Category Archives: Uncategorised

Sending Bovine Respiratory PCR Samples during Royal Mail Strikes

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In light of the continuing Royal Mail strikes we are reminding customers not to send samples for Bovine Respiratory PCR on strike days or around expected strike days unless using a courier or other guaranteed service.
Bovine Respiratory PCR samples should ideally arrive with us 24 hours after they have been taken and should be frozen and sent to us (preferably with freezer packs/blocks) if there is any delay to sending. Samples will not be able to be stored correctly once they are in transit or if they arrive at the laboratory over the weekend.

Rabies Testing Laboratory Closure and Upgrades – Now Open

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UPDATE – PUBLISHED 21SEP22

We are pleased to announce that all of the maintenance and upgrade works in our rabies facility are now complete and we will resume testing from today. We will work through the backlog of samples as quickly as possible but for any urgent samples our rabies express service is now available. We would like to apologise for the delay in us resuming testing, this was due to circumstances beyond our control.

 

UPDATE – PUBLISHED 15SEP22

This year we had an extended shutdown to perform some essential upgrade works and while most of these works have now been completed an issue has been identified with a critical piece of equipment. Due to circumstances beyond our control the repair of this equipment has not yet been completed so we have been unable to restart testing this week as originally planned. Our contractors and engineers are working tirelessly to complete the necessary repairs and we are hopeful that these will be completed on Monday morning. All being well we therefore hope to begin testing the backlog of samples on Monday afternoon.

We will be testing samples in order of receipt and all express samples will be put on the first available test. It may take us 2 – 3 weeks to catch up with testing so new samples received may not have results until mid October.

Please accept our apologies for this additional delay. We will be working to get results to our customers as quickly as possible.

Please check our website regularly for further updates or email us if you have any questions.

 

We will be shutting down our high containment rabies testing laboratory temporarily in order to complete our routine biannual maintenance. This shutdown is required to enable our engineers to gain access to the laboratory for routine servicing in order to ensure that the laboratory and equipment are maintained to the highest standard.

As well as our routine maintenance we will also be performing some plant upgrades to improve reliability of some of our safety critical equipment. This additional work will mean the shutdown period will be slightly longer than normal, however it will mean our rabies service will be even more reliable moving forward.

All other areas of our business will operate as normal during this period.

This work will start in August 2022 with a timetable as follows:

15 Aug 22 (Mon) Last tests will be set up
17 Aug 22 (Wed) Tests from 15 Aug 22 will be read and reported.
Week of 12 Sep 22 Normal testing resumes (Exact date subject to engineer service sign off).
19 Sep 22 (Mon) First results will be reported.

This means that for a period of approximately one month, no rabies testing will be available. We will naturally use our best endeavours to ensure the upgrade works are completed as quickly as possible in order to minimise the downtime and service disruptions to our customers. During the shutdown we will post updates on our social media channels to confirm exact re-start dates. 

As with previous shutdowns we will clear the testing backlog as quickly as possible to ensure your results get back to you within our normal published timescales. Once the facility returns to normal operations our express service will be available for any urgent samples, all other samples will be processed in order or receipt.

Express testing will not be available during the shutdown as the unit is closed and no tests can be set up.

If you are aware of any clients that may require certificates before 19 Sep 22 we would encourage you to send in samples as soon as possible in order to avoid disappointment.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] if you require any further information regarding the shutdown.

 

National Youngstock Conference Offer

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We have a fantastic opportunity for our farm clients who may be attending the National Youngstock Conference 2022 – use the code VPyoungstock22 to get £10 discount on the £35 ticket. 

 

Click Here for more info.

 

National Youngstock Conference

Harper Adams University – 27th July 2022

The calf rearing period is the most crucial time for any livestock system, with success in later life being greatly determined by the inputs and management of the new-born calf. Research has shown that the way an animal is managed and how it performs during its first few months of life will affect how well it performs later, be that as milk production in the dairy sector or as finishing performance for beef animals.

The National Youngstock Conference (NYC) is set to provide practical advice on the key areas of calf management and help support dairy and beef producers to optimise calf, welfare, and growth to ensure lifetime productivity. This is a one-day event, held at Harper Adams University in Shropshire, 9.00am – 4.30pm. VetPartners has 2 vets speaking at this event.

CHECS Health Scheme Farm Visits

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HiHealth Herdcare Members

 

Please note that we have been informed that CHECS intends to re-start farm visits of farms belonging to CHECS Health Schemes in May.

 

During the Covid 19 pandemic, visits had to be put on hold, but now as much of everyday life is returning to normal, CHECS feels that it is the appropriate time to re-start.

 

We will be providing CHECS with a list of all our current members from which they will select farms at random to visit. They will contact you in advance by telephone to advise that your farm has been selected so please don’t worry that they will turn up unannounced. During the farm visit, it is likely that the auditor would like to check your CHECS herd accreditation certificate, if you have one, and also discuss biosecurity in relation to farm boundaries and added animals.

 

If you have any further questions regarding this please contact the HiHealth Herdcare office by email at [email protected] or by phone on 0131 440 2628 and speak to one of the advisors.

