Virbac Animal Health has launched a twitter-based early warning system to alert vets and dog owners of cases of canine parvovirus (CPV) in their area. It is to go live on 1 November 2012.

@parvoalert is a twitter feed that updates followers on the geographic location of cases of the disease using the first half of the relevant postcode. The company is asking vets and owners learning of a case to tweet the first half of the postcode where it occurs to @parvoalert. Virbac will then retweet it to everyone else following @parvoalert. The company is also advising vets and owners to check the feed regularly for news of cases. The service is free.

Virbac says that when it hears of a case, it will also provide practices in 'at-risk' areas with a 'Parvo-alert' Pack, containing a range of tools and support materials to help them alert dog owners. These include waiting room posters, leaflets, stickers and template text for newsletters.

The Veterinary Director of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Shaun Opperman, said: "As recent viewers of ITV1's 'Paul O Grady: For the Love of Dogs' may have seen, parvovirus causes dreadful suffering to dogs. Unfortunately many people still aren't vaccinating their dogs, so we see cases on a regular basis and it's vital that owners vaccinate their dogs, are aware of the disease and remain vigilant for the early signs."

Simon Boulton MRCVS, Product Manager at Virbac, said: "One of the problems in tackling canine parvovirus is that little information is shared on the frequency and location of cases so, in some ways, it's a hidden problem. While it's not as common as some other infectious diseases, when outbreaks occur, as they did earlier this year in South Wales and Oxford, the disease proves fatal in around half of diagnosed dogs."  

Once @parvoalert is established, Virbac says it aims to build it into a comprehensive web-based CPV resource, featuring background on the prevention and treatment of the disease; comment from veterinary experts and downloadable practice support materials.

Simon continued: "It's heart-breaking for owners to lose their pets in this way and to see them suffer from a disease that could easily have been prevented. We hope @parvoalert will help to raise awareness of the fact that CPV continues to represent a significant threat to unvaccinated dogs. It will benefit all practices in areas affected as they will receive a Parvo-alert Pack, which they can use to encourage their clients to get their dogs vaccinated and look out for signs of the disease."

Two veterinary surgeons from the Animal Health Trust have won international awards for outstanding work in diagnostic imaging at 16^th International Veterinary Radiology Association (IVRA) meeting held in Bursa Turkey.

Dr Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the AHT, was awarded the IVRA J Kevin Kealy Award, which recognises members of the IVRA who have made substantial, scientific contributions to veterinary radiology.

The Award, established in 2003, is named in honour of Emeritus Professor J. Kevin Kealy, organiser of the first meeting of the IVRA, the first President, and an Honorary Member of the Association.

Sue has lectured internationally and published more than 200 refereed papers in scientific journals, as well as being a major author and editor of four books. On receiving the award, she said: "I was hugely surprised to receive this award and feel extremely honoured."

Past president of the IVRA, Peter Lord, said: "It is hard to imagine that equine diagnostic imaging today would be the same without the contributions of Sue Dyson and her colleagues. She is an outstanding recipient of the J Kevin Kealy Award."

Ruth Dennis, Head of Diagnostic Imaging (pictured above right), was awarded the European Association of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (EAVDI) Douglas and Williamson Award, established in 1983, to recognise outstanding achievement within the field of veterinary diagnostic imaging.

Ruth was President of the EAVDI between 2000 and 2002 and her long standing contributions to the association have been recognised with this award.

Ruth said: "I am very honoured to receive this award, especially since, as a vet student in Cambridge in the late 1970s, I was taught by Sidney Douglas and David Williamson, who were pioneers of veterinary radiology."

Nuria Corzo-Menendez, current EAVDI President, said: "Ruth's contributions to veterinary diagnostic imaging are vast and we will always be grateful for such great additions to our field."

Royal Canin has announced it is to launch Catom, a piece of software developed to help educate cat owners during veterinary consultations, at this year's London Vet Show.

Initially, the software will be available for PC and Mac, with iPad and Android versions coming by the end of the year.

You can can find out more by visiting Royal Canin's stand at the London Vet Show, where the company says it will have a large touch-screen TV displaying the software, along with laptop demos running throughout the exhibition.

The Animal Health Trust has presented the results of a study which has identified a significant link between hind limb lameness and saddle slip, showing consistent saddle slip in some horses with hind limb lameness, even when the lameness is fairly subtle and difficult to detect.

