Memorandum submitted by the National Animal
Disease Information Service (NADIS) (W8)
1. What impact
are current levels of farm income having on the usage of veterinary
services; and, in turn, what effect any reduction in the usage
of such services is having on the number of practices dealing
with farm animals?
Livestock farm incomes have fallen significantly
in recent years. For example, the net farm income for the average
Welsh hill sheep farm decreased from £19,982 in 1991-92 to
£601 in 2001-02 (Farm Business Survey for Wales, University
of Wales, Aberystwyth). These decreases in incomes have led to
farmers cutting their non-core costs. Veterinary costs are seen
as one of the major non-core costs and reducing veterinary involvement
is often seen as a priority. This is not usually done in collaboration
with the veterinarian, but in a piecemeal fashion by treating
disease later, using fewer medicines (particularly vaccines) and
by calling in the vet less often and doing more before calling
the vet in. Veterinary involvement on-farm has thus decreased
significantly over the last seven years. The number of adult cattle
examined by NADIS veterinarians has declined from 45,000 in 1997
to 30,000 in 2001, a reduction of 33%. The situation is similar
for sheep and pigs, both of which have seen falls of over 33%.
This has had a significant impact on the number
of livestock practices. Figures from the RCVS show that the numbers
of livestock practices has fallen from 1,502 1997 to 1,295 in
2003. The NADIS practices are all focussed on livestock work so
no practices have been lost over the last seven years. However,
the distances travelled by NADIS vets has significantly increased
as practices for which livestock work was peripheral have ceased
providing the service. This is particularly acute in areas of
high population density where companion animal-only practice is
feasible. An example of this is Kent, where a NADIS practice based
in Hertfordshire is now providing veterinary services! However,
the move away from farm practice is spreading to more rural areas
with practices that even 10 years ago would have had 50% of their
turnover from farm work considering no longer undertaking it.
2. What effect is the reduction in the usage
of veterinary services and a shortage of large animal vets is
having on health and welfare standards, and on the effectiveness
of surveillance for animal diseases?
The reduction in the usage of veterinary services
has inevitably led to more disease on-farm, with a consequent
loss of productivity and rise in welfare concerns. This situation
is particularly marked in sheep, with the perceived economic value
of ewes not justifying individual treatment. However this lack
of veterinary involvement is not restricted to animals of low
economic value, NADIS data clearly shows that the lack of veterinary
involvement is having a significant impact on the welfare of adult
dairy cows (the most valuable commercial farm animal).
The number of calvings attended by NADIS veterinary
surgeons has not changed significantly. However the number of
"downer cows", that is cows that are unable to stand
after calving, has significantly increased. This rise is almost
certainly due to farmers trying to save money by calving cows
themselves rather than calling out the vet. Muscle and nerve damage
are the result, which means that cows cannot stand. Some of these
cows will recover with veterinary help but a significant proportion
will become a casualty slaughter animal.
Earlier veterinary involvement would significantly
reduce the risk of a downer cow after calving.
Other problems, particularly lameness in all
species, are also being seen at a more severe stage by the vet.
Later veterinary treatment leads to poorer success rates and poorer
welfare.
The primary mode of veterinary surveillance
in the UK is the system of veterinary laboratories, (VLA/SAC).
However, this has been hit even harder by the farming recession
than the veterinarian on-farm, with reductions of over 50% in
the number of submissions for cattle and pigs and 25% for sheep.
The reduction in sample quantity has also been associated with
a reduction in quality. Fewer samples from an outbreak significantly
reduces cost but also significantly reduces the chance of a diagnosis.
Waiting longer before sending samples may mean that fewer samples
are sent but also means that samples are submitted when the disease
has become established and changes have occurred which obscure
the original cause of the disease. A particular example of this
is calf pneumonia. Bacteria are commonly found in the lungs of
calves submitted to laboratories, but these are often secondary
to viruses. However, the changes related to bacterial infection,
particularly if long-standing obscure the virus pathology, preventing
the original cause from being identified.
NADIS believes that the laboratory system is
a vital part of the surveillance network but needs to be supported
by information from veterinary practitioners. NADIS is a veterinary
practitioner-based disease surveillance network, which was established
in 1995. It monitors disease in cattle, sheep and pigs. At present
the network is made up of 40 private veterinary practices and
the farm animal practices of all six UK veterinary schools.
NADIS's primary aim is to collect surveillance
data in order to inform veterinarians and the livestock industry
of the risks of animal disease so that such risks can be managed.
