Claire Whitehead, President of BVCS, has asked us to distribute the following warning about Liver Fluke:

Bovine Tuberculosis in Camelids – Where We Are Now?

Background

Bovine tuberculosis is a bacterial disease which can affect a wide range of mammal species, including man, which makes it a zoonosis, and it is therefore notifiable. Notifiable diseases must, by law, be reported to the government (in this case to the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, AHVLA) if they are suspected or confirmed.

The group of bacteria which cause bovine TB, human TB, avian TB, vole TB (and leprosy) are Mycobacteria. Diseases caused by this group of bacteria are characterized by a long course of infection where the patient can survive with infection (and be infectious) for months or even years. The human versions of these diseases are notoriously difficult to treat, and until relatively recently they were regarded as almost incurable. The disease we usually see in llamas and alpacas is caused by Mycobacterium bovis, also known as M. bovis.

What does bTB look like?

It would be really helpful if there was a set of signs which were always associated with TB infection. Unfortunately, they seem to be able to show a wide variety of signs, some very subtle, or none at all. When llamas and alpacas get bTB they may well become obviously ill with respiratory disease, fail to respond to treatment for pneumonia, and then die. However, they can also die quite suddenly without ever appearing ill, even while in good body condition. Many cases have been diagnosed after sudden death. This means that camelids showing no outward signs at all can be heavily infected. The vast majority of camelids culled for bTB have failed the Rapid Stat Pak test, but passed the skin test. Herds where bTB has been confirmed, and which elected to use the Rapid Stat Pak test, have found that perfectly healthy looking camelids with no outward signs of disease, were found to have bTB lesions. If these animals had remained undetected, then they may well have survived for some considerable time, and been a source of infection to the rest of the herd, and let us not forget, this is a zoonosis, so in contact humans are also at risk of infection.

History

Until about 10 years ago, the incidence of bTB in camelids seemed to be relatively low, but quite suddenly infection seemed to snowball:



This chart is on the AHVLA website:
publication date : 23/08/2012 next publication date : 31/10/2012
Table 3: Annual numbers of new incidents of culture-confirmed M.bovis identified on South American camelid premises in GB

Synopsis
2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians
for UK Owners and Breeders
Written by Justine Shotton MRCVS, Larkmead Veterinary Group
Rebecca Edwards MRCVS, Towcester Veterinary Centre
 

The 2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians took place at the Ohio State University from 21st - 25th March. The conference comprised five days of fantastic lectures from a number of world-renowned camelid veterinarians from many countries, as well as some practical demonstrations.
British Camelids Limited again generously sponsored two places for UK vets; Justine Shotton from Larkmead Veterinary Group in Oxfordshire and Rebecca Edwards from Towcester Veterinary Centre in Northamptonshire were lucky enough to be chosen to attend.
There was a vast amount of information disseminated at the conference relating to the cutting-edge medical and surgical aspects of camelid health, as well as information on advances in camelid genomics, theriogenology (reproduction), worming strategies and new and emerging diseases. In the following synopsis we will aim to highlight the most relevant and useful points from the conference for UK owners and breeders.
 

 
Reproduction
 
The Premature Cria
An update on a study of premature crias was presented by Gerspach. It highlighted the signs to look out for with a premature cria and also reminded us that camelids can naturally have a reasonable variation in gestation length from as short as 320 days to as long as 360 days. Premature crias are always vulnerable; the data showed a poorer outcome for those crias that did not gain weight, did not receive camelid colostrum, had abnormal breathing or picked up neonatal infections. These crias often need intensive veterinary and nursing care, together with plasma transfusions and such crias should be monitored closely. Early intervention should be sought if they are not thriving.
 
Berserk Llama Syndrome
A number of speakers highlighted the fact that male crias (particularly llamas) that have had extensive handling when young (e.g. bottle-reared crias) can become dangerously aggressive when they reach sexual maturity, due to imprinting on humans. Where possible, only the minimal amount of human contact should be given to orphan males, and if problems arise, early castration may be warranted.
 Embryo Transfer and Hormonal Therapy to Control Reproduction in Camelids
Miragaya presented a report on the current cutting-edge research into embryo transfer in South American camelids, using techniques such as in-vitro fertilisation. He then went on to discuss how we can use hormones to manipulate the reproductive cycle, for example to synchronise a group of female’s breeding cycles.
Reproductive Disorders in the Female
Tibary summarised the various reproductive disorders and difficulties encountered in female alpacas and llamas. The most common reason for reproductive failure is due to the animals being mated at the wrong stage of their cycle. Veterinary pre-breeding examinations, which often include ultrasonography of the reproductive tract and ovaries, are very useful and can help to both ensure that the female is ready to breed and that there are no problems that may interfere with fertility or welfare. These should be performed on maiden females as well as females that have had crias.
Reproductive Disorders in the Male
Tibary then went on to discuss potential reproductive problems in males. Again, pre-breeding examinations at the start of each breeding season (or more frequently if indicated), are vital to ensure a healthy and productive male. This will include a full physical examination as well as measurements of the testicular size, a penile examination, and, where possible, microscopic examination of the sperm. These examinations are particularly important before purchasing a new male.
Tibary mentioned the selection of breeding animals and the importance of selecting animals without any congenital defects, since the heritability of most defects in camelids is unknown. He went on to reinforce the idea that owners of breeding animals (particularly males), select them from birth and have them examined frequently from a young age to ensure they are fit for breeding when the time comes.
Reproductive Emergencies
Tibary also discussed how to handle reproductive emergencies. Males may experience trauma to their genitalia during fighting and can experience scrotal swelling due to heat stress and infections. Occasionally, mineral stones can form in the bladder or urethra, which can block the passage of urine and result in males straining to urinate. Females can experience damage from the mating process and can experience a number of complications around the time of giving birth, which may warrant surgical intervention (e.g. caesareans and prolapsed vaginas/uteruses). In the UK we should also be on guard against the possibility of Schmallenburg virus infection, which may be able to infect camelids and cause birth defects, particularly of the limbs. Step-by-step discussions of performing caesarean sections and repairing uterine prolapses in a field environment were held.
 
 

