The Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain states that a private veterinary surgeon (PVS) may ask AHVLA to attend a consultation case where NAD (avian influenza and Newcastle disease) is very low on the differential diagnosis list.

AHVLA would then either rule out suspicion of notifiable disease on clinical grounds, or begin an official investigation and impose restrictions if disease is suspected.

The new AHVLA service will be piloted initially for a year, enabling PVSs to pay AHVLA to test samples where the AHVLA duty vet agrees that notifiable disease is not suspected. No official restrictions will usually be applied, although the farm should consider, with their PVS, any voluntary restrictions.

AHVLA will charge the full cost for testing. The focus of the pilot will be on chickens and turkeys. The service may be extended to non-galliformes if the service is successful for galliformes.

Further Reading

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