According to the AHT, saddle slip in sports horses is a well-recognised problem that can occur for a variety of reasons, including asymmetry in the shape of the horse's back, riders sitting crookedly and ill-fitting saddles. Sue Dyson, Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Centre for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust, had also observed that saddle slip may occur because of hind limb lameness. The intention of the study, therefore, was to find out more about the interrelationships between the horse, saddle and rider and to document the frequency of occurrence of saddle slip in horses with hind limb lameness compared with other horses.

The research was undertaken by Sue Dyson and Intern Line Greve and was presented at the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress last month. It is thought to be the first study of its kind, and was supported by the Saddle Research Trust (SRT). The SRT is a charitable organisation, aiming to facilitate research and provide support as well as advice on the influence of the saddle on the welfare and performance of horses and riders.  

The study assessed 128 horses of varying size, age and type. The degree of lameness of each horse was graded; back shape and symmetry were measured and saddles assessed for symmetry and fit.  Each horse was ridden by at least two riders and rider straightness plus weight were recorded. The grade of saddle slip, whether it occurred with more than one rider, and whether saddle slip was influenced by the direction of movement or the diagonal on which the rider was sitting were also noted.

The saddle consistently slipped to one side in 54% of horses with hind limb lameness, compared with 4% of horses with fore limb lameness, 0% with back pain and/or sacroiliac joint region pain and 0% of non-lame horses. Diagnostic analgesia was subsequently used to abolish the hind limb lameness and this eliminated the saddle slip in 97% of cases.

Sue said: "Our findings emphasise the need to educate owners, veterinarians, physiotherapists, trainers, riders and saddle fitters that saddle slip is frequently an indicator of lameness, not necessarily a manifestation of an ill-fitting saddle or asymmetric shape of the horse's back. Detection of saddle slip provides an opportunity for the owner, riders and trainers to detect low-grade and subclinical lameness, with important welfare consequences."

Further scientific studies are planned, with the support of the Saddle Research Trust, in order to build on these findings. To this end the SRT is currently seeking an honorary fundraiser to help secure ongoing financial support. For further information contact Anne Bondi on 07775 912202 or email annebondi@me.com.

¹An investigation of the relationship between hindlimb lameness and saddle slip, L. Greve and S.J. Dyson, Centre for Equine Studies, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 7UU, UK.

Elanco Companion Animal Health has announced that its Duvaxyn IE and IE-T Plus vaccines have been licensed for active immunisation against OIE recommended clade 1 and clade 2 equine influenza strains, the first vaccines to be so licensed.

The company says the updated license is a result of a recent challenge study which demonstrated the ability of Duvaxyn IE-T Plus equine influenza vaccine to induce cross protection against clade 2 strain A/equi-2/Richmond/1/07 (H3N8) two weeks after two doses of the primary course¹ were given. Cross-protection was further supported by another study² measuring serum antibody response to the Richmond '07 strain 52 weeks after the three dose primary vaccination course.

The OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) updated its equine influenza vaccine recommendations in 2010 to reflect the fact that all field strains characterised through 2008 and 2009 were of clade 1 or 2 of the Florida sub-lineage. The antigenic difference between viruses of these clades could potentially compromise the effectiveness of vaccines containing a representative of a single clade³.

Anna Jackson, national veterinary manager for Elanco Companion Animal Health UK, said: "Whilst no vaccine has been updated to match the current OIE recommendations, the results of our challenge study and subsequent licence update provide reassurance that horses vaccinated with Duvaxyn will be protected against clinical signs of disease caused by currently circulating strains of equine influenza, including those the OIE has identified as being of concern.

"Further reassurance is also given with the confirmation in our study that Duvaxyn IE-T Plus elicits a cell mediated immune response, recognised to play an important role to aid in viral clearance and further enhances protection against strains circulating in the field." ⁴

The live virus challenge study, conducted by the Animal Health Trust, involved two groups of EIV seronegative horses. The first group, consisting of seven vaccinates, were given two doses of Duvaxyn IE-T Plus, 28 days apart, and challenged with A/equi-2/Richmond/1/07 (H3N8) virus strain 14 days after the second vaccination. The second group of unvaccinated horses was challenged at the same time. Duvaxyn IE-T Plus caused a statistically significant reduction in both clinical signs of the disease and in viral shedding. 

Duvaxyn IE-T Plus is the only inactivated whole virus carbomer adjuvanted equine influenza vaccine in the UK. According to Elanco, experts in the field of human vaccination have expressed the view that whole virus vaccines have the potential to induce a stronger and more broadly based response to circulating influenza strains than those contained in sub-unit vaccines because of the presence of the full set of virus proteins including the conserved nucleoprotein, which shows no antigenic drift, in the vaccine⁵.

