Vet News NT: November 2023

The last couple of months have been a busy time in the Livestock Biosecurity Unit and the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory. With market access disruptions with our important trading partner, Indonesia, we have been busy collecting samples for Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) to prove that Australia remains free of LSD.

In addition, we have had some disruptions related to export ships breaking down before leaving Darwin Harbour, requiring cattle to be offloaded and then reloaded to other boats. The national policy approach has been to not allow unloaded cattle back into the national herd and my staff have worked hard to ensure that the industry is minimally disrupted, while protecting the Australia’s biosecurity.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, or other holiday celebrations, and a happy New Year and look forward to seeing you in 2024!

Annual registration

Registration renewals due 31^st December 2023.

Apply for veterinarian registration now

Board meeting dates remaining for 2023

• 9^th November 2023
• 7^th December 2023

Overseas veterinarians

Reminder that registration is required for all veterinarians travelling to Australia to undertake any veterinarian services.

The AVBC has a list of qualifications recognised in Australia to provide the holder with the eligibility to apply for registration as a veterinarian in Australia and New Zealand.

Record keeping

Every newsletter will include instructions to serve as a reminder for veterinarians regarding their duties and anticipated standards.

Veterinarians Regulations Code of Conduct PDF (50.0 KB)

16  Records

1. A registered veterinarian must ensure that a detailed record of any consultation, procedure or treatment is made as soon as is practicable.
2. The Board has the power to audit records.
3. The record must:
   • be legible and in sufficient detail to enable another registered veterinarian to continue the treatment of the animal; and
   • include the results of any diagnostic tests, analysis and treatments.
4. A registered veterinarian must ensure that all records of any consultation, procedure or treatment are retained for at least 3 years after the records are made.

Guideline on veterinary medical record keeping

Chemical co-ordinator – Daniel Whitfield-Jones has provided a written direction, see page 8 of the below Gazette.

Gazette Nr G22 - page 8 PDF (271.9 KB)

The written direction has been issued to help clarify inconsistencies between the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Act and the Medicine, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act which placed different administrative requirements on veterinarians when prescribing veterinarian chemical products to non vets.  The issued directions now aligns the requirements and ensures that any S4 or S8 vet chemical product prescribed or supplied to non vets has instructions provided in writing.

To remove any unnecessary burden written instructions can include “To follow the instructions on the product label".

• FMD - A Guide for Veterinarians - This guide contains important information on FMD, including clinical signs, sampling, diagnostics, reporting requirements and biosecurity controls.
• HPAI Advice for people who encounter sick or dead wild birds - This advice has been prepared for individuals or groups who may encounter sick or dead wild birds.
• HPAI Advice for Vets – This advice has been prepared for veterinarians and other animal health professionals who may be required to investigate suspect high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) in sick or dead wild birds.
• HPAI Risk management advice – This advice has been prepared for individuals or groups who may observe or handle wild birds, such as bird banders, wildlife rangers and researchers.
• Inquiry into the veterinary workforce shortage in New South Wales - J Rand, J Norris - 2023  Australia is currently experiencing a critical veterinarian shortage. This shortage has existed for years and has been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. The current vet shortage is a complex problem and will require multiple solutions.
• Cattle Skin Conditions Australia Handout PDF (852.5 KB) - Field guide October 2023

Enhance your expertise with Biosecurity Queensland’s free African swine fever (ASF) surveillance and sampling course.

Biosecurity Queensland is offering a new African swine fever (ASF) surveillance and sampling eLearning course free of charge via the Animal Health Australia (AHA) training portal.

Registered veterinarians may claim 2 continuing professional development (CPD) points following completion of the course.

Should an EAD be detected, a rapid response supported by expert on-ground knowledge will minimise the potential impacts that may otherwise cost Australian producers and communities billions of dollars.

One of the best ways you can contribute is by ensuring your knowledge of EAD clinical signs and sampling methods is up to date.

This interactive course contains information on the fundamentals of sampling and surveillance, health and safety practices, live pig handling, pig post-mortem examination and sample collection and submission. This is transferrable knowledge that will be valuable regardless of the EAD we’re faced with.

You can make sure you’re prepared by registering to complete this training on the AHA portal

Call for maggot submissions for passive surveillance for Screw-worm fly

Screw-worm fly (SWF) is a blowfly whose maggots burrow into the wounds of warm-blooded animals and humans. Old World screw worm fly (Chrysomya bezziana) and New World screw worm fly (Cochliomyia homnivorax) are exotic to Australia, however, Old World screw worm fly is endemic in neighbouring countries to our north as close as Papua New Guinea.

Our proximity to SWF endemic countries and the return of livestock vessels from Asia are believed to pose the greatest risks for an incursion into Australia. Establishment of SWF in Australia would have major negative impacts on animal welfare, public health and northern livestock production and trade.

Early detection is an essential component of Australia’s Screw-Worm Fly Surveillance and Preparedness Program. Veterinarians in private practice play an important role in passive surveillance for SWF by collecting and submitting maggots from the fly struck wounds of any warm-blooded animals and submitting them for laboratory testing. Submissions are strongly encouraged from all practice types, including small animal, community and shelter, equine, production animal and wildlife. There is no cost to the submitter for this surveillance.

