NADIS (The National Animal Disease Information Service) was formed by livestock vets in 1995 to promote animal health and welfare through improved disease prevention delivered by active veterinary health planning. We are a team of vets across the UK working closely with vets in practice and RAMAs in industry to help them achieve this with farmers.
NADIS has developed a unique online veterinary based animal health knowledge transfer resource for farmers, vets and RAMAs. The information is written or presented by leading veterinary authorities and peer reviewed.
Written material is presented in the format of a disease bulletin with clinical content to bring a practical element to the information. These aim to improve disease awareness and highlight the importance of disease prevention through veterinary health planning. An interactive clinical assessment is available at the end of each bulletin. Webinars on specific health topics provide a visual format for knowledge transfer.
Our site received over 1.2 million page views in the last 12 months, 44% of which were farmers, 33% vets and 23% RAMAs and industry. Over the last 12 months over 12,000 certificates were issued to participants for completing the clinical quizzes.
View our Cattle, Sheep, Pig, Poultry and Game Birds Disease A-Z bulletins, with new bulletins added periodically. Watch our disease specific webinars, new webinars are released through the year on topical subjects.
We would like to thank Phil Scott for the use of his clinical images.
The monthly Parasite Forecast is based on detailed Met Office data and is written by John Graham-Brown BVSc (hons), MSc (hons), PhD, MRCVS and Alison Howell BVSc MSc MRes PhD MRCVS veterinary parasitologists, Liverpool University.
The parasite forecast forecasts in detail the parasitic challenge facing cattle and sheep to a localised level on 40sq km areas across the UK through the seasons. Where relevant through the year, it forecasts on various parasitic conditions such as PGE in cattle and sheep and issues related to ectoparasites. More specifically, it forecasts on seasonal parasites via regular alerts informing the recipient of a change in risk level for that parasite. This includes the spring hatch of nematodirus in sheep, liver fluke activity in the autumn and winter and a Blowfly Alert is published over the summer months to inform sheep farmers of the risk of blowfly strike in their area. The blowfly alert is written by Prof. Richard Wall BSc MBA PhD FRES, Bristol University.
The parasite forecast is available via subscription either to vet practices to disseminate to clients or directly to farmers, smallholders, students, employees of a related industry.
In addition to the parasite forecast, NADIS has developed a parasite control package (PCP) for vets, to help provide active veterinary parasite control plans for their farmers, as part of their veterinary health plans. This enables interactive engagement with farmers on parasite control throughout the year. The PCP includes access to the detailed localised parasite forecast and alerts and provision of parasite control planners for one to one vet-farmer use. The parasite control planners are available as hardcopies as well as online via a purchased license Learn more >>
The farm risk assessments are interactive assessments of the biosecurity and biocontainment risks for specific diseases that challenge herds or flocks so risks can be identified and actions prioritised with vets. A series of risk assessments have been developed by the NADIS vets to cover many major endemic diseases. Simply answer a series of questions that relate to the biosecurity on farm and receive a report that identifies the risks and general guidance on how to deal with them effectively. Ideally the risk assessment should be completed with the help of a vet as part of a veterinary health plan. We add new risk assessments periodically View the list of risk assessments available >>
NADIS vets have written and developed the material for the Animal Health and Welfare Training Workshops, a programme available to Welsh farmers funded by Welsh Government Farming Connect Programme and approved by Lantra Awards. It is an opportunity for Welsh vet practices to promote their health planning services by offering fully-funded workshops on key farm issues: Johne’s Disease, lambing losses, BVD, sheep parasite control, lameness in cattle, bovine TB, mastitis, AMR, health planning, sheep lameness and Cattle youngstock health.
To learn more about this project, visit :
https://businesswales.gov.wales/farmingconnect/animal-health-and-welfare-training-workshops or contact us.
In early 2020 NADIS launched a clinical media library, consisting of over 1500 cattle and sheep clinical videos and images on a wide range of diseases.
This is a clinical resource for vets, students and anyone involved in the health and welfare of sheep and cattle to use as a reference tool. It is also ideal for vets to use as a teaching tool to improve farmer awareness of the clinical signs of featured diseases, or for university lecturers as an aid to teaching students. The clinical media library has a differential diagnosis function, which is helpful for allowing consideration of and identifying unusual conditions.
NADIS have developed an advanced training course for qualified RAMAs to build on their knowledge and confidence in parasite control for sheep and cattle. RAMAs completing this course will be able to provide advice, prescribe appropriate medicines, produce a parasite control plan and know when to signpost farmers for veterinary input.
The training module is designed to be delivered via a workshop and covers control strategies, recent developments, forecasting, risk assessment, responsible product use and the limits of RAMA advice. It applies knowledge to real farm situations and encourages evidence-based decision making.
All the sessions are accredited by AMTRA and the full course is worth 57 CPD points. For further information email contact@nadis.org.uk
Farm Medicine Tracker (FMT) is a software system being developed to facilitate best practice in livestock treatments and the responsible use of medicines reducing resistance pressure for antimicrobials and anthelmintics. The system is being developed with Phil Sketchley, former CEO of NOAH and is supported by the six major pharmaceutical companies in the UK.
FMT, linked to the SPC data sheet via the GTIN, will guide the farmer step by step through the treatment process, ensuring the correct dose, duration of treatment and withdrawal periods are complied with when medicines are used cascade. The farmer is provided with reminders for daily treatments and withdrawals, as well as automatic completion of the medicine records. Vets are able to monitor medicines use on farm remotely, ensuring medicines are used optimally and responsibly for the best health outcomes. FMT can be used by veterinary practices to promote disease prevention including the use of vaccines and NSAIDs.
When NADIS was formed in 1995 its purpose was to monitor diseases in cattle, sheep and pigs across the UK. 84 veterinary practices including the farm animal teaching units from 6 veterinary colleges were involved, this produced real-time disease trend data. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding the surveillance aspect to the work by NADIS ceased after seventeen years. It is hoped that farmer surveillance generated by Farm Medicine Tracker will provide disease trend data in the future.
