In a press release issued 25/07/2005 Defra announced the start of a pilot scheme to assess 'lay testers' carrrying out cattle skin tuberculin tests.
State Veterinary Service Animal Health Officers, under direct veterinary supervision will take part in two pilot schemes to begin next month. The tests are expected to involve up to 11,000 cattle and will be subject to veterinary inspection of both innoculation procedure and interpretation of results. This pilot scheme follows the 'consultation' excercise carried out in 2003.
Defra are not expecting a drop in demand any time soon then.....
More on: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050725b.htm
2 comments:
Well,I suppose the extra help will be needed unless something else is done. But lay testers can't interpret the test, so the farmer will not know the result until some time later, when a vet has looked at the results.
'lay testers can't interpret the result'.....
Do you mean that the lay tester will just do the test, and write down readings at 72 hours, then send to SVS for interpretation?
Or would a lay tester jab, and an LVI vet read / interpret?
Don't forget the message from 'on high' last year for vets to 'use tuberculin 'judiciously' as it was in short supply. They don't usually jab farm cats, dogs (or themselves) unless by mistake.
Every herd under restriction needs 6 x the amount if it was tested annually, or 12 x if on 2 year testing. Is there enough supply for our Ben's extra 2.8 animals to which his pre movement testing placebo could apply?
(Rhetorical question - I don't suppose he knows either. Or cares)
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