NADIS strongly believes that the practical skills and local knowledge
of the veterinary practitioner should be utilised in the veterinary
surveillance system. On a very limited budget, NADIS has developed
what Prof Roger Morris from Massey University described as the
best practitioner-based surveillance systems in the world. NADIS's
primary aim is to expand and integrate its network, working in
partnership with the State Veterinary Service and the VLA and
SAC laboratories to improve animal health welfare and productivity
and to reduce the risk to human health from zoonoses.
The objectives of NADIS are to:
(a) To carry out scanning surveillance by
continuously monitoring all diseases on a denominator basis. By
monitoring normal disease patterns, early divergence from normality,
as in the case of exotic or new emerging diseases such as BSE,
can be detected at the earliest stages and targeted surveillance
initiated. This can only be done if normal disease patterns are
continuously monitored. It can be argued, that if NADIS had been
established in the late 70's, early 80's reporting vets would
have recorded an increase in unidentified neurological conditions
in adult dairy cows, possibly resulting in the earlier identification
of BSE and a faster appreciation of its importance.
(b) To carry out targeted surveillance under
the direction of the VLA/SAC, and submit high quality samples
to their laboratories, further enhancing the valuable work they
currently undertake. An example of this was a calf enteritis survey
that was carried out by NADIS and the VLA, Itchen Abbas. Over
1,600 calves were examined from 240 control, and outbreak farms.
(c) To provide knowledge transfer of livestock
diseases to the veterinary profession and the livestock industry.
NADIS provides disease information to the veterinary profession
via UK Vet livestock and its associated website. Forecasts and
bulletins are regularly published to farmers to increase their
awareness of current diseases, and their understanding of disease
prevention. This helps bridge the widening gap between the veterinary
practitioner and the farmer, and emphasises the key role the vet
plays in reducing disease incidence, improving welfare conditions
and productivity on the farm. The main farmer websites are used,
www.fwi.co.uk (Farmer's Weekly livestock-animal health)
and www.farmline.com (dairy/livestock-disease alert). The web
provides an ideal medium for diseases forecasts as information
can be made available quickly, and made regionally specific. Bulletins
are currently published regularly in all the major regional farming
press, Farmers Guardian (circulation 55,000), Scottish
Farmer (26,000), South West Farmer (24,000), Welsh
Farmer (16,000), Farm Week Northern Ireland (11,000).
The main farming journals also carry regular forecasts: Dairy
Farmer, Sheep Farmer, Beef Farmer and Pig World. An increasing
number of local papers with a strong farmer readership are also
being used.
3. Are the government's
requirements realisable?
The requirements placed on farmers by Government,
including those in the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy, are
realisable in such circumstances.
The requirements placed on farmers by the government
are achievable even in the current economic climate. Change is
required in livestock farming and many of the government's proposals
meet that requirement. However, the whole onus cannot be placed
on the farming or veterinary profession with no government support.
To improve animal health and welfare requires greater veterinary
involvement on-farm. This needs three-way support from the veterinary
profession, farming and government. Veterinary practitioners need
to demonstrate their value to their clients better and to move
away from providing an emergency service and selling medicines
to preventative herd health programmes. The farming profession
has to accept that improved health and welfare is an important
goal, which can only be achieved by farmers working together,
and not just another bit of red tape. Government has to facilitate
these changes and support the farming and veterinary professions
in achieving them.
Effective veterinary surveillance requires the
collection of information from, and the involvement of, the veterinary
practitioner. We believe that an expanded NADIS system will fill
this role, providing accurate, fast, up-to-date information.
SUMMARY OF
NADIS AIMS
The aim is to build on the work already carried
out by NADIS, and to expand the network to involve 100 key sentinel
practices, reflecting livestock density across the country. Additional
practices have already been contacted and agreed to join the service
provided funding is available.
The validity of the data will be improved by
presenting all information on a denominator basis, with the appropriate
quality assurance measures in place.
Professor Roger Morris, Head of Epidemiology,
Massey University, New Zealand, is the main advisor to DEFRA for
FMD and BSE . . . Professor Morris has developed VetPad in New
Zealand, a palm top surveillance data gathering software system.
NADIS will be introducing the system to the UK as a means of computerised
data gathering, with direct benefits to case definition
NADIS has a proven track record over the last
eight years, as a cost effective disease surveillance network.
It operates on a very limited budget, which has prevented it from
further development. Sentinel practices are in the frontline of
disease surveillance, and practitioners play a key role in gathering
data. NADIS is the practitioners surveillance network and enjoys
their full support, unlike previous attempts by government bodies
to get more information from vets which have been seen as an imposition.
The Meah report on Veterinary Surveillance in
England and Wales recommended that the funding should be available
from government to aid the collection of this data.
Currently proposals are in with DEFRA to this
end.
We would very much like to invite you and your
committee to NADIS' Newbury offices to see the work in progress.
25 April 2003
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