CattleReview: March–April 2022

A paper by More et al (2022) (Irish Veterinary Journal https://doi.org/10.1186/s13620-022-00209-6) focuses on the new EU Veterinary Medicines Regulation (2019/6), which has not been implemented in the UK (including NI), but which is applicable across all member states of the EU from 28 January 2022. Prophylactic use of antimicrobials (AMs) in groups of animals is now banned, metaphylactic use in groups of animals is restricted, and certain AMs are reserved for human use only. The authors then focus on mastitis, although the implications of the legislative change are clearly far wider reaching than this. They state that in the Irish dairy industry, as elsewhere, successful implementation of the Regulation will require a high level of mastitis control across all herds, and measures to support high standards in antibiotic stewardship. For private veterinary practitioners, the Regulation will lead to specific prescribing changes, including the requirement to shift from blanket to selective dry cow therapy. Further, prescribing choices will need to be guided by the categorisation for AMs developed by the European Medicines Agency. A herd health approach will be critical, and on those farms with sub-optimal mastitis control, mastitis issues need to be sustainably resolved.