Surveillance activities

In the coming weeks, Livestock Biosecurity staff will be distributing SWF maggot collection kits to all veterinary practices in the Northern Territory.

How to use the SWF maggot collection kit:

• Look for wounds in any warm blooded animal containing pale, off-white maggots, including large wounds, wounds not healing normally and wounds emitting a strong, pungent, sickly smell
• Common sites include:
  • Large animals – husbandry wounds, newborn navels, vulva and perineum after parturition, skin punctures, trauma
  • Small animals – weeping skin sores, fight wounds, anal gland abscesses, eye and ear discharges, lip fold eczema
• Take a photo of the wound and maggots
• Collect and send maggots (postage paid) for laboratory identification following the instructions in the SWF maggot collection kit

For more information visit Screw-worm fly surveillance and preparedness program or call the Darwin Veterinary Officer on 08 8999 2035.

Veterinary and industry professionals making a difference in emergency animal disease prevention and preparedness

Private veterinarians, veterinary para-professionals and industry specialists play a critical role in the early detection and reporting of potential emergency animal diseases (EADs) in Australia.

According to Dr Fiona Thompson, Director of Biosecurity Response Preparedness in Biosecurity Queensland, “We know from social research that veterinarians and animal industry specialists are among the most respected sources of information when it comes to EADs.”

Should an EAD be detected, a rapid response supported by expert on-ground knowledge will minimise the potential impacts that may otherwise cost Australian producers and communities billions of dollars.

One of the best ways you can contribute is by ensuring your knowledge of EAD clinical signs and sampling methods is up to date.

To support this,Biosecurity Queensland’s new African swine fever (ASF) surveillance and sampling eLearning course is being offered free of charge via the Animal Health Australia (AHA) training portal. Registered veterinarians may claim 2 continuing professional development (CPD) points following completion of the course.

This interactive course contains information on the fundamentals of sampling and surveillance, health and safety practices, live pig handling, pig post-mortem examination and sample collection and submission. This is transferrable knowledge that will be valuable regardless of the EAD we’re faced with.

“We know that vets and industry members are under increasing time and resource pressures, so it’s important that we provide quality, easy to use professional development resources”, said Dr Thompson.

You can make sure you’re prepared by registering to complete this training on the AHA portal.

For more information and access to further resources, contact the ASF prevention and preparedness project team via email ASFPPP@daf.qld.gov.au.

The AVA’s Veterinary Policy and Advocacy (VPA) team are always working to educate and advocate on behalf of our profession in a resource constrained environment.

The advocacy work that the AVA undertakes benefits all the veterinary profession, not just our members. However, being a member means you can influence the direction of this work and help bring about positive change.

Similarly, the policies that the AVA develops have far-reaching influence on the profession and the environment in which it operates – and the only way to influence these is to be a member of the AVA.

Increasing our policy and advocacy work to represent the profession requires financial members, and we would like to see a greater number of veterinarians as AVA members, because we are working for the whole profession.

Advocacy work requires resources and investment, often over an extended period while networks, relationships and alliances are formed and strengthened. Policy work requires research and broad consultation to arrive at consensus positions which reflect the views of the profession.

We communicate publicly and  information on the AVA’s policy and advocacy work can be viewed through our Advocacy updates (published every 2 months), Media releases (on a range of pro-active and responsive matters) and External Stakeholder Submissions. Additional data is contained in the AVA Annual Report. All AVA policies can be viewed here: [Australian Veterinary Association | Policies (ava.com.au)|https://www.ava.com.au/policy-advocacy/policies/]

Weekly National eNews and monthly Division eNews are sent to AVA members which contain articles on the latest advocacy work at National and Division levels. The annual Advocacy Plan provides further information on the work that is currently underway and planned to be undertaken.

Increasing the number of veterinarians who are AVA members not only increases the capacity of our advocacy and policy work, just as importantly it strengthens our voice when we are undertaking that work.

AVA members have the opportunity to input to consultations on a wide range of matters that the AVA submits to external stakeholders, and to help shape AVA policies.

There are avenues for members to contribute around proactive advocacy and policy work via AVA Division Committees, Branches or Special Interest Group. Where a member identifies a matter that they would like to be considered as part of the AVA policy and advocacy work, the process to be followed can be found on the AVA website (AVA Member access only).

Non-member veterinarians are welcome to contact the AVA Veterinary and Policy Team publicvetaffairs@ava.com.au to raise matters identified as within the AVA’s purview.

The capacity to respond to non-member requests may be limited, and we appreciate understanding around this.

We warmly invite all veterinarians to be active members of the veterinary peak body that is championing and empowering the veterinary profession to thrive by providing a voice, education, community and support. The AVA Member Services team are available to assist with membership enquiries at members@ava.com.au or visit the AVA website to join.

• Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer SP2 – RTF 279351 closes 13/11/2023
• Senior Veterinary Officer SP1- RTF 281566 closes 27/11/2023