blue tongue vaccine and T,B

[Pauline]

Dear all,
just a note to say that I asked my local vet how he would know if I had treated my cattle with blue tongue vaccine.I was told to return the empty vaccine bottles.I asked how anyone could prove that I had vaccinated a cow-what if I had 40,but only vaccinated 20, and was there a certificate for me to show a buyer.
Blank looks at this point.
i then said that at this moment we are T.B.clear ,and I knew that pigs were carriers of T.B. As I wanted to buy some pigs was there a T.B.test i could arrange as a check on the pigs before purchase
to keep my herd safe .
I was told there was no such test but there was a small risk.
Is it me,or are other people out there surprised by these responses?
I happen to be quite attached to my little herd,and am trying to safeguard them
Has anyone else asked the same questions?

[Duncan MacIntyre]

If certificates are needed then the vet should have been asked to vaccinate the animals, then he/she can provide such. This has been clearly stated since before the vaccination campagn began.

I don't know what verification is set up in England and Wales, but as far as I know in Scotland, where the vaccination is to be compulsory, a proportion of herds and flocks will be blood tested after vaccination and it will be clear whether or not the job has been done. If one animal is missed but is surrounded by thousands of protected ones, then it is not really at risk of setting of an outbreak by itself.

I don't think pigs are really a significant risk of introducing bovine TB. I do no meat inspection now but avian TB used to be what was found in pigs, not bovine. There is no doubt that all sorts of other species eg cats, are capable of infection with bovine TB. So are humans. BUT currently badgers and cattle are the things to worry about. Badgers and cattle in TB free areas are not likely to be infected but the cattle will be tested, in low risk areas only every 4 years. The real risk of TB is local spread which could be cattle or badgers, or longer distance spread which is a cattle movement problem and in my opinion should have been addressed years ago by restricted movements of cattle out of high risk areas. Problem is the government are frightened of response of farmers to restriction of movments. They are equally afraid of doing anything about badgers, hence the mess the country is in.

Duncan

[Louisa Gidney]

I'm hoping to send some sheep out of the protection zone. I've been told that the vet must vaccinate these specific animals AND blood test them 35 days later & the result to show the correct antibodies present before they can move.
So, if you want to know if your stock are protected, it is possible to pay for a blood test to be absolutely sure.

[monica waltho]

I believe there is also a form you fill in to say you have vaccinated when you sell stock obviously it is based on your honesty but if at some stage your animals got blue tongue when other stock didnt I would imagine there would be an investigation and prosecution if you had found to have been dishonest