Parasite Management
 
Interactions of Parasites, Body Condition Scoring, Nutrition and Reproduction
Dr Pugh presented an overview of how nutrition, reproduction and parasite infestations interplay. Research shows that body condition scoring is a much better measure of nutritional health and much more reproducible than weighing animals, and it was recommended that all owners get into the habit of doing this regularly (ideally monthly, at least every two months). Increasing the amounts of good quality forage in the diet is the best way to increase the energy content for those animals that need to put on more condition. The research showed that none of the herbal or natural wormers were effective and these products should be avoided. The speaker also discussed the best management practices to minimise resistant parasites being brought in to or developing on farms; these included quarantine strategies and strategic dosage strategies together with worm egg counts and worm egg count reduction tests.
Haemonchus contortus
Williamson and Cebra both reported on the current knowledge about Haemonchus, the blood-sucking worm which can cause weight loss, anaemia and death. Female worms can lay up to 5,000 eggs per day when mature, so heavy infestations can be devastating to herds. 1000 worms will suck 1.4% of the animal’s blood per day! It is also important to remember that the larvae can cause severe disease before the parasites have matured and therefore before the faecal egg counts become positive.
The speaker discussed the usefulness of “FAMACHA” cards as a tool to assess anaemia but focussed mainly on the worrying degree of multi-resistance of these parasites to our wormers. Resistance has developed over the years due to over-use of wormers, as well as inappropriate or inadequate dosing. One study in south-east USA reported that nearly 48% of farms had resistance to all three main classes of wormer. Tests have been developed to measure the effectiveness of wormers following their administration (so-called “Faecal Worm Egg Reduction Tests”), and a 95% or greater reduction in worm eggs post-treatment shows effectiveness of a given wormer. The USA study reported on 25 camelid farms with high worm burdens, and showed a complete resistance of Haemonchus to benzimidazole wormers, and an 88% resistance to ivermectin wormers. Levamisole (at the sheep dose) and moxidectin appeared to be the most effective drugs to treat Haemonchus in this study, although moxidectin was only effective when given orally (not in the injectable form). Williamson also stressed the importance of only treating selected animals, i.e. those that are anaemic, to minimise the use of wormers and preserve some ‘non-resistant’ worms (the worms not exposed to wormers are described as in “refugia”) to dilute out the resistant worms on the pasture. The UK is facing a similar crisis regarding anthelmintic resistance. More information can be found on the SCOPS website, which applies equally to camelids (http://www.scops.org.uk/).
 Other gastrointestinal parasites
We are seeing resistance to anthelmintics (wormers) throughout the gastrointestinal parasite species, so all of the advice about resistance, worm egg counts and worm egg count reduction tests also applies to other gut parasites such as Nematodirus and Trichostrongylus.
Coccidiosis including Eimeria macusaniensis
Coccidial infections can be important in camelids but by far the most important is the large coccidial parasite Eimeria macusaniensis, or E. mac for short. Cebra reported that coccidiosis is a major cause of camelid mortality in South America, and coccidial eggs have been shown to infect crias as young as five days old. It is worth remembering that large coccidia (such as E. mac) may take 30-43 days to show up in faecal egg counts, but that the parasites may have already caused significant disease in the animals before this time.
Mycoplasma haemolamae
Cebra discussed Mycoplasma haemolamae research. This is a blood parasite that causes anaemia and ill thrift. It seems to be more common in immuno-deficient animals or those that have other infections. It is thought to inhabit the animal for life once the animal has been infected, and may exacerbate other disease problems. It could be transmitted by biting insects or possibly lice, and there may be in-utero transfer. An infected animal may show no signs of infection in blood tests and appear to be well until it is stressed, at which time the blood tests become positive and the parasite can be seen on blood smears. Healthy animals that have been infected by this parasite can show no clinical signs and not be anaemic, but if they have another disease (that causes mild anaemia), the parasite may exacerbate problems and make the animal very anaemic. Oxytetracycline antibiotics help to reduce the levels of infection but cannot eradicate this parasite.
Mange mites
McCaslin reported an update on chorioptic mange infection in camelids. While Sarcoptic mange (another form of mite) is readily treated with ivermectin injections, the Chorioptes mites are relatively resistant to this. The report highlighted the need to include treatment of skin problems with Frontline spray, to directly kill these mites. The speaker also reported that certain individuals seem to suffer much more with these mites than others, which may be due to a poor immune system or other concurrent diseases, but could well be that these individuals are just hypersensitive to the mites’ attacks. Another problem with mange is that carriers of the mites can appear to have no symptoms whatsoever, so it could be brought into your herd without you realising, after the purchase of new stock. Spraying the feet (the area between the toes is a particular favourite hiding place for this mite) with Frontline spray before new animals are released into the herd and before going to or returning from shows would be one good way to try to minimise the risk of bringing it onto your farm.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
Anaplasma is an emerging parasite that lives inside the white blood cells (immune cells) of camelids and other animals. It is transmitted by ticks and can cause a variety of clinical signs, including anorexia, weakness and lethargy. The treatment is with an oxytetracycline antibiotic.
 

Genetics and Congenital Diseases
 
Camelid Genomics
Raudsepp reported on the current developments in sequencing the camelid genome and also highlighted how camels and South American camelids are still genetically very closely related, despite having evolved for different conditions on separate continents for the last 11 million years. They have been domesticated for as long as other domestic species but have been one of the last domestic species to have had their genome sequenced.
The speaker highlighted that alpacas are a model organism for biomedical research because there are 30 genetic conditions in camelids that could be compared genetically to similar conditions in people.
The alpaca genome project is underway in an effort to help us to learn more about camelid genetics and therefore help us develop tools that we can use in order to breed healthier and more productive animals, for example by finding genetic markers for heritable conditions such as choanal atresia, as well as markers for fibre quality and coat colour.
Congenital Problems
Camelids seem to have more congenital defects than other farmed species, which may reflect the bottleneck in their gene pool during the Spanish invasion of South America. Speakers reported on prematurity issues, as well as congenital problems including complex congenital heart malformations. Interestingly, camelids show some heart defects not found in other domestic species, which are, however, found in man. Some congenital defects have been proven to have heritability, others not. It would be wise to remove an animal from breeding if it produces more than one offspring with a form of congenital defect. Choanal atresia is a problem whereby crias are born with abnormal nasal architecture, preventing them from being able to breathe normally. Unfortunately, even surgical treatment of this condition does not produce good results and it is recommended that these crias be euthanased at birth. This is one of the congenital conditions that has been shown to have some hereditary components, so animals breeding more than one cria with this defect should not be bred again.
 

Other Diseases and Health Concerns
 
Musculoskeletal Problems and Dentistry
Pentecost presented her research on musculoskeletal problems that can occur in camelids, including bone fragments causing lameness, tooth root abscesses and fractures. A number of speakers also discussed the management of camelids’ teeth, including correcting overgrown incisors and managing fighting teeth.
Tuberculosis (TB)
Zanolari presented an update on TB in the USA. TB was discussed as a worldwide problem, but it was recognised that this disease is much more of a problem in the UK; the prevalence of TB in Ireland and the UK were mentioned as being the highest in Europe. Camelids can be infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the agent responsible for cattle TB. This is potentially infectious for humans who may come into contact with infected animals. Complete eradication of this disease is near-impossible due to a variety of wildlife vectors; however the USA is currently deemed free of TB (but it is present in South America). The role of badgers as maintenance hosts in some areas of the UK was mentioned as an example of how wildlife reservoirs of the disease can impede the success of control programmes in livestock and the resultant eradication of the disease. We have seen an increase in cases of bovine TB in the UK, particularly in the last five years as testing has increased. The skin test used routinely in cattle has not been standardised for camelids and may give false negative or positive results, so efforts are underway to try to develop new strategies for testing camelids reliably, including the use of blood tests. The disease tends to be of slow progression, giving chronic wasting-type symptoms, although almost any symptom can be seen with a TB infection depending on which body systems have been affected. Clinical signs in confirmed (M. Bovis) tuberculosis cases in camelids have included chronic weight loss, teeth grinding, respiratory distress, discharging skin lesions, anorexia, lethargy or agitation, muscle weakness, recumbency and/or death with no premonitory signs.
While we are faced with an increasing challenge from this debilitating and zoonotic disease here in the UK, with unreliable tests currently available for South American camelid species, we must focus on keeping the disease out of our herds and the main way to do this is by employing strict biosecurity measures. The work undertaken recently by Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) on behalf of The British Alpaca Society, the British Llama Society and British Camelids Limited, was referred to as a further source of information on TB testing in camelids.
 
