample calves are aged 0-9 months, then you should take a sample of blood from not less than ten unvaccinated calves in the age range 0-9 months in each separately managed group. If there are fewer than ten calves in a group, then test all the calves in the group.
c) Five unvaccinated cattle over 18 months.
If there are no calves in any of the advised sampling categories, only then can you choose to use the following method: You should take a sample of blood from not less than five unvaccinated animals from each separately managed group.