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International team of experts assembled for the asf research

2018 m. June 04 d.

On 28-29 May 2018 a meeting of an international expert working group was held at the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS), during which the data collection on the ASF virus, its transmission ways, spreading trends in the disease affected places were discussed as well as the scientific evaluation of this data and preparation of conclusions and recommendations. Representatives from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), responsible institutions of Denmark, France, Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, as well as scientists, risk assessors, epidemiologists, statistical data analysts, wild fauna (wild boars) researchers and entomologists are participating in the above mentioned working group. “The work of this group is particularly important for both Lithuania and other countries that have been facing the threat of ASF for several years”, – emphasised the Director of the SFVS, welcoming the participants of the meeting. "We constantly underline that the effective control of this disease is possible only with comprehensive and reliable scientific studies and assessments. I hope that the results of this working group will allow scientists to gather the missing data and information in their work. The purpose of this project is to combine data from actual places, being affected by the disease, and from scientific experiments in laboratories. On the basis of this data, updated recommendations should be drawn up on how to effectively tackle this disease, which is still extremely spreading in Europe", – said D. Remeika. Experts from six countries and scientists have assembled in the working group not only to agree on a joint research study for which it is aimed that the data would be collected this season. Experts have to decide on the common data collection and the application of the aggregated data protocol (questionnaire), examining the outbreaks of ASF in pig holdings. In addition, the goal is to distribute specific tasks for each of the participating countries in the project, being responsible for their implementation. The Director of the SFVS also pointed out that this year has a particularly big number of ASF outbreaks in wild fauna, which is constantly growing. Since the beginning of this year, there are already 2.5 times more cases of the virus, being detected in wild boars, than it was last year during the same period. “This year, ASF has reached the territories in Lithuania with a very high density of wild boar populations, where there are more commercial pig farms and people raising the pigs. All of this poses a higher risk, especially since in recent weeks an outbreak of ASF has been registered just 13 km from our border, in the Polish farm. So, we believe that this year, the threat of ASF to occur in pigs is extremely high. In this situation, only especially strict application of biosecurity measures can save pig holders. The SFVS also makes efforts to comply with these measures wherever there is a real threat of transmission of the virus, i.e. during hunting in small and large pig holdings. The aim is common for all - to make the losses, caused by ASF, as small as possible", – stated D. Remeika. It is expected that this summer (during the most intense period of the ASF spreading) scientists will be able to collect enough data to allow them to identify the main factors, determining the access of the infection into the farms. By the conclusions it is expected for both the European Commission and EU countries to prepare and present a scientific study that will be useful in improving the relevant EU legislation, as well as the prevention of ASF and the control of affected places by the disease.

Priorities of the EU Chief Veterinary Officers – animal welfare and African swine fever control

2018 m. April 27 d.

On 24-27 May, Director of the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) Darius Remeika is representing Lithuania at the conference on animal welfare during transport and at the informal meeting of the Working Party of Chief Veterinary Officers of the Council of the European Union in Sofia (the Republic of Bulgaria). Active discussions were held at the conference on the issues of improvement of animal welfare during long-distance transport and ensuring animal protection when they are transported to countries other than the EU Member States. A decision was taken that competent authorities have to get more actively involved in providing advice to companies engaged in animal transportation services, in developing the competence of responsible employees of those companies and raising the awareness of the public. “There is often a lack of understanding why that much attention has to be given to the issues of welfare and protection of farm animals. After all, the final result, i. e. the quality of food we consume, depends on the quality of transportation and welfare of farm animals in general. Therefore, the education of employees working at companies, which provide animal transportation services, and the development of their responsibility are issues of particular importance. This conclusion served as a basis for the key resolution of the conference, which was supported by all the participating countries.” – said Director of the SFVS Darius Remeika. The situation of the African swine fever (ASF) in Europe has been analysed at the meeting of the Working Party of Chief Veterinary Officers of the Council of the European Union, the latest information has been presented on the ASF case in Hungary, where the first carcass of a wild boar, which died from this disease, had been recently found. The necessity to amend the EU legal framework in relation to ASF control requirements has been discussed, in particular with consideration of the ongoing occurrence of new outbreaks in populations of wild animals. “Extremely strict EU rules are applied in Lithuania just like in Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Czechia, and Hungary. At the today’s meeting, the most effective ways to contain this disease at the same time allowing farms, which observe the biosafety requirements, to retain the possibility to develop their business and rear pigs were searched. At the meeting, I presented the position of Lithuania to representatives of the European Commission that the ASF measures have to be simplified and more flexible focussing on preventive measures and biosafety requirements at farm animal keeping places”, – underlined head of the SFVS.

