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Pig health schemes based on abattoir inspections provide an integrated system to optimise the postmortem detection and the reporting of pathological lesions. In Great Britain, two initiatives have been implemented by the pig industry: Wholesome Pigs Scotland (WPS) and the BPEX Pig Health Scheme (BPHS). These schemes record the presence of a range of pathological lesions detected by means of detailed inspection of the pluck and the skin of the slaughtered pigs. The lesions are those associated with a reduction in performance traits or are indicators of animal welfare problems. This paper aims to provide an overview of the objectives behind the BPHS and their activities, outlining similarities and differences between WPS and BPHS on five main operational topics: the lesions monitored, the administration of the schemes, flow of the information, inspection strategies and the major idiosyncratic characteristics of the schemes. These initiatives inform individual producers and their veterinarians of the occurrence of pathological conditions affecting their pig herds. Additionally, they offer the added value of providing nationwide disease monitoring information and have the potential to be a useful surveillance tool for emerging and enzootic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author discusses the issues concerning the annual report of the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) in Great Britain. The author suggests that the campaign to reduce climate change impact of livestock production may affect the livestock industry. The author mentions that the report cites the organisations involved in safeguarding animal health and welfare. The report also highlights the importance of coordinated efforts and illustrates how policies are diverging.

ABSTRACT: In the last 10 years, there has been much attention on the role that dry cow management plays in mastitis epidemiology in many dairy herds in the UK. This forum summarises recent peer-reviewed evidence regarding specific items which have been shown to be important in the risk of acquiring new intra-mammary infections across the dry period in an attempt to shed light on those interventions which are likely to impact on the amount of disease in the next lactation. Finally, a group of veterinary advisors that have been trained to deliver the national DairyCo Mastitis Control Plan () and have a particular interest in mastitis control are asked for their experiences on practical changes that can be made following identification of dry period origin infection patterns in herds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2001 U.K. foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak constituted the biggest crisis ever to affect the U.K. farming system. The crisis unfolded as a series of information and communication problems—primarily from government to farmers—with consequences for action in a time of crisis. This study explores how trust affected farmers' information seeking and use during the FMD crisis. It attempts to answer questions such as what sources of information people trust in a crisis and which information providers people trust in a crisis. These are critical questions as, by acting upon trusted information, farmers could shape and influence the nature of the crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]