Update on Medicines and Surgery for Camelids
The conference included a number of updates on current medicines (and their dosages) that are safe for use in camelids, and also which drugs should be avoided. There was also extensive discussion on current best-practice techniques for surgical procedures, such as fracture fixation, airway and ocular surgery, and abdominal surgery.
Management of long bone fractures
Camelids can make good patients for fracture repairs due to their relatively low body weight, calm temperament, good tolerance of fracture fixation devices, their ability to walk on three legs and their high tolerance of recumbency. Emergency assessment and management of the patient, fracture diagnosis, reduction and repair as well as complications were all discussed.

Airway and ocular surgery
Respiratory diseases are relatively uncommon in camelids, and they are less susceptible to pneumonia than ruminants. However, because camelids are inefficient at breathing through their mouths, respiratory problems (particularly when they affect the nasal passages), can be very serious, even life-threatening.

Gastrointestinal surgery
Gastrointestinal diseases are a significant cause of camelid illness, but the recognition of these conditions can be more challenging than in other species because camelids show relatively subtle signs of disease. It is important to remember that signs of colic may be due to conditions involving organs other than the gastrointestinal system, but the signs to look out for include: vocalisation, teeth grinding, getting up and down, refusing to stand, rolling, flank-watching or kicking, unusual posture, depression, high temperature, anorexia, increased heart and respiratory rate, reduced faecal output, dehydration and regurgitation.

Cervical vertebral surgery
In the United States, neurological problems in the cervical spinal cord are most commonly caused by the meningeal worm larva. However, in the UK, where this parasite does not occur, congenital vertebral malformations or cervical vertebral injuries are the most common causes of neurological deficits originating in the cervical spinal cord. Management of these cases may be surgical or non-surgical. The applications, advantages and disadvantages of each were discussed.
 
 
Veterinary Networking and Knowledge Sharing on Camelid Health
 
A number of case-based discussions were had throughout the conference and the idea of sharing clinical information relating to camelids through good communication was highlighted. Veterinarians are encouraged to join their country’s camelid veterinary societies where knowledge transfer can take place both in the form of conferences and web-based forums for clinical discussion. Any owners and breeders whose vets are not members of these societies are encouraged to join, to help to disseminate the knowledge of camelid medicine throughout the country.
I would like to offer my deepest thanks to British Camelids Limited for sponsoring my attendance at this fantastic conference, and to the British Veterinary Camelid Society for selecting my application. It was a wonderful experience and I hope that the information I have gained from the international experts will be helpful in promoting the health and welfare of our camelid companions here in the UK.

Justine Shotton

My sincere thanks go to British Camelids Limited for giving me the opportunity to attend the International Camelid Health Conference 2012 and to the British Veterinary Camelid Society for selecting my application. I am excited to be able to share information from the conference with the camelid community in Northamptonshire and beyond and hope that this will have a positive impact on our camelids and their owners here, “across the pond”!

Rebecca Edwards

 
(BLS extends its thanks to Justine and Rebecca)

The work on developing a satisfactory test for bTB in camelids has moved a stage further with the release of some of the results for the second stage of the research into a PCR test. This test essentially looks for the DNA of the bTB bacillus in nasal swabs or the faeces of an animal suspected of having the disease.

The research is now showing that the PCR test can detect bTB at quite an early stage in its development in a camelid. This work has been initiated by the TB Support and Advisory Group and both British Camelids and BLS have contributed significantly to the work which is being done by the VLA in their Starcross Laboratory.

If this develops well then a PCR test offers a relatively cheap and easy way of testing for TB. It is non-invasive and provided care is taken in taking the faecal samples then there is no risk of false positives.

You can find out more on the TBSRG website at www.alpacatb.org and click on the PCR tab and then explore the associated PCR pages.

The same website also offers a nice explanation of the recent VLA research on the various anti-body tests – click on the bTB tests tab.

• The purpose of the this Support and Research Group is two fold - First and most importantly it is to provide detailed help, information and advice to those who suffer a bTB breakdown in their herd. The Group hope it will give you enough information to help you through the sometimes traumatic experience that lies ahead. You will be faced with difficult decisions and the Group hope their website will help you.

• Secondly, the Group aim to educate all camelid owners about bTB with the hope that the advice given will greatly reduce the risk of an outbreak happening to you.

• See the website at www.alpacatb.org

• Further contact details :

• Dianne Summers

• Camelid Tb Support and Research Group

• Welfare Rep Cornwall Alpaca and Llama Group

• on 01209 822422 and

• 07949511316

• This is the time of year when a few reminders don't go amiss:

• 1.If you are thinking about re-seeding any of your grazing land, do consider plants that have a deep rooting system. They hugely increase the ability of the plants to extract nutrients from the soil at depth. The improve the soil condition by penetrating chalk and rock to a great depth. When the soil dries out, the plants that keep growing are those with the deepest roots. they will never yield like rye grass/clover ley on heavy ground but camelids do not need a hugely rich ley. Talk it over with your seed merchant.

• 2.Due to the weather conditions flies are becoming more than a nuisance for both livestock and people, causing irritation and stress and are also responsible for the spread of various diseases. Flies breed in manure piles, quickly forming into large numbers. Try to keep your manure piles as far away from your shelters and grazing areas a possible. There are various products on the market to help eliminate flies so talk to your local agricultural merchant and vet. Not all fly control products are suitable for camelids.

• 3.There is a RED alert out for Liver Fluke in the livestock industry so keep an eye on your camelids. Fortunately, effective controls are available. If you are concerned, take a poo sample to your bet for analysis and make sure you ask for a liver fluke check. Your vet can help you and give advice.

• 4.Also due to weather conditions over this last year, mycotoxin in feed could well be a challenge to ruminants. Claire E Whitehead BVM&S MS MRCVS, Diplomate ACVIM (Large Animals) has written the following advice for camelids :

• “Mycotoxins can be a risk in any mouldy feed including grains and stored forages: it is important to note that feed contaminated with mycotoxins may not however be visibly mouldy. Mycotoxins can affect any species. Clinical syndromes vary depending on the mycotoxin and can include gastrointestinal disturbances, liver disease, haemorrhage, neurological signs or sudden death. Signs may be vague and present as many "sick camelids" do with anorexia, lethargy, weakness and depression. So there are no really specific clinical signs to look for. Just keep a close eye on your animals and if any appear to be unwell, call the vet to examine the animal: if nothing in particular is found, insist on thorough blood work being done. Any animals that die suddenly should always be post-mortemed as findings may be suggestive of mycotoxins and the knowledge is useful for helping the remaining animals in the herd.”

• 5.Don't forget, autumn is a perfect time for parasites and a large number of Haemonchus victims in alpacas has been reported recently. Autumn is a good time to check faecal samples.

• 6.Heavy and sustained periods of rain falling from April onwards have left us with poor quality grass, despite large volumes in fields. Grass has largely been very low in energy combined with exceedingly low dry matter content. Consequently, animals have only been able to consume low dry matter intakes causing prolonged periods of energy deficit. Hopefully, you all have your hay in for the winter by now. If you feed hard feed, it will be in scarce supply and therefore the prices will be at record levels. If at all possible, buy in bulk or consider sharing with near-by camelid farmers so you can order more and keep the price down. there is a chance that prices may fall later on in the winter but there is no guarantee !

