Midland Farmer - September 2023

2 MIDLAND FARMER
September 2023
Department sent
almost 2,500
farmers satellite
inspection notices
The Department of Agriculture, Food and
the Marine (DAFM) has contacted almost
2,500 farmers in relation to issues arising
from satellite farm inspections. DAFM confirmed
that it had notified 2,471 herdowners of
an AMS notification on Monday, 14 August;
153 notices were issued for Meath, 108 notices
were issued for Offaly and 69 notices were
issued for Westmeath.
The Area Monitoring System (AMS) is
mandatory across all EU member states as
part of the new Common Agricultural Policy
(CAP) to monitor compliance with farm
scheme criteria.
This year, the system is being used to monitor
the Basic Income Support for Sustainability
(BISS); Areas of Natural Constraint
(ANC); Protein Aid Scheme (PAS); and Straw
Incorporation Measure (SIM).
These notifications related to potential identification
of an incorrect crop declared on a
land parcel or the potential presence of multiple
crops, that is two or more crops within the
land parcel where only one was declared.
They also relate to the presence of an ineligible
feature, such as a house, farm roadway
or farm building which was not delineated
from the parcel in the BISS application. Farmers
or their advisors are being asked to review
the land parcel(s) that are highlighted in their
notification. A response must be submitted to
the DAFM on or before 2 October.
In June this year, around 4,750 farmers
received notifications from DAFM arising
from satellite farm inspections.
These notifications related to the potential
presence of artificial surfaces such as buildings,
farmyard extensions and farm roadways,
on land parcels.
Experimental calf vaccine shows
promising results against crypto
An experimental vaccine for cryptosporidium
parvum (crypto) from MSD Animal
Health has shown positive results.
At the European Buiatrics Congress and
ECBHM Jubilee Symposium 2023, MSD outlined
what it described as two sets of pivotal
field study data evaluating the efficacy of its
experimental vaccine to provide protection
against crypto in new-born calves.
Crypto is highly infectious and is passed on
to other calves when they ingest oocytes that
have been residing in the environment or shedded
from an infected calf.
It is usually seen in young calves between
one- and four-weeks-of-age. It is a life-threatening
scour and can cause a calf to quickly deteriorate
if left untreated.
The symptoms occur rapidly; calves begin to
scour and shed huge quantities of oocytes in
the dung to the surrounding area. They
become severely dehydrated, weak and find it
difficult to get up.
Some calves can become infected and do not
show any signs, but still spread the infection
through the oocytes in their dung.
The data which was presented at the symposium
evaluated the experimental crypto vaccine
for protection against C. parvum
infection in neonatal calves by passive immunisation.
Global technical director of ruminant biologicals
at MSD, Geert Vertenten said:”Cryptosporidium
parvum is a highly infectious
zoonotic parasite that is associated with
neonatal calf diarrhoea, the leading cause of
calf morbidity and mortality.
“There is a critical need to treat and prevent
this harmful infection.”
In the study, healthy pregnant heifers were
given the experimental crypto vaccine and
Bovilis Rotavec Corona during the third
trimester of pregnancy.
After the calves were born, researchers collected
colostrum from the vaccinated heifers,
then randomly assigned viable new-born
calves to receive the colostrum within four
hours of birth before being exposed to C.
parvum oocysts up to four hours later.
The results showed that new-born calves fed
with colostrum from crypto-vaccinated heifers
had a significantly lower chance of having
diarrhoea, as measured by health and diarrhoea
scores.
MSD also shared a second set of analyses
that investigated the antibody response of the
same crypto vaccine in cattle in relation to C.
parvum parasitic infection stages and an invitro
infection model.
The results showed that high level anti-gp40
in vitro neutralising antibodies were significantly
increased in animals that were given
the crypto vaccine compared to the non-vaccinated
control group.
This data, according to MSD, further validate
that gp40 is an important protein expressed on
the exterior of different C. parvum infection
stages.
Associate vice-president of the global ruminant
business at MSD, Philippe Houffschmitt
stated that MSD is taking the lead in protecting
cattle against the most common and harmful
pathogens.
He said it also offers solutions that guide
herd management decisions to help improve
animal welfare and operational efficiency.
Houffschmitt said: “That responsibility
begins with equipping those in bovine herd
health management with the tools they need to
keep animals healthy and minimise the need
for treatment.”
“We are excited to share our latest research
in C. parvum prevention, which we hope adds
to the growing body of scientific evidence that
is enhancing the comfort and care of livestock
and helping bovine production medicine specialists
make better decisions about health
interventions for animals.”
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