Scottish BVD Eradication Scheme: guidance

Sending samples 

To submit a sample to an approved laboratory, please use a form provided by them or the standard submission forms (vet and farmer use).  Samples should be sent as soon as possible by post or courier: fresh samples give the most accurate results.  If there is a delay before sending, store samples in the fridge.   

The Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (Scotland) Order 2019 requires that samples must be accompanied by the following information:   

• Keeper’s name and address 

• Description of the sample (e.g. tissue, blood) 

• Date that sample was taken 

• CPH (county parish holding number/ “farm code”) of the holding where the animals were registered at the time of sampling 

• Official ear tag of each animal tested (or identifier, if no ear tag) 

• Any other information reasonably requested by the approved laboratory

Approved laboratories 

Under the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (Scotland) Order 2019, samples submitted for testing as part of mandatory annual screening must be sent to a laboratory approved by the Scottish Government for that purpose.  The following laboratories are approved: 

• Agri-food and Biosciences Institute 
• APHA 
• Axiom Veterinary Laboratories Ltd 
• Biobest 
• Farmlab Diagnostics 
• National Milk Laboratories 
• Neogen 
• SRUC 
• The Cattle Information Services (CIS) 

Laboratory approval 

To gain approval, a laboratory must: 

1.     Hold a current accreditation of ISO17025 from an organisation that is itself accredited to ISO 17011 (EN 45002/3) for testing for BVD antigen and/or antibody. 

2.     Be located in the UK or European Union. 

3.     Agree to meet the duties of approved laboratories as described below. 

Duties of approved laboratories 

The laboratory must test samples submitted under the Order within five days of receiving the samples. 

The laboratory must declare a status for the samples submitted. This will be based on the test results generated by the samples submitted and other information provided, such as vaccination history. The status will be either:   

• Negative for evidence of BVD infection or, if a Negative status cannot be given, 

• Not-Negative for evidence of BVD infection 

Laboratories will use their professional judgement in reaching a decision on herd status. They may request such information as they reasonably require of the person submitting the samples in order to reach a herd status. Where insufficient information is supplied in spite of such a request being made, the laboratory may withhold a declaration, or declare a Not-Negative status. 

The laboratory must inform the keeper of the herd status. 

Laboratories may charge their customers at whatever level they decide, and at different levels for different types of test. Fee levels for all types of test should be published on the laboratory’s website. 

As soon as the result is available, laboratories must electronically submit herd status data to ScotEID, the central BVD database, together with the individual official cattle ID numbers for each animal tested, the test type and the result from each sample. 

Cattle that test positive will be presumed to be persistently infected (PI) until proved otherwise by a future test. 

Laboratories must keep records for at least 3 years. The Scottish Government may request access for themselves or specify that it be given to research providers on their behalf.