• 7.If, during the winter we get any long spells of freezing weather, keep an eye on your animals and make sure they are drinking. Some camelids, normally the older animals, are not keen on freezing water and may not take up liquids. A small amount of warm water will help. One of the first signs is your camelid will not be ruminating (chewing the cud). If you are in any doubt, contact your vet.

• LIZ BUTLER

• Vice Chairman BLS & Health & Welfare Representative.

• Nutfield Park Farm, South Nutfield, Redhill, Surrety.

• Tel. 01737 823375

AN OPEN LETTER FROM DEFRA TB POLICY TO BAS/BLS MEMBERS AND ALL KEEPERS OF SOUTH AMERICAN CAMELIDS IN ENGLAND
 
Below is an open letter from DEFRA explaining how they intend to move forward now that the results of the research that BAS, BCL and BLS sponsored with the AHVLA on the effectiveness of several blood tests for bTB has been considered. The DEFRA position has been reached following consultation with the 3 Societies and the TB Research and Support Group. As you will read, DEFRA is going to use a combination of the blood tests to aid in the rapid identification of camelids that are highly likely to have bTB in situations where a herd has had a proven case of TB (proven by post mortem and tissue culture).
 
In addition DEFRA is proposing that private testing of camelids using the blood tests (prior to movement or export say) could be authorised in the future and once agreed with the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales. We have not been given costs of carrying out private testing.
 
Those of you that wish to look at the VLA research report can find it on the BLS website at
 http://www.britishllamasociety.org/webfiles/SAC.pdf

LIZ BUTLER
Vice Chairman BLS & Health & Welfare Representative
Nutfield Park Farm, South Nutfield, REDHILL, Surrey Tel: 01737-823375



Shaun Daniel BAS Liz Butler BLS
24 September 2012

Dear Shaun and Liz

AN OPEN LETTER FROM DEFRA TB POLICY TO BAS/BLS MEMBERS AND ALL KEEPERS OF SOUTH AMERICAN CAMELIDS IN ENGLAND

We are aware that some of your members may have become confused and anxious as a result of comments circulating within your sectors regarding the research commissioned by BAS, BLS and British Camelids Ltd into blood tests for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in camelids. We hope, therefore, that you can consider circulating the following to all your members with the aim of reassuring them about the facts behind these important issues.

What is the status of the research undertaken in 2011-2012 for BAS, BLS and British Camelids Ltd?
The study in question was completed earlier this year. It was led by the TB immunology team in the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) at Weybridge, a research group of international repute. This work assessed the key performance characteristics of a new cell-based interferon-gamma blood test and four existing antibody blood tests (Chembio’s STAT-PAK and DPP, the IDEXX’ ELISA and the ENFERplex) for the diagnosis of TB in live South American camelids. The research has been independently peer-reviewed and will shortly be published in a respected scientific journal1.
1 Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The paper was accepted on 12th August 2012 and is now in press.
The diagnostic sensitivities (i.e. the proportion of truly infected animals correctly classified as positive reactors to these tests) were determined using alpacas with typical TB lesions identified at post-mortem examination. These animals had been culled from culture confirmed TB breakdown herds and, although visibly infected at post-mortem, they had given a negative result on one (or more) tuberculin skin tests.
The diagnostic specificities (i.e. the proportion of animals free from infection correctly classified as negative) of the blood tests were estimated by sampling presumed TB-free alpacas from volunteer herds in GB with no history of M. bovis infections and situated in areas of low bovine TB incidence. A small number of serum samples from alpacas in TB-free herds in the US were also included in the study.
More details about diagnostic sensitivities and specificities for individual blood tests and combined tests can be found in the study report, which we understand is available on the BLS website.

What is Defra planning to do with the results of that study?
The AHVLA study highlighted that the TB antibody tests have a moderate sensitivity (around 70%), with a very high specificity (approximately 97%). This means that the probability of false positive results is very low (3 for every 100 animals tested in truly TB-free herds). The moderate sensitivity of the antibody tests, which in any case is higher than that of the skin test, can be enhanced in TB-breakdown situations by combining antibody tests using the same blood sample and removing all animals that react to any of the tests. Defra considers that these blood tests have been sufficiently validated in South American camelids under GB field conditions to substantially improve the detection of TB-infected animals that would escape detection by skin testing alone. Defra, therefore, intends in TB breakdown situations to deploy antibody testing in conjunction with the skin test in all cases of culture-confirmed M. bovis TB infection in South American camelids. This will also extend to high-risk TB tracings from such herds.
Conversely, outside a TB breakdown situation (i.e. in holdings that are presumed to be TB-free) we can further reduce the already low probability of false-positive test results by combining two antibody tests and only regard as suspect those animals that prove positive to both tests. Moreover, in the future, where private TB testing prior to movement and/or export of camelids might identify ‘seropositive’ animals (i.e. a blood sample indicates the presence of antibodies consistent with M. bovis infection), AHVLA’s response should be to put a herd under precautionary movement restrictions pending a blood re-test of those animals. The exact interval of the re-test has yet to be agreed, although our preference would be for 30 days. Only if the second blood test confirmed the initial positive result would AHVLA officially declare a TB breakdown on the affected premises and recommend the destruction of the persistently positive animals for post-mortem examination and culture.

How are results from camelids that have tested positive to a blood test but exhibited no visible lesions during post-mortem examination to be interpreted?
It is quite normal for animals (not just camelids) from known TB-infected herds to react to a highly specific diagnostic test for TB, but then show no evidence of TB at post mortem examination and laboratory culture. For instance, less than half of all the cattle slaughtered every year in GB as reactors to the tuberculin skin test have visible lesions of TB detected at post mortem. Furthermore, as a TB outbreak is brought under control, the proportion of test-positive but visible lesion/culture-negative animals inevitably tends to increase.
TB is usually a chronic, slowly progressing infectious disease and, unfortunately, M. bovis is a notoriously difficult organism to grow in the laboratory from animal tissues and other material. Therefore, post mortem examination and laboratory culture are not very sensitive methods and cannot be regarded as the “gold standard” for diagnosis of TB infections. Moreover, animals removed from premises on which M. bovis was positively identified are, by definition, likely to have been exposed to the bacterium and quite possibly infected with TB. Therefore, such animals must not be considered ‘false positives’ and the failure to detect gross lesions in a TB-test positive animal from an infected herd does not mean that the animal was uninfected. A more plausible explanation would be that the test detected the infection at a very early stage, before visible lesions had time to develop and, crucially, before the test-positive animals became more infectious and capable of spreading the disease.

What about the skin test?
Broadly speaking, there are two types of tuberculin skin tests used for TB screening of animals, the comparative intradermal test (with avian and bovine tuberculins as for normal TB screening of cattle in the UK and Ireland) and the single intradermal test (with bovine tuberculin only). At the moment AHVLA will normally use the more specific comparative skin test in camelids, but in certain circumstances (e.g. in particularly severe TB breakdowns) it may use the single intradermal test in an effort to maximise the probability of detecting as many infected animals in a herd as possible.
There has been some misunderstanding about the purpose of the research. It was to develop new diagnostic tools to address the well documented low sensitivity of the skin test in camelids2, and not to validate the single or comparative tuberculin skin tests or different combinations of the skin and blood tests.
2 Alvarez J, Bezos J, de Juan L, Vordermeier M, et al. (2011). Diagnosis of tuberculosis in camelids: old problems, current solutions and future challenges. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 59(1): 1-10.
The AHVLA research has shown that the sensitivity of the antibody tests may be dependent upon a so-called ‘anamnestic’ response following the injection of tuberculin. This phenomenon is not unique to camelids and has been observed when antibody tests for TB are used in other species. That is why in camelid TB breakdowns AHVLA will try to take blood samples for StatPak testing 10 to 30 days after a skin test. There is no evidence to show that this injection of tuberculin leads to a loss of specificity (more false positive reactions) in the subsequent antibody tests.