 

Rabies Testing Laboratory Temporary Closure January 2022

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Our secure rabies testing laboratory will be closed temporarily to ensure the laboratory and
equipment are maintained to the highest standard. The temporary closure will enable our
engineers to gain access for servicing. All other areas of our business will remain open during
this period.

This will be done in January 2022, with a timetable as follows:

17 Jan 22 (Mon) Last tests will be set up
19 Jan 22 (Wed) Tests from 17 Jan 22 will be read and reported.
21 Jan 22 (Fri) No testing
01 Feb 22 (Tues) Normal testing resumes (Subject to engineer service sign off).
03 Feb 22 (Thurs) First results will be reported.

This means that for the approximate period of twelve days, no rabies results will be available.

As with previous shutdowns we will clear the backlog as quickly as possible to enable your
results to get back to you within our usual normal published timescales.
Express Testing will not be available between 19 Jan 22 and 31 Jan 22 as the unit is closed and
no tests can be set up, regardless of their urgency. As mentioned above normal testing will
resume on Tues 01 Feb 22 subject to engineer service sign off.
If you are aware that any clients require certificates before 21 Jan 22 we would encourage you
to send in samples as soon as possible. This will avoid client disappointment where we cannot
put the sample on test.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further information regarding the
shutdown.

Posting Info for Respiratory PCR over the Christmas Period 2021

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Biobest will be open over Christmas as normal but please note that the testing days for Respiratory PCR will be different. Double check the table below before sending samples and please note the following instructions.

  • Samples should be sent using a specified service on the highlighted days so that they are received at the laboratory within a specified time.
  • If samples have been taken and the recommendation is not to post then samples should be frozen and sent to us on the next highlighted posting day preferably with freezer packs/blocks to ensure they remain frozen.
  • If samples are sent out-with the recommended dates they will not be able to be stored correctly once they are in transit/arrive at the laboratory.

Please refer to the Respiratory PCR section on Biobest website for guidance on suitable sample types https://biobest.co.uk/sending-samples/

Rabies lab

Important Information – Rabies Testing Unit Closure

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To ensure our secure laboratory is maintained to the highest standard we will be closing our rabies testing unit to enable our engineers to gain access for servicing. As we have increased our lab status to CL4 this requires some additional work so maintenance will take longer than usual.

This will be done in July, with a timetable as follows:

  • 14 July 21 (Wed) Last tests will be set up.
  • 16 July 21 (Fri) Tests from 14th July will be read and reported.
  • 15 – 27 July 21 No testing
  • 28 July 21 (Wed) Expected date for normal testing to resume subject to engineer sign off..
  • 30 July 21 (Fri) First results will be reported.

This means that no rabies testing will be available for the approximate period of 10 working days. As with previous shutdowns we will clear the backlog as quickly as possible to enable your results to be released to you within our usual normal published timescales.

Express testing will also not be available between 15 July 21 and 28 July 21 as the unit is closed and no tests can be set up regardless of their urgency. As mentioned above normal testing will resume on Wednesday 28 July 21 subject to engineer service sign off.

If you are aware that any clients require certificates before 16 July 21, we would encourage you to send in samples as soon as possible. This will avoid client disappointment where we cannot put the sample on test.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further information regarding the shutdown.

Highland Cow

CHECS board announce changes to the Johne’s programme

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The CHECS board have announced changes to the CHECS Johne’s programme that are due to come into effect from 1st July 2021. The changes mean that follow up testing using dung samples will no longer be allowed if more than 2% of animals test positive on blood samples at the annual herd test. This is a change from the current rules, which allow follow up dung testing regardless of the number of blood positives. Dung testing shows whether an animal is shedding MAP, the agent that causes Johne’s disease; it does not confirm if the animal is infected or not. Animals which test blood positive and dung negative are likely to be incubating disease, which is why the current CHECS rules stipulate that these cannot be sold as breeding animals. The new rules will extend this stipulation to include the calves of blood positive animals. Follow up blood testing of blood positive animals will still be permitted to help to identify false positive results.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and bTB testing and exposure to other mycobacteria can cause cross-reactivity with the Johne’s blood test. The dung test is specific for the Johne’s organism; there is no cross-reactivity with the dung test. The CHECS board have yet to clarify whether there will be any exemption from the new 2% rule for herds that have recently had a bTB test. With the introduction of the new rule, it is anticipated that some herds may fall from having risk level 1 or 2 status and others may not be able to progress beyond level 3 or 4 due to the issue of cross reactivity and the removal of the ability to follow up with dung testing. A revision of the technical document detailing these changes has not yet been produced although CHECS have given assurance that this will be available after 01 June 2021.

Biobest Online

Paying For Avian Testing

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We want bird owners to know we have a new, more efficient means of paying for avian testing.

When samples arrive with us, we will send an email to the address provided on the submission form containing a secure payment link for the customer to make a card payment.  This method eliminates the risk of financial loss should your sample be lost in the post and ensures that correct amount is paid every time.

Biobest Online

To use this method, simply tick the ‘Card Payment E-Mail Link’ option on the Avian Submission Form (Owners) and you will receive an e-mail link on the day your sample arrives.  Both the customer and BIobest get a notification when payment is received.

We are still able to receive payment by cash and cheque, however it essential to customers check the prices page of our website to ensure they send the correct amount – no change will be given in case of overpayment and no testing will proceed in case of underpayment.