Bioniche Life Sciences, a research-based technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company, has produced a vaccine that has been given a unique provision to allow them to import Econiche into the UK under Special Treatment Certificates (STC), by Veterinary Surgeons, for use on visitor open farms in the United Kingdom only. (This was allowed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate).

The charity welcomes this positive step to aid in reducing the suffering caused by this bacterium.

We hope that Open Visitor Farms will take the opportunity to at least try this product in order to reduce the number of cases caused at such premises, as the research into this product indicates that it can reduce shedding between 66% -73% depending on whether one, two or three vaccine doses are given.

The product is already licensed in Canada for use and the company are currently working on a second generation product to improve it as well as to demonstrate protection again none O157 VTEC strains.

Also, it has been reported that some on Farm studies are to be carried out on cattle herds in Sweden using this product. The STC was granted in collaboration with the Swedish National Veterinary Institute, the Swedish Animal Health Service and the Swedish Board of Agriculture.