Can I test my animals for TB privately?
We have still to reach an agreement with the Scottish and Welsh Devolved Administrations on how to handle private TB testing of camelids, but for example in Wales this cannot be done without written agreement of Welsh Ministers. That statutory prohibition does not apply in England and, in principle, the tuberculin skin test is already available for private TB testing of camelids, cattle and other farmed animals subject to authorisation from the local AHVLA office and notification to them of all results without delay. In addition to that, pre-export skin testing of camelids is also of course a private matter between animal keepers and their own veterinary surgeons.
Generally, in order to reduce the risk of spreading disease it is good practice to screen camelids for TB before and/or after they are moved between different premises and Defra recommends that keepers seriously consider this option in consultation with their private veterinary surgeons.
However, as already mentioned, the skin test is insufficiently sensitive for reliable TB screening of individual camelids. A negative pre- or post-movement test result using only the skin test could be quite meaningless, particularly if the animal originated from a herd situated in an endemic TB area and/or with a history of confirmed TB infection.
Therefore, Defra is developing plans with AHVLA and the Devolved Administrations of GB to make two of the validated antibody tests available to camelid owners and their vets for private TB screening, either on their own or following a private skin test. Defra's strong policy preference is for the private TB blood testing of camelids to be carried out only by an AHVLA laboratory or in laboratories properly accredited by AHVLA to perform such tests. We are minded not to accept results of private TB tests from labs that do not meet these criteria and we may wish to reserve the right to re-test any such privately tested camelids.
Notwithstanding all the above, your members should note that where a group of camelids is under some form of movement restriction due to suspected (or confirmed) TB and undergoing skin or blood testing under the direction of AHVLA, additional private testing by the owner cannot be carried out to reassess (negate) any positive results of such tests. This is because re-testing of positive animals with tests that are only moderately sensitive would increase the risk of false-negative test results.

We hope this helps clarify some of the other statements circulating within the camelid community.

British Llama Society - a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 04897204. Registered office: Mansion House, Princes Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1EP.

Recently completed research by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and the Institute for Animal Health (AH) has confirmed that Schmallenberg Virus (SBV) is again circulating in the UK, and it appears that the virus has overwintered in infected insects (midge and possibly mosquitoes).   This means that susceptible animals will be at risk of infection from infected midges for the rest of the year.   
 
The RVC, having carried out tests on Alpacas reported: "We also found two of our 10 alpacas had it as well, though none showed clinical signs - we believe this is the first time it has been found in alpacas.”

It is believed that animals that has SBV last year are likely to be immune, and it is known that healthy animals recover quickly from infection without lasting harm, so the main risk is when non-immune animals are infected in early pregnancy, as the virus can damage the developing foetus.   So the main risk will be to early pregnant animals that have not been exposed to SBV before. 

Although companies are developing vaccines, none are yet available, nor likely to be this year.    AHVLA now have a blood antibody test to test previous exposure.  Antibodies don't pass through the placenta to camelid crias: this is why ingestion of colostrum is so important as crias are born without any of their own antibodies and have to acquire them from colostrum.   If camelids have antibodies they will pass them on in the colostrum: the value of this will depend how long it is since they were infected since antibodies will decline after exposure. 
 
The clinical signs are diarrhoea, fever and early abortions but camelids have a habit of not showing they are ill so a keen eye on your animals is what is required.
If you have any worries, contact your vet.

From: Liz Butler, BLS Health & Welfare Co-ordinator

Parasites Warning

It's a Perfect Time for Parasites - BEWARE!!  We have recently been seeing quite a few farms affected by gastrointestinal parasitism. The problem is mostly due to Haemonchus, the so-called Barber's Pole worm because of the appearance of the adult worms. This worm is a blood-sucker: the larvae set up camp in the 3rd stomach compartment where they grow into adults and then pass large numbers of eggs. Both the adults and larvae can cause severe anaemia in alpacas such that worm egg counts may not be spectacularly high but anaemia may be significant. This "summer's" wet and mild weather conditions have meant that parasites have had perfect conditions for survival on the pasture which is why we are probably seeing so many problems at the moment. I would like to encourage you to check your animals this weekend: check their body condition and also check their colour to see if they appear anaemic or not. The best way to do this is to evert the lower eyelid using one thumb while gently depressing the eye through the upper eyelid with the other thumb, causing the third eyelid to protrude. Normally these mucous membranes are pink and healthy-looking: the whiter they are, the worse the anaemia may be. Anaemic animals will also be quieter than normal and may move more slowly than healthy alpacas. If you suspect that you may have a problem, please call your vet and/or check faecal egg counts to assess the situation. The problem is likely to be worse if you have higher stocking densities and larger numbers of susceptible animals, but smaller units can also be affected.   Claire E Whitehead BVM&S MS MRCVS Diplomate ACVIM (Large Animal) Camelid Veterinary Services www.ukalpacavet.com 



LIZ BUTLER
Vice Chairman BLS & Health & Welfare Representative
Nutfield Park Farm, South Nutfield, REDHILL, Surrey Tel: 01737-823375

British Llama Society - a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 04897204. Registered office: Mansion House, Princes Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1EP.

Please note that the Bluetongue Scottish Order comes into force on 24 September 2012 but similar legislation will come into force in England today, 24 August 2012 and Wales soon after.
Unless you are exporting animals when the legislation may be different, BLS is not recommending that you vaccinate your animals unless another outbreak occurs. The different strains of Bluetongue all have different vaccines to combat them and BLS is concerned that we may end up over medicating our animals which is not recommended. It is, as usual, up to each individual owner, but we can only pass on our recommendations.
Regards, LIZ BUTLER
Health & Welfare Officer for
British Llama Society and British Camelids

The following has just been received from the Scottish Administration. BLS and BCL are stakeholders in the livestock Scottish Assembly) :

Dear Stakeholder,
BLUETONGUE VACCINATION – STAKEHOLDER UPDATE
As from 24 September 2012 it will be legal in Scotland to vaccinate livestock with a Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) or EU approved inactivated bluetongue vaccine.
Background
This change in policy follows amendments recently made to Council Directive 2000/75/EC by EU Council Bluetongue Directive 2012/5/EU that give Member States the discretion to allow vaccination within a free area.  Following those amendments and after discussion with the Scottish Animal Health and Welfare Stakeholder Group the Scottish Government decided to give livestock producers the opportunity to protect the health of their animals by allowing the use of available inactivated vaccine within a bluetongue free area.
Similar legislation will come into effect in England on 24 August 2012 and in Wales soon.  However, voluntary vaccination will not be allowed in either Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.  However, trade of vaccinated animals to any part of Ireland will not be affected as long as any vaccination met European requirements.