References 

1. ECAH study (2011) AHT study ID C012/01
2. ECAH study (2011) AHT study ID CO21/01
3. OIE - World Organisation for Animal Health, Bulletin (2010), 2 pp.44-454
4. Daly JM et al (2004) Vet Res 35: 411-423
5. Meeting Notes: 3rd WHO meeting on evaluation of pandemic influenza prototype vaccines in clinical trials, 15-16 February 2007, WHO, Geneva

Pfizer Animal Health has launched Poulvac, the first modified live vaccine against E.coli in chickens.

The company claims that the vaccine, which can be used from one day of age, is set to bring major benefits in safeguarding the health of broilers, pullets for egg laying and breeding stock.

According to Pfizer, E.coli is one of the most significant bacterial pathogens found in chicks during the first week, leading to problems throughout the life of a flock including inferior performance, lack of uniformity and increased mortality. It is a costly, widespread problem for the UK poultry industry.

The vaccine was developed from research beginning in the 1990s at the Government's veterinary laboratories at Weybridge (now AHVLA) in the UK, employing genome technology to produce an avirulent strain of E.coli that induces protective immunity to the pathogenic strains of the bacteria.

The vaccine is completely non-pathogenic, and does not persist in the bird or the environment for any significant period of time. A gene deletion in its development restricts in vivo replication and leaves behind activated macrophages ready to respond to pathogenic E.coli strains.

Dr Stuart Andrews, poultry technical manager of Pfizer in the UK and Ireland said: "Poulvac E. coli provides broad cross protection against the key serotypes of E. coli infecting chickens. It is the only modified live, nonreactive vaccine proven to meet the European regulatory requirements for efficacy and safety.

"Trials have confirmed that Poulvac E.coli does not persist in the bird and proves to be self-limiting. The vaccine can survive in the environment for only a short time, and spread to in-contact birds is also limited."

The vaccine is administered as a coarse spray with onset of immunity 14 days afterwards and duration of immunity for up to 12 weeks. It can be used from day-old up to six weeks before the onset of lay, and has a nil day withdrawal period.

In the USA where Poulvac E coli has been available for six years field experience has shown the considerable benefits. In the Midwest where average layer mortality at 50 weeks of age was 2.31 per cent, this was reduced to 1.51 per cent with three doses of the vaccine*. In Eastern USA flock mortality compared with five previous flocks was reduced from over three per cent to one per cent.

A field trial in the USA with more than 300,000 broiler breeders vaccination before lay reduced mortality from 2.8 to 1.9 per cent - with only two out of 28 flocks needing antibiotic treatment compared with 13 of the 28 unvaccinated flocks.

On a broiler field trial in Georgia over four million birds were vaccinated with Poulvac E. coli at hatch. The vaccinated birds had a better feed conversion (1.79 against 1.84 for the controls) and with condemnations at the processing plant down from 1.22 to 0.73 per cent the result was a lower production cost of 0.51¢ per lb. 

In another broiler trial covering more than two million birds in Arkansas livability was improved from 95.20 to 95.77 per cent and feed conversion improved from 1.95 to 1.90, gaining 0.45¢ per lb.

* Pfizer says it is important to note that in these studies carried out in the USA more than one dose of the vaccine was often administered. A single vaccination is licensed in the Summary of Product Characteristics however, where clinical disease requires and at the discretion of a veterinary surgeon, the vaccination schedule may be re-started as there is no contra-indication on the SPC.

The BVA has announced that from 2013, its annual Congress will take place at the London Vet Show.

The association says that the move is being done to bring together political debate and clinical CPD on a large scale and to ensure that the BVA can reach an even wider audience with its representative and educational services.

The BVA and the Vet Show teamed up last year at London Vet Show 2011 to announce the launch of the BVA Careers Fair, which will be hosted at this year's London Vet Show on 15-16 November, and the start of a partnership that would ensure discounted Vet Show rates for BVA members.

2013 will also see two new clinical streams added to the London Vet Show programme creating a comprehensive CPD event for vets in small and mixed practice. Cattle and equine streams for mixed practitioners will be delivered by the BVA to run alongside the popular companion animal stream provided by the Royal Veterinary College.

The partnership will also see substantial discounts being offered to BVA members.

BVA President Carl Padgett said: "BVA's number one value is that our members are at the heart of everything we do. We know that members require good value, high quality and relevant CPD and we believe that our new partnership with the London Vet Show offers the best opportunity for us to provide members with exactly what they want.

"It's a significant move for BVA but one that makes complete sense. From 2013 we will be bringing together the contentious issue streams that are the bedrock of BVA Congress, with a high quality clinical CPD programme covering large and small animals, and one of the biggest and best veterinary exhibitions.

