VPHA elected to hold its Autumn Meeting this year in Belfast on 29 September as part of BVA Congress, and was rewarded by a good attendance and excellent speakers - all from Ireland, both north and south of the border.

Delegates were given a comprehensive overview of agriculture and the meat industry in Northern Ireland as well a demonstration of the value and usefulness of its Animal and Public Health Information System (APHIS) - leaving visitors from GB to lament the backwardness of rural affairs departments in their own countries in developing similar IT systems.

An update on research on Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis revealed that the role of Map as a zoonotic agent remains one of a number of unanswered questions about this organism. A presentation on work carried out in NI on the genotyping of Campylobacter isolates showed significant similarities between genotypes found in man and poultry. The result of research into the effectiveness of on line clipping was presented - this is an important topic in NI because of the problems in producing clean cattle due to the lack of straw for bedding.

Positive results for alpha-nortestosterone in emergency slaughtered male cattle in NI were suspected to have been caused by illegal administration; evidence was presented to the meeting by Dr Glenn Kennedy to support the view that this compound is a natural result of steroid metabolism in response to stress.

The meeting concluded with a provocative presentation by Micheal O'Mahoney of FSA Ireland, challenging delegates to take a broader view than the current understanding of veterinary public health, and warning that the profession must evolve or become extinct.

The general consensus was that the new format BVA congress was a great success - one which BVA is planning to repeat for future congresses. VPHA's participation in the Congress has advantages (no financial risk, interaction with wider BVA membership) and disadvantages (loss of the intimacy of a smaller meeting) - we will canvas members' views on our involvement in similar events.

Council wishes to thank Rob Huey for organising an excellent programme, and our Northern Irish colleagues for their wonderful hospitality.