BTV-1 & 8 zones are in place in France, Spain and parts of Italy (as at August 2012), but none are in place in northern countries of the European Union.
Commission Regulation 1266/2007 was also amended. This involved changes to the requirements for monitoring, surveillance, the transition process for freedom, and the transit of animals.  As a result of those changes to the Regulation the Scottish Government is working with the Commission and other Member States to produce guidance on the criteria for establishment, approval and use of ‘vector protected establishments’.
Compliance with the EU’s requirements for monitoring and surveillance programmes, premovement testing, reporting of suspect cases and adherence to movement licence conditions will continue.
Legislation
The Bluetongue (Scotland) Order 2012 will allow vaccination in free area from 24 September 2012. Until that Order comes into force the use of bluetongue vaccine remains prohibited in Scotland.
Guidance
The Scottish Government’s bluetongue advisory leaflet for those working with ruminants and camelids has been updated and can be found on the Scottish Government’s website (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/bluetongue).

Although the law is changing, it is still advisable to follow the existing guidelines, which include:

UNUSUALLY WET, WINDY AND COLD WEATHER:

Although camelids are strong, fit animals and used to extremes in temperature, they are not used to the type of weather we have been experiencing lately in the UK.

If you are expecting cria, please make sure you have cria coats to keep the little ones warm and dry. If you can put both Mum and cria undercover for the first 24 hours, until the cria has completely dried off and is getting sustenance from Mum, this would be advisable. If you are unable to house your cria, keep a good eye on it and make sure it is not suffering.

bTB – BADGER CULL:

A meeting has been arranged for July 10th at Stoneleigh Park to discuss the badger cull with the NFU. The NFU are the organization who is coordinating the cull. If you would like to attend this meeting, please do let me know ASAP. I will then send you the agenda and the timings. We don’t have these yet!

VET STUDENTS:

I have been asked by the education arm of DEFRA to give them details of anyone who would be willing to give students an opportunity to gain practical experience of working with camelids. If you would be happy to give a student a placement for as short or as long as you wish, please let me know.

MITES AND LICE:
Lice infestations of livestock are usually seen during winter but due to the weather conditions over the last winter and now with a wet and humid summer, we have had reports of both sucking and biting lice found on camelids. Lice cause intense itching resulting in damage to hides and fleece from scratching. Lice are usually host specific and can be divided into blood sucking (Anoplura) and biting (Mallophaga) lice. They spend their entire lifecycle on the host.
Mange or scabies in livestock is a skin condition caused by microscopic mites in or on the skin. The mites cause intense itching and discomfort which is associated with decreased feed intake and production. Scratching and rubbing results in extensive damage to hides and fleece.
Mites are able to cause mange on different species of livestock but are somewhat host specific, thus infecting some species more severely than others.
The three most important types of mange are:

British Llama Society - a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 04897204.
Registered office: Mansion House, Princes Street, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1EP.

NOTES TAKEN BY LIZ BUTLER at a meeting held 9 MARCH 2012 to discuss SCHMALLENBERG VIRUS
(Talk given by IAN NANJANI – Westpoint Vet and Research Consultant.)

2 Syndromes: (we are talking mainly about sheep but very similar in other livestock)

• Deformities

bTB – BADGER CULL -
Your Society has backed the Government in its decision to go ahead with the badger cull. At the moment there are 2 areas highlighted, West Somerset and West Gloucestershire. If you have animals in either of these areas, we would ask you to support the cull by letting your nearest NFU office know. The culls will not take place until after the Olympic Games, i.e. Autumn time.
We must help to stop the spread of bTB.


LIZ BUTLER
Vice Chairman BLS & Health & Welfare Representative
Nutfield Park Farm, South Nutfield, REDHILL, Surrey Tel: 01737-823375

SCHMALLENBERG VIRUS - This is a follow up to the alert issued by the Society on the 25 January 2012.

This is a very fast moving virus and more cases are being discovered on a daily basis. To date no reports of camelids have been received by the Authorities either in Europe or the UK. Livestock being reported with the virus in the UK are sheep and cows, with goats being reported in Europe. This may well be because now is the time for lambing and calving. Last weekend a case was found in sheep in Cornwall so the Authorities have made all the South Coast right round to East Anglia a ‘Risk Zone’.

The EU Commission have not made Schmallenberg Virus notifiable but it is reportable, i.e. if you are concerned for the health of your camelid or have any abnormal births or abortions please tell your vet. The clinical signs are diarrhoea, fever and early abortions. It also causes deformities in unborn animals. It is spread by a vector – midges, which bite your livestock. It is not thought that it can be passed from one animal to another but once an animal is affected with the virus it does spread to the placenta and affect unborn animals.

Foetal deformities vary depending on when the dam was infected during her pregnancy. It is thought that most animals were infected during the very mild Autumn. In sheep it has been found to produce foetus with badly deformed limbs, usually fused together. The ewe will try to give birth, a lot of the time early, but is unable to as either the lamb is mis-presented or it is so badly deformed, it cannot fit into the birth canal.

If you see your camelid in any distress whilst giving birth please do not try to help her but call your vet immediately. The chances are it may well need a caesarean.

There is no vaccine available to fight this virus. It is thought to be short lived within the animal i.e. 2 days, as the host animal can produce antibodies in that time. It also does not survive for long outside either a host or vector. Hopefully there is no long lasting effect on the animals but this is not proven yet. It is thought unlikely to be zoonotic and so far there is no threat to humans, albeit this is not proven.


LIZ BUTLER
Vice Chairman BLS & Health & Welfare Representative
Nutfield Park Farm, South Nutfield, REDHILL, Surrey Tel: 01737-823375

SCHMALLENBERG VIRUS ALERT
What appears to be a new virus has been discovered in the North Rhein Westphalia district of the west of Germany, and in Holland.  It has been named Schmallenberg virus after the small town where it was first discovered.

Outbreaks of disease were originally seen in cattle last August. Clinical signs exhibited by affected cattle included fever, reduced milk yields, inappetance, weight loss and diarrhoea: since November, there have been reports in sheep (and, to a lesser extent, cattle and goats) of abortion, still-births and congenital abnormalities. These congenital abnormalities have included limb contractures, brain abnormalities and twisted neck: no clinical signs were reported affecting dams of these offspring. No cases of the disease have been reported in camelids, and it is unknown whether or not they can be affected.

Research on the virus is still in its early stages but the virus is thought to belong to the genus Orthobunyavirus: this group includes the Akabane virus and although antibodies to Akabane virus have been found in camels, it is not known whether or not it causes disease (Al Busaidy et al, 1988; Davies & Jessett, 1985). Viruses of this genus are spread by arthropod vectors – midges and mosquitoes. No information is available for viruses of this group affecting South American Camelids. Therefore it is unknown whether or not they are likely to be affected with clinical disease. It is certainly possible that they are susceptible.

It has to be stressed that this virus has not yet been detected in the UK. There is potential for it to come to the UK via windborne spread of athropod vectors that carry the virus (as occurred with Bluetongue), or potentially via imported animals. Disease surveillance is ongoing and keepers of livestock are being urged to monitor for signs of disease and consult with their vet in case of concern.

AHVLA have asked that if  any ruminants  imported from anywhere in Europe during 2011 abort, or have stillborn or deformed offspring, please report the matter to your local AHVLA laboratory, or SAC laboratory if in Scotland.  In England, ruminant samples will be taken for testing free of charge, although as tests for the disease are still under development, results will not be known immediately. Be sure to check with your local office whether charges will apply for camelids before submitting any crias for testing. In Scotland, the normal SAC charges will apply.

