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1. USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Kingsbury County, South Dakota
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin
April 9, 2015
WASHINGTON -- The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Kingsbury County, South Dakota. This is the second confirmation in a commercial flock in South Dakota. The flock of 34,000 turkeys is located within the Central flyway where this strain of avian influenza has previously been identified. CDC considers the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry, to be low. No human infections with the virus have been detected at this time.
Samples from the turkey flock, which experienced increased mortality, were tested at the South Dakota State University Animal Disease Research & Diagnostic Laboratory and the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa confirmed the findings.
Full text:
http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/fdf8a1
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2. MDA releases poultry quarantine in Jasper and Moniteau Counties
California Democrat
April 9, 2015
The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced today that, after extensive surveillance & testing, quarantine zones affecting the movement of poultry and poultry products within 6.2 miles (10 km.) of the facilities in Moniteau and Jasper Counties have been released.
One month ago, the Missouri Department of Agriculture confirmed that turkeys at grower facilities in Jasper and Moniteau Counties, had been infected with H5N2 avian influenza. Since then, MDA successfully implemented a coordinated response with the USDA, state health officials and industry partners to contain and eliminate the disease. The affected facilities were immediately quarantined and the remaining turkeys in the involved flocks were depopulated.
All bird owners, whether commercial producers or backyard enthusiasts, need to continue practicing good biosecurity, preventing contact between their birds and wild birds, and reporting sick birds or unusual bird deaths to your veterinarian and the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Animal Health division at (573) 751-3377. Additional information about avian influenza can be found on the Missouri Department of Agriculture's web site.
Source:
http://www.californiademocrat.com/news/2015/apr/09/mda-releases-poultry-quarantine-jasper-and-monitea/
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3. U of Minnesota lab sees deluge of tests amid flu in turkeys
The Associated Press
The News & Observer
April 9, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS -- A University of Minnesota lab is getting a flood of samples from turkeys to test for a form of bird flu that's deadly to poultry, amid an outbreak in the state.
Technicians at the university's Veterinary Diagnostics Lab have worked double shifts and weekends in the past four weeks. They test about 100 samples a day for the H5N2 strain of avian influenza that has hit at least nine turkey farms in Minnesota.
At eight of those farms, roughly 373,000 turkeys have died from the disease itself or been killed to prevent the disease from spreading. Minnesota Public Radio News (http://bit.ly/1NeY41O ) reports animal health officials don't know exactly how the turkeys are getting sick.
Officials say the public health risk is low and that there's no danger to the food supply. No human infections with the H5N2 virus have been reported in the U.S.
Full text:
http://www.newsobserver.com/living/health-fitness/article17937323.html
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4. UA Vet Med Program to 'Break the Mold'
By Gabrielle Fimbres, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
UA News
April 8, 2015
An innovative curriculum, scheduled to launch in August 2016, will address a shortage of veterinarians in rural areas, offer practical experience and keep costs to students much lower than the norm.
A veterinary medical education program unlike any other in North America is being created at the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, with an innovative curriculum that will create jobs, student opportunity and build the state's economic prosperity.
"We're going to break the mold and create the first of a (new) generation of veterinary education programs designed for the 21st century," said Dr. Bonnie Buntain, the new coordinator of the UA's Veterinary Medical and Surgical Program.
"We will provide an exceptional education at a cost that is lower than any other school in North America," said Buntain, a pioneer in veterinary medicine who previously served as a consultant in developing the UA program. Most recently, she helped establish a vet school at the University of Calgary.
Full text:
http://uanews.org/story/ua-vet-med-program-to-break-the-mold
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5. Research shows raw milk dramatically increases risk for illness
FarmandDairy.com
April 8, 2015
BALTIMORE - Researchers discourage the consumption of raw milk, especially by children, pregnant women and the elderly. An analysis conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) found that the risks of drinking raw (unpasteurized) cow's milk are significant.
Consumers are nearly 100 times more likely to get foodborne illness from drinking raw milk than they are from drinking pasteurized milk. In fact, the researchers determined that raw milk was associated with over half of all milk-related foodborne illness, even though only an estimated 3.5 percent of the U.S. population consumes raw milk.
Based on their findings, the researchers discourage the consumption of raw milk, which some claim is healthier and tastes better than pasteurized milk.
They note that the risks are better understood than the benefits, and that further research is needed to determine whether the health benefit claims are legitimate.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/mpbrf9y
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6. Texas Animal Health Commission Awarded Outstanding Achievement Award for Horseback Team
TAHC News Release
April 9, 2015
AUSTIN - The National Hurricane Conference Executive Board presented to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) an Outstanding Achievement Award on behalf of the Texas Horseback Emergency Response Team. This award recognizes outstanding and innovative achievement in hurricane-related activities which can serve as a model for others.
The Horseback Emergency Response Team is the first and only one of its kind in the United States. Comprised of TAHC and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees, the team is primarily deployed to round up, transport, and hold displaced livestock in the aftermath of natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires.
The team was organized in 2013 to help address gaps identified during responses to Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the 2011 Texas wildfires. The team can be deployed to other states, if requested. Most recently, team members have assisted in the capture of animals that have strayed into Texas from Mexico, posing disease risks to the Texas animal and wildlife industries. The Texas-Mexico border is approximately 1,250 miles long.
"We are honored to be recognized by The National Hurricane Board with this award," Dr. Dee Ellis, TAHC Executive Director, said. "We are very proud of our Horseback Emergency Response Team; they truly are one of a kind."
Source:
http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/news/pr/2015/2015-04-09_HurricaneConferenceAward.pdf
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7. State of Wisconsin and National Veterinary Stockpile Conduct Successful Logistics Exercise
NVS Logistics Center News Release
April 9, 2015
Would Wisconsin and the National Veterinary Stockpile have the ability to efficiently respond to a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak if it were to occur in the middle of a cold Wisconsin winter? That very question was asked and answered on January 27-28 as 90 participants turned out at the Wisconsin National Guard's Volk Field in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin to take part in a full-scale exercise of the Wisconsin Draft National Veterinary Stockpile (NVS) Plan. The answer is a resounding, "Yes!"
The two-day event, organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the State of Wisconsin, brought together representatives from 18 federal, state and local agencies, industry and non-governmental organizations, as well as one foreign government. Exercise participants role-played their response to a FMD outbreak that necessitated the deployment of NVS countermeasures.
A semi-truck delivered supplies and simulated vaccine, and exercise players went about establishing a warehouse system that tested their ability to receive, store, pick and stage NVS countermeasures. The exercise warehouse was provided by