Brno, 12 May 2025 – The Veterinary Research Institute (VRI) welcomed a delegation of seven Swedish veterinarians specializing in dairy cattle farming, who visited the Czech Republic through a collaboration with Bioveta, a.s. They were accompanied by MVDr. Ronen Hoikhman, Ph.D., Veterinary technical and product manager, Equine and livestock. The purpose of the visit to our Institute was to gain an overview of recent scientific and research achievements and to exchange professional insights on current bovine infectious diseases and mastitis.
The programme was opened by Ing. Ildikó Csölle Putzová, Ph.D., MBA, who presented the activities and mission of VRI. This was followed by presentations from MVDr. Jan Bernardy, Ph.D. of VRI and MVDr. Petr Kučínský, CSc. of the State Veterinary Administration, who delivered up-to-date information on foot-and-mouth disease in the Czech Republic and neighbouring countries. The lecture initiated a discussion on the preparedness of various countries and their experiences with the crisis management of infectious diseases.
The meeting then proceeded with a focus on mastitis. MVDr. Petr Fleischer, Ph.D. reported on the occurrence of the main causative agents of the disease in the Czech Republic, including data on prevalence on Czech farms. He encouraged participants to gain preliminary insight into the topic through a poster and a video recording from the Buiatrics Congress.
The subsequent presentations focused on:
- Treatment of mastitis – Libor Borkovec,
- Diagnosis of mastitis pathogens – Monika Zouharová, Ph.D.,
- Preventive measures – again Petr Fleischer, Ph.D.
The participants appreciated the clarity of the presentation and the direct comparison with practices in Sweden. The discussion also covered topics such as the use of vaccines, the development of new diagnostic methods, and preventive measures within dairy herd management.
The entire meeting took place in a friendly atmosphere, and we believe it strengthened both professional and academic ties between Czech and Swedish veterinarians. The event took place as part of efforts to support international collaboration in the research fields of the NaCeBiVet Competence Centre (National Centre for Biotechnology in Veterinary Medicine).