Similarly, if  there are ANY aborted foetuses or stillborn animals which match the pattern of deformities described, please discuss them with AHVLA to see if samples should be taken for investigation, in particular if born to dams who had what would have been an undiagnosable fever in the late summer or early autumn. Again, to avoid embarrassment, discuss what charges might be made, if any, when discussing things with AHVLA.

Cont/….

-2-

Since this virus has only just been identified and the epidemiology and pathogenesis of the disease is far from known, this situation is evolving and further information will be forthcoming as more research is done. AHVLA will keep updating the information available on their website as more becomes known. [http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla/news/]. It will be particularly important for us in the UK later in the year when we shall see if infected midges have crossed the North Sea, and this will depend on weather patterns during the summer.  However it is POSSIBLE that infected midges could have crossed to England during 2011 although there were only a few days where this was considered to have been a possibility. As yet there is no evidence of this having happened, but please be on the lookout.  This is a new disease, and hopefully we will develop a far better understanding of the epidemiological risk to the UK over the next 12 months.

Please do not panic. This is a very new virus and as previously stated, there have been no cases notified in Camelids but it is better to be aware of the unfolding situation.
I would like to acknowledge the following vets for assisting in producing this report:
Claire E Whitehead BVM&S MS DACVIM MRCVS, President British Veterinary Camelid Society
Nick Clayton, MRCVS

LIZ BUTLER
Vice Chairman BLS & Health & Welfare Representative
Nutfield Park Farm, South Nutfield, REDHILL, Surrey Tel: 01737-823375





NOTE: 23 January 2012
The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratory Agency has confirmed that tests on animals on four sheep farms in Norfolk, Suffolk and East Sussex had detected Schmallenberg Virus.
Please report any abnormalities in your herd to your vet.

Remember if we have a really cold spell, below freezing for a number of days, always break any ice on the water and look out for signs of your camelids not drinking. Some camelids will not drink freezing water. In these cases (very few) add a little hot water to the bucket so the water is cold but not icy and check the animal drinks some. Hay is very dry and therefore our animals need more water in the winter than in the summer when they get a lot of their water from the grass.

I expect many of you will be aware of the proposed badger cull in England. Due to this contentious decision by the Government and the high cost of policing, it will not take place until after the Para-Olympics, i.e. back end of the year.

In the farming press and various newspapers, it has been reported that a number of Veterinary Laboratory Agencies (VLA) are to close. There will be only six remaining in operation: 1) Shrewsbury, 2) Penrith, 3) Sutton Bonnington 4) Bury St.Edmonds, 5) Newcastle, 6) Star Cross.
BUT this only refers to the laboratories; the actual VLA where you take animals for post mortem will remain open for the time being. If the VLA find anything they are not happy about they will send samples to a laboratory that has stayed open.
If you have an animal die unexpectedly or in suspicious circumstances, please get your vet to carry out a post mortem or ask your vet to make arrangements for it to have a post mortem at your local VLA.

As time goes by, we are finding more and more camelids need to be re-homed. Some of these cases are genuine but we are finding some people have taken on animals and then suddenly decided they don’t want them anymore!

Camelids can live for over 20 years. Have you made provision for your camelids to be looked after and cared for should a disaster befall you? This may sound hard, but please think about what would happen to your lovely animals if you were no longer around to look after them.
Make provision in your will. Do you have a reliable family member who would take them on? Ask another member of BLS (providing them with the finance) to care for your animals.

The BLS Board is considering the setting up of a fund and more details will be in the spring edition of Llama Link. You could run coffee mornings, bring and buy sales or just give money. This would be ‘ring fenced’ for the welfare of beautiful animals that need help.
We are also in the market for a philanthropic person who would like to donate a farm to the whole of the camelid industry as a refuge/rescue centre. Put your thinking caps on!!

LIZ BUTLER
Vice Chairman BLS & Health & Welfare Representative
Nutfield Park Farm, South Nutfield, REDHILL, Surrey Tel: 01737-823375

*** Caution - Wasps and Bees ***

There have been reports of some very unfortunate incidents involving large animals and stinging insects. The animals have been stung badly and have required veterinary treatment.
All owners are advised to check round the hedges of their paddocks on a fine day. If you notice an unusual amount of insect activity, check whether there is a wasps nest or a bee swarm established in the hedge. If there is and any of your animals inadvertently go too close or disturb the nest, the occupants will do what comes naturally which is to sting and chase the 'predator' away. When the insect attacks (or defends its nest depending on your point of view), it burrows down through the coat until it reaches the skin. When they sting, both wasps and bees emit a pheromone which attracts their nest mates to come and help. If the predator does not move away quickly, more insects will sting.
Neither wasps nor bees will sting unless they perceive they are in danger. There are no 'killer bees' in this country and, even if there were, they would still not actively seek out a subject to attack, contrary to the popular depiction in the movies!
If you find a nest, determine whether it is wasps or bees. Wasps have distinct black and yellow stripes. They form their nest out of chewed wood pulp. It is usually roughly spherical and will be hanging from a branch in the hedge. Bees have more muted colours, ranging from completely dark to those with yellow segments on their abdomens. They build parallel, vertical combs from beeswax which are protected by a cluster of bees.
You will need to get a pest controller to deal with a wasps nest. If you can get in touch with the local beekeeping association, one of its members may well be prepared to come and collect a swarm.
If possible, move your animals to another paddock until the nest has been removed. If this is not possible, fence it off from their attentions.
 

BTV FREEDOM NEWS RELEASE

The key points are:
Vaccination will be prohibited from July 5.
Exports: There will be no bluetongue restrictions on animals moving out of GB to other EU Member States from July 5.  This means that vaccination or any other ‘Annex III conditions’ will no longer be required.
Imports: There is no change for imports into GB from countries/areas that are under bluetongue restrictions.  All animals will continue to meet full ‘Annex III conditions’ unless they are direct moves to slaughter.  
Post import testing : There is no change to the policy regarding post import testing.
It is vital that everybody involved in the industry remains vigilant for bluetongue, continues to source livestock responsibly and to notify their local Divisional Veterinary Manager of any suspicion of disease.
Below is an explanation for the press release:
GB to be declared BTV8 free on 5th July 2011

GB has remained part of a Protection Zone for BTV8 since our first case of
disease in 2007. In June 2010 GB changed its status to Lower Risk Zone for
BTV8 which offered protection against the risk of disease from imported animals,
and was an important step toward BTV freedom.

EU requirements necessitate 2 years of evidence to demonstrate no active
disease circulation before BTV freedom can be declared. The results of our
bluetongue surveillance in 2009 and 2010 showed that all samples were
negative for all BTV serotypes, and the European Commission has accepted
GB’s case for BTV free status.

The BTV8 zones across England, Scotland and Wales will be removed on
5th July 2011, and all bluetongue restrictions on exporting sheep and cattle
from Great Britain will be lifted from this date. This means that a vaccination
against BTV8 will no longer be required before export from GB.


The Bluetongue situation in the rest of Europe also appears to have improved
significantly with no reports of active BTV8 circulation in any Northern EU
Member State. BTV Experts have advised that the threat of disease entering GB
via an imported animal or via windborne incursion appears to have reduced
considerably. Hungary, Austria, Denmark and Sweden have all declared disease
freedom recently.