"We know we haven't attracted the delegate numbers we would like to have done in recent years and by partnering with the London Vet Show we have the opportunity to reach a much greater audience. It's a very exciting step forward for BVA."

Rob Chapman, Event Director for the London Vet Show, said: "We are all delighted to be developing our relationship with the BVA. To be able to host such an established and prestigious event as the BVA Congress at the London Vet Show is an honour for the Vet Show.

"Combining the long-standing history of the BVA with the rapidly developing reputation of the Vet Show gives us a great symbiotic relationship. The new clinical content that we will be working on together will help the event and that relationship even further offering great value for both Vet Show delegates and BVA members."

Norbrook Laboratories has launched Norfenicol Solution for Injection (florfenicol), a broad spectrum antibiotic licensed for the treatment of pneumonia in cattle and pigs.

Dr Barry McInerney, Norbrook's GB Veterinary Advisor said: "With many farmers preparing for winter housing, the launch of Norfenicol is timely as pneumonia represents the most common disease of housed cattle in the UK costing the agricultural industry an estimated £80m per year. Norfenicol is an easy to inject, cost effective treatment of pneumonia which kills bacteria quickly, and is available in a durable plastic bottle. Studies have shown florfenicol, the active ingredient in Norfenicol, to have a high bacteriological and clinical efficacy (100% and 96% respectively) against susceptible bacteria in the treatment of calf respiratory tract diseases." 

Norfenicol is indicated for the treatment of bacterial respiratory disease in cattle associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Histophilus somniand for the treatment of acute outbreaks of respiratory disease caused by strains of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, and Pasteurella multocida in swine.

Dr McInerney added: "NSAIDs have also been shown to be a beneficial ancillary therapy in treating bacterial pneumonia, to alleviate pain as well as to reduce inflammation and pyrexia. Norbrook has a range of NSAID products which are available as an adjunctive treatment for pneumonia in cattle, including Loxicom 20 mg/ml solution for injection for cattle, pigs and horses."

For further product information, visit www.norbrook.com

The inaugural Vet Charity Challenge, which took place on 15^th September at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, has raised at least £20,000 for charity.

Twenty-six teams of four people took part, spending seven hours walking, running, cycling, kayaking, orienteering, along with a few mental physical challenges along the way.

The Challenge started in the morning with a sprint to collect puzzles for teams to solve. This determined time slots when teams could attempt six mental and physical puzzles during the morning session. The teams then headed off on a walk or run around the surrounding countryside. The aim was to visit as many points on the map as possible. Each team could choose its own route. After lunch, the teams headed off again for the cycling stages, visiting places on the map in order to gain more points. Then finally it was onto the water for the kayaking stage.

The winning team was the Complete Animal from Hyde Park Veterinary Centre in London. Team captain Leah Morley said: "The event was great fun, really well organised, and all the teams seemed to have got right behind it. You really had to work as a team, playing to different peoples strengths both physically and mentally. Everyone had a fair chance of winning. We would really like to thank others in the practice and our clients who were massively generous in their support and sponsorship. Their response was quite inspirational and certainly had an impact in driving us to perform well. I think every practice should take part and we look forward to returning next year to defend our title."

All the teams enjoyed the day and met the challenges head on and were enthusiastic for the Vet Charity Challenge to continue next year. Head Nurse Angella McNellan from Glenbrae Veterinary Clinic in Bearsden, Glasgow said: "The Vet Charity Challenge has been brilliant fun, beautiful scenery, great challenges. It has really helped get fitter through training as a team after work during the summer. We cannot wait to do it all again next year."

Roger Dixon MRCVS from Ashbrook Equine Hospital in Cheshire said: "The Challenge has been great fun, we really enjoyed the teambuilding element. Also it was worth the pain to beat the farm team!"

Nicolette Hayward from team The Far Canals said: "The Vet Charity Challenge has been superb, enormous fun. We did absolutely no training and came in fourth, so we are very happy with that result."

Jason Rogers from BCF team Witness the Fitness said: "We really enjoyed the day, found it exhausting though, the kayaking was the toughest part, and we had quite a run back in the morning to get back in time."

To add to the level of exhaustion competitors were flung around the dance floor for a Ceilidh following a barbeque in the evening. The band consisted of organisers from the event including caller Brian Wright from Vets Now and competitors Nicolette Haywood and Jim Hughes.

For more information, see more photos and to register interest for the challenge in 2013 visit www.vetcharitychallenge.co.uk. Also follow Vet Charity Challenge and on Twitter @vetchallenge.