Veterinary certificate for import of beef to Morocco has been agreed

2018 m. April 27 d.

The State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) has received a confirmation from the National Office of Food Safety of Morocco that the veterinary certificate for import of beef and its products from Lithuania to the Kingdom of Morocco had been agreed. A delegation of responsible specialists from Morocco visited Lithuania in 2015 and made assessment of the official food and veterinary control carried out at the SFVS and at different establishments within the food chain in Lithuania. The specialists from Morocco were introduced to the official control system as well as to the laboratory analysis carried out at the National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute. The visitors from Morocco visited a cattle assembly centre, a slaughterhouse, a meat processing establishment and the Medininkai border inspection post. “Although preliminary import permission was received after the visit of experts from Morocco and the submission of positive assessment, only now the agreement of the veterinary certificate has been achieved. According to out knowledge, more than 400 tons of milk and about 16 tons of fishery products were exported from Lithuania to Morocco last year. We hope that Lithuanian foodstuffs will successfully get a foothold in the market of this African country”, – commented Director of the SFVS Mr Darius Remeika.

Responsible use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine is a challenge for all the EU Member States

2018 m. April 25 d.

The European Commission (EC) has published the first report on prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine. Initiatives and measures taken by the EU Member States to strengthen the struggle against the increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, which poses threat to public and animal health, were assessed in the document. According to knowledge of the EC, in the past two years, in the process of implementation of the common policy and adopted measures, the EU managed to substantially (by more than 50 %) reduce the administration of antimicrobial agents for animal treatment. Data for the report were summarised by the EC Health and Food Safety Directorate General (DG SANTE) based on the questionnaires on the use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine submitted by all the EU Member States and on conclusions of audits conducted on this issue, which were provided by the DG SANTE Audits and Analysis Service. In 2017, EC auditors made an assessment of the effectiveness of the use of the guidelines for the prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine, which were adopted by the EC as long ago as in 2015. Examples of good practices in different countries, which can be useful for the development of new measures for fighting the antimicrobial resistance in veterinary medicine, were provided in the published report. Furthermore, problems, which are most frequently faced in the process of implementing a prudent policy for the use of antimicrobials, were described in the document. Visits of experts to make assessment of the implementation of the strategy of the prudent use of antimicrobials for animals are planned in 2018 as well. In Lithuania, audit was conducted by the DG SANTE Audits and Analysis Service in September last year. During the audit, it was concluded that the monitoring and control of the use of antimicrobials in our country was implemented appropriately. The State Food and Veterinary Service adopted an action plan for fighting the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. According to this plan, the veterinary control of the use of antibiotics will be strengthened, the proficiency of veterinarians will be continuously enhanced, antimicrobial resistance monitoring programmes will be implemented. Veterinarians are encouraged to improve their clinical practices and responsibility, inform farm animal keepers of the obligation to properly administer antibiotics.

EFSA assesses safety of green tea catechins

2018 m. April 19 d.

EFSA has assessed the safety of green tea catechins from dietary sources, following concerns regarding their possible harmful effects on the liver. EFSA concluded that catechins from green tea infusions and similar drinks are generally safe. When taken as food supplements, however, catechin doses at or above 800 mg/day may pose health concerns. Green tea is widely consumed for its purported health benefits, but there have also been reports in the EU and beyond of possible harmful effects. EFSA’s assessment of green tea catechins was triggered by concerns from Nordic countries following reported cases of liver damage possibly associated with the use of green tea products. Catechins are substances naturally present in green tea, the most abundant of which is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). In its safety assessment, EFSA looked at possible links between the consumption of EGCG in green tea infusions and food supplements and liver damage. More information: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/180418

Events

2015 y. March 06 d.

Events

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State food and veterinary service
State budgetary institution The Register of Legal Entities
code: 188601279

Address: Siesikų str. 19,
07170 Vilnius Lithuania
Tel. +370 5 240 4361
Fax. +370 5 240 4362
E-mail: info@vmvt.lt

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