The stringent conditions for animals imported from other Bluetongue zones
will remain in place. We will also continue to test high risk imports. It is vital that
livestock keepers continue to source responsibly and check the health and
vaccination status of their animals.

Currently the EU Bluetongue Directive (Council Directive 2000/75 /EC) only
permits vaccination against bluetongue within a protection zone. This means
that when GB is declared free of BTV8, vaccination will no longer be
permitted. Should any livestock keepers wish to vaccinate their stock, they
should do so before 5th July 2011 when the BTV8 zone is lifted.

We had anticipated amendments to the Bluetongue Directive which would permit
vaccination in bluetongue free areas, however these changes at European level
have been delayed and are now not expected until Autumn 2011. The
Government is continuing to press for changes at European level so vaccination
can be used more flexibly in future.

If and when changes are made, vaccination will be permitted once more across
GB, potentially for a wider range of serotypes. We will keep livestock keepers up
to date on latest developments with the Bluetongue Directive, and continue to
provide information on the latest disease situation in Europe.

Information on BTV Zones across the EU can be found at:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/diseases/controlmeasures/bt_restrictedzonesmap.
jpg

All livestock keepers are reminded that suspicion of bluetongue disease must be
notified immediately to your local Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories
Agency Office.


 
LIZ BUTLER
Vice Chairman BLS & Health & Welfare Representative

BLUETONGUE:
The recommendation for 2011 from Animal Health is talk to your vet regarding vaccinating for Bluetongue this year. It is not being encouraged or discouraged by AH.

ANNUAL VACCINATIONS:
Are your animals up to date with their regular vaccinations?

WORMING:
A number of you relocate your animals to their summer grazing at this time of year. Check for worms before you move them. Either worm them or send samples to your vet for analysis. There is no point in taking worms to new pastures when it is so easy to prevent.

A very big thank you to all of you who took part in the worm survey sent out by Jacqueline Lusat. Hopefully an article will be written up for the Llama Link.

SURVEYS:
From time to time, BLS will be sending out surveys when we are approached by the animal authorities, i.e. DEFRA, AH, VLA and veterinary students. It is most helpful if these are completed and returned and I thank all who do respond. It is the only way we are going to learn more about our beautiful animals.

LIZ BUTLER - Vice Chairman BLS & Health & Welfare Representative

DEFRA advice to owners regarding the use of anti-TB drugs on camelids suspected of having TB

 Members are urged to take heed of the advice from DEFRA given below for the welfare of themselves, their own animals and the national alpaca herd.

DEFRA’s advice is that suspect clinical cases of TB should be notified to Animal Health and culled rather than treated with anti-TB drugs.

Owners need to be aware of the risks posed by treating suspect cases. Effective treatment of TB in humans is quite a complex, long and costly process involving a six-month course of at least three different drugs. To our knowledge, the effectiveness of such drugs and protocols has never been properly evaluated in South American camelids.

Assuming that an infected camelid will consistently receive the right dose of the appropriate drugs over a long enough period, it may remain infective to humans and other animals for some time.

Many treatment regimes, whilst seemingly capable of resolving the clinical signs of TB, will not result in a complete microbiological cure (elimination of all the bacilli) and may result in latent infections and potentially the development of drug resistance, resulting in serious public and animal health risks.

Additionally, owners need to be aware that by treating animals for TB they are jeopardising the only method of control currently available to infected herds (testing and slaughter of any positives) due to the suppressive effects the drugs may have on the immunological responses detected by the ante-mortem diagnostic tests. Animal Health may, therefore, be unable to undertake any TB testing of infected camelid herds if they become aware that owners are administering anti-TB drugs to some of their animals.

 
LIZ BUTLER
Vice Chairman BLS & Health & Welfare Representative

• under conditioning can cause problems
• provided. Mineral deficiencies can be responsible for disease problems in herds. Also, ensure that young growing stock receive sufficient vitamin D to prevent rickets
• shelter from rain, wind, cold and snow in the winter. Appropriate bedding (e.g. straw) may also be necessary for protection from cold.

• Frequent hand washing with hot water and soap
• Cleaning and disinfection of boots
• Thorough washing of clothing used when caring for animals

BLUE TONGUE DISEASE – DON’T IMPORT IT!

Following the discovery of Blue Tongue Disease (BTV) in England in 2007, no new cases of circulating disease have been found in 2008.  This has been primarily due to the very successful vaccination campaign during 2008.  It is estimated that over 90% of susceptible animals in East and South East England have been vaccinated.  However, the uptake of vaccine has been much lower in other parts of the country and the overall coverage in the whole of England is thought to be only about 60%.  Wales and Scotland have been running separate vaccination campaigns and there are no data yet on the coverage in those two countries.
There is a risk that the farming community might become complacent, thinking that BTV in Britain has been beaten and that there is no need to vaccinate again in 2009.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  One only needs to look at the latest map of BTV throughout Europe to see that the risk is not only still present but even greater than ever.  BTV.8, the serotype found in England, has spread throughout most of Western Europe, with the exception of the Republic of Ireland and Portugal.  It has spread as far south as Spain and Italy, north to Sweden and east to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania.  Even more worryingly, BTV.1 has now spread to north-western France and BTV.6 has been found in The Netherlands.  There is no vaccine available against BTV.6 and there is no cross-immunity between BTV.8 and BTV.1 or BTV.6.
Britain therefore remains at risk of re-introducing BTV.8 and of introducing BTV.1 and BTV.6 either by cross-Channel spread of vectors (which is how BTV.8 reached us last year) or by the legitimate trade in animals imported from other EU Member States.  To control those risks, the British farming community therefore needs to:

• Carry on vaccinating against BTV.8 during 2009, giving boosters to all animals vaccinated during 2008, preferably before the vector becomes active in the Spring, and by vaccinating any animals born during 2009.
• Be very careful not to import disease when importing animals.

Order NOW for 2009

Defra are asking all owners of Camelids and all susceptible species to order their Bluetongue vaccine requirements for 2009 NOW in order to ensure sufficient vaccine is available for 2009.  
Please let your own vet know how many doses you will require in 2009 so the vet can place an order for sufficient doses.
All animals vaccinated this year will need a Booster and all cria born in 2009 will need 2 vaccinations. The advice is to give the one Booster vaccination before the warm weather which means by the end of April, irrespective of when you gave the initial two jabs in 2008.
Scientists warn that the risk for 2009 will be considerable because of the spread of Bluetongue 8 in France with over 20,000 cases this year, as well as the risk posed by unvaccinated animals here.  The French experience was that once an outbreak occurs it may be too late to vaccinate.   Vaccinating animals with no symptoms but which have in fact already been infected, produces very sick animals indeed.

Vaccination is the only defence against Bluetongue 8.

Be very careful importing from Europe,  many llamas appear not to have been vaccinated. Exporting from Holland and NW Germany is forbidden because of the outbreak of Bluetongue 6. 
All imports irrespective of where they come from are tested for 4 sera-types 1,6,8,25.   All of these strains have now been detected in Europe.   
There are no UK licensed vaccines for sera-types other than BTV8.

 Beware of non vaccinates  
 Protect your Llamas  
 Don't Hesitate--vaccinate

If you have queries, concerns or feedback on any of these issues, please contact Liz Butler:
llamaliz@hotmail.com, or 01737 823375.