The BSAVA has announced Richard Dawkins as its headline speaker at BSAVA Congress 2013 next April.

Richard follows in the footsteps of Lord Robert Winston and Susan Greenfield as the special speaker for the BSAVA lecture.

The talk, sponsored by Anistel, takes place on the Thursday afternoon of in Hall 1 and is open to all Congress delegates.

Dawkins is a prolific writer who first came to prominence with his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, his strident manifesto for secularism. However it is The God Delusion that now finds him so frequently called upon for comment. Along with Stephen Hawkins, he is one of the few scientists that members of the public can easily identify, in part due to his willingness to engage in academic and media debates.

Dawkins was born in Nairobi in 1941 where his father worked for British colonial service. He returned to Britain after the war to grow up on the family's estate farm. He studied zoology at Balliol College, Oxford, where he was tutored by Nobel Prize-winning ethologist Nikolaas Tinbergen, graduating in 1962. He received his M.A. and D.Phil. degrees by 1966, and remained a research assistant for another year, when his research concerned models of animal decision-making.

He has since been an assistant professor of zoology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a lecturer and reader in zoology at University of Oxford. In 1995 he was appointed Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, a position that had been endowed by Charles Simonyi with the express intention that the holder "be expected to make important contributions to the public understanding of some scientific field", and that its first holder should be Richard Dawkins.

Image courtesy Zoe Margolis

Vetark has launched Aqua-Sed, a fish anaesthetic which has obtained the first permit for use as a fish euthanasia product.

Vetark says the new product enables the humane euthanasia of seriously ill or severely injured fish, as well as being a sedative to facilitate fish handling.

The new product incorporates a dosing pump to ensure accurate dosing, a critical aspect of fish anaesthetics.

The 250ml bottle and pump will be on sale at  £13.13+VAT  and is available under the Small Animal Exemption Scheme from Vetark.

Further information on fish anaesthesia visit the Vetark website on www.vetark.co.uk

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Charitable Trust has awarded five new bursaries in its latest grants round.

Two student bursaries were for UK veterinary undergraduates to attend the British Science Festival in Aberdeen from 4-9 September 2012. The bursary winners were Liv Nathan (pictured on right), a third-year veterinary student at the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies, and Alahel Mahdmina, a second-year veterinary student at the Royal Veterinary College.

Liv said: "I am very enthusiastic about providing real-life context to science and giving people a space to consider issues arising around science."

The students were required to use their observations and experiences to help the Trust develop future outreach activities to inform and inspire public audiences about veterinary clinical practice and research. Their bursary packages covered all their attendance expenses over the four-day event. One of their achievements was to film an interview with Dr Maggie Aderin-Pockock MBE, a space scientist (pictured on left). Both students will be reporting back in full to the RCVS Charitable Trust with their ideas at the end of October. 

Two further bursaries were given to attend  a joint symposium on antimicrobial resistance (AMR): 'Antimicrobial Resistance in Human and Veterinary Medicine - One Health, One Problem' to be held at the Royal College of Physicians, London, on Tuesday 2 October 2012. 

One winner was Cahir King, a practitioner from Downe Veterinary Clinic in County Down, Northern Ireland.  He said: "It will be a privilege to attend a symposium at which so many experts in their field will be speaking.  Any vet who has worked on farms will be more than familiar with bugs that are resistant to antibiotic treatment."

The other winner was James Swann, a Junior Clinical Training Scholar (Small Animal) at the Royal Veterinary College. James said: "I am particularly interested in the application of clinical audit in practice to assess problems like AMR, and design effective strategies to deal with them. I believe it should be possible to provide simple audit kits for practices to download and implement, removing much of the inertia that prevents such ideas from being initiated."

The bursary winners will be offered free delegate passes, including lunch, worth £90, and travel expenses.

The final bursary is to attend the Veterinary Biomedical and Pharma Sciences (VBMPS) Congress on 15-16 October, in Birmingham.

The winning entry was from Alexander Stoll, a final-year student at the Royal Veterinary College, who acted as the Royal Veterinary College and  UK student ambassador to the European Commission for the 'One Health' message. The Trust was impressed with Alexander's enthusiasm and active engagement in subjects related to One Health.  He is a member of the Royal Society for Public Health and a member of the Society of Biology.

Alexander said: "I hope to be inspired to enter a cross-disciplinary career path and also to communicate the potential of a One Health approach, inspired by this congress."

Alexander won a package that includes entry to the conference and admission to all scientific sessions, worth £175, as well as transport costs and overnight food and accommodation.