TheDairySite Newsletter - 23 March 2012

Welcome to this week's newsletter

Editorial: Schmallenberg Cases Grow, Trade Affected

The number of cases of Schmallenberg virus has been rapidly increasing since it was first discovered in Germany in November 2011.

There are now over 2000 cases of Schmallenberg in eight European countries.

Luxembourg, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Germany, France, and the UK have all reported cases, with the latter three being the worst hit.

What is Schmallenberg?

Schmallenberg causes congenital malformations and stillbirths in cattle, sheep and goats. Bovine adults have shown a mild form of acute disease during the vector season.

Biting midges are the confirmed culprits for spreading the virus, they also are responsible for spreading bluetongue between the same species.

ThePigSite reported that biting midges caused pig carcases to be downgraded last year in Scottish abattoirs.

The European Commission has put out a call for collaborative research on the virus.

Affect on Trade

Despite the EU saying that any trade restrictions or request for additional certification on live animals or their products due to the occurrence of Schmallenberg in the EU are disproportionate and scientifically unjustified, some countries have imposed trade sanctions.

Uruguay has announced that it will temporarily suspend the imports of genetic material from European countries and last week the US placed additional restrictions on shipments of ruminant semen and embryos (germplasm) originating from the European Union in response to Schmallenberg.

However, most controversially, Russia has banned the imports of live animals, including cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, from the EU. Imports of these animal products have also been suspended.

Russia is justifying the ban on grounds of risk of bluetongue and Schmallenberg.

While the EU does not support the ban of any of the species mentioned, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and EU Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli have both commented that the ban on live pig imports is completely unjust, as pigs are not affected by either of the diseases.

Prevention

Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland have all issued warnings to livestock producers to beware of the risk of importing live animals from affected areas.

Earlier this week, France announced that it would look into providing compensation for producers affected by the virus.

It has taken over two years to develop an effective bluetongue vaccine and it would take a similar amount of time to develop one for Schmallenberg.

Until then, producers are urged to report any suspected cases of Schmallenberg to their veterinarians.

In the UK, the Institute of Animal Health is looking to develop blood tests that identify Schmallenberg antibodies. Currently the virus is difficult to identify until offpsring are born. By taking blood samples and identifying antibodies it will be possible to get a greater understanding of the virus and how it is spreading.

Dr Peter Bates of the Veterinary Medical Entomology Consultancy says that farmers can eliminate insect breeding sites from their farm by minimising open dung heaps, unscraped slurry puddles, and old hay and straw stacks.

He also believes that an early start to insect control is essential, to reduce the risk and minimise costs.

Charlotte Johnston

This Week's Feature Articles

We have 4 new features this week:

Reducing SCC Delivers
High somatic cell counts (SCC) and clinical mastitis are costing dairy farmers money through a combination of co-op fines, losses in milk production, treatment costs and potentially higher culling rates. The Mid-Monaghan Dairy Discussion Group, centred on Ballybay, has 12 members who jointly decided to reduce their SCC levels, writes Trevor Dunwoody, Business and Technology dairy adviser for Teagasc.

Delayed Concentrate Build-up Effect on Cow Production, Health and Fertility
Milk production and fertility are unaffected by adopting a delayed concentrate build-up strategy in early lactation, according to research by the University of Nottingham.

Managing Dairy with Regard to Milk Quota
The reality of the Milk Quota situation in Ireland is that many producers will have to adjust how they feed their cows this spring to minimise your exposure to superlevy (28 cent/litre), not only for this quota year, but the next quota year too, writes John Donworth, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Programme.

Antihelmintic Resistance in Cattle
Anthelmintic resistant cattle nematodes have been reported in different regions around the world. However, in Western Europe the assessment of the problem relies largely on case reports and no prevalence data based on wide-scale surveys are available, according to the UK's Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency.

Market Reports

» USDA GAIN: Ukraine Livestock & Products Semi-Annual Report
» Utilisation of Milk by Dairies in England and Wales
» Rabobank Dairy Quarterly
» February Milk Production up 8.3 Per Cent
» USDADairy Products Prices Highlights

Company News

Early Start Essential to Reduce Insect Burden
UK - An early start to controlling insects around livestock gives the best chance of minimising the annual population explosion of flies and midges that begins as soon as average daytime temperatures reach 10°C. That’s according to independent entomologist Dr Peter Bates of the Veterinary Medical Entomology Consultancy, who warns that delaying the start of control measures can mean farmers are playing catch-up and usually losing.

Pfizer Strenghtens Ties to American Humane Association
US - As part of its ongoing philanthropic support of strategic animal health initiatives, Pfizer Animal Health contributed a total of $20,000 to the American Humane Association (AHA) and the National Future Farmers of America Foundation.

Meriden to Exhibit at Ildex Viet Nam
VIET NAM - Meriden Animal Health Limited will be exhibiting at Ildex Viet Nam from 22 to 24 March 2012.

MSD Symposium Draws 400 Eastern European Vets
HUNGARY - More than 400 veterinarians from Eastern Europe learned about the latest innovations and products from MSD Animal Health at the company’s recent scientific symposium in Budapest, Hungary.

Know Optimal Insemination - Anytime, Anywhere
NETHERLANDS - Nedap Agri is launching a new heat detection system in the Lactivator product line - the Lactivator RealTime. What is special about this system is that it delivers up-to-date information on a cow’s optimal insemination time at any time and anywhere.

Global Dairy Cattle Industry News