The Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (Wales) Order 2024

PART 3 Sampling and notification requirements

Sampling restricted to approved veterinary surgeons

11.—(1) A keeper may not take (or arrange to have taken) a sample referred to in paragraph (2) unless the sample is taken by, or under the supervision of, an approved veterinary surgeon.

(2) The samples referred to in this paragraph are—

(a) a sample of blood from any bovine animal, or

(b) any sample from a bovine animal where that animal has an individual BVD status of positive.

Submission of samples for testing

12.  Samples taken from a bovine animal for testing under this Order must be—

(a) submitted to an approved laboratory,

(b) submitted in accordance with such requirements as to storage, handling and timing as are indicated to be necessary for the effective testing of the sample by the operator of the laboratory to which the sample is to be submitted or, as the case may be, the instructions accompanying the equipment used to take the sample, and

(c) accompanied by a notice containing the following information—

(i) the keeper’s name and address,

(ii) a description of the sample,

(iii) the date the sample was taken,

(iv) the CPH number for the holding on which the herd or animal was kept at the time the sample was taken,

(v) the contact details of the veterinary surgeon, and

(vi) any other information reasonably requested by the operator of the laboratory.

Ear tag samples of tissue

13.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), an ear tag sample of tissue is taken in accordance with this article if it is extracted from the bovine animal from an official ear tag or a management tag and the conditions in paragraph (2) are met.

(2) The conditions are—

(a) the vessel used to collect the sample must have a pre-printed identification number which is identical to the official ear tag number or the number on the management tag (as the case may be), and

(b) the identification number is notified along with the animal’s ear tag number when the sample is submitted.

(3) The keeper must not take, or arrange to have taken, an ear tag sample of tissue from any bovine animal from which a sample has previously been collected from a management tag for the purpose of submitting for sampling under this Order.

(4) Where a sample of tissue is taken from a calf, the sample must be taken from an official ear tag unless—

(a) a sample of tissue has previously been taken from the calf from an official ear tag, in which case the sample must be taken from a management tag, or

(b) the calf has died before the sample is taken, in which case the sample may be taken from an official ear tag or management tag.

(5) For the purposes of this article, “collected” includes any attempt to collect a sample.

Removal of management tags

14.—(1) The keeper must remove a management tag which has been applied to a bovine animal where the information on the tag has become illegible.

(2) The keeper must not remove a management tag for any other purpose except—

(a) with the approval of the Welsh Ministers, or

(b) where the removal is necessary to safeguard the welfare of the animal.

Replacement of management tags

15.—(1) This article applies where a management tag—

(a) has been removed in accordance with article 14, or

(b) has otherwise become detached from the animal.

(2) Where this article applies, the keeper must apply to the animal a replacement tag that complies with the conditions in paragraph (3).

(3) The conditions are that the replacement tag—

(a) must bear the same identification number as the management tag, and

(b) must not be a management tag.

(4) The replacement tag must be applied within 28 days (or such longer period as the Welsh Ministers approve in the circumstances) of the keeper becoming aware—

(a) that the tag is required to be removed under article 14(1) or 14(2)(b),

(b) that the Welsh Ministers have approved the removal of the tag in accordance with article 14(2)(a), or

(c) that the tag has been otherwise detached from the animal.

(5) This article applies in the same way to the removal and replacement of any replacement tag applied in accordance with this article.

Notification requirements by the operator of an approved laboratory

16.  Notification of a test result by the operator of an approved laboratory to the keeper, the Welsh Ministers and the veterinary surgeon under articles 28, 31, 34, 37, 40 and 41 must made be within 5 working days of the date of the test and include details of—

(a) the keeper’s name and address,

(b) the description of the sample,

(c) the date the sample was taken,

(d) the date the sample was tested,

(e) the CPH number of the holding on which the herd or animal was kept at the time the sample was, or the samples were, taken, and

(f) where applied, the official ear tag number from the official ear tag.

Notification of BVD on a holding to other keepers

17.—(1) This article applies where—

(a) there is a bovine animal with an individual BVD status of positive present on a holding, and

(b) there is a bovine animal belonging to another keeper (in this article “the other keeper”) kept on the same holding.

(2) The keeper must give notice to the other keeper that there is a bovine animal with an individual BVD status of positive on the holding.

(3) A notice under paragraph (2) must be given within 5 days of the later of—

(a) the date that the keeper knows (or ought reasonably to have known) that the animal has an individual BVD status of positive, or

(b) the date that the other keeper moves a bovine animal onto the holding.

(4) Where the individual BVD status of the animal is changed, the keeper must, within 5 days of receiving notice from an approved laboratory of the change of individual status (or of otherwise becoming aware of the change), give the other keeper notice of the change.

Reporting of tests for presence of BVDV other than under this Order

18.—(1) This article applies where, other than for the purposes of this Order, a laboratory (including an approved laboratory) tests for evidence of exposure to BVDV, or for the presence of BVDV, in a sample (of any description) taken from a bovine animal.

(2) The operator of the laboratory must by notice inform the Welsh Ministers and the keeper, within 5 working days of testing the sample, of—

(a) a description of the sample,

(b) the date the sample was tested,

(c) the result of the test, clearly indicating—

(i) whether or not the sample shows evidence of exposure to BVDV, or,

(ii) whether or not BVDV is present in the sample, and

(d) in so far as known by the operator—

(i) the official ear tag number,

(ii) the keeper’s name and address,

(iii) the CPH number for the holding on which the animal was kept at the time the sample was taken, and

(iv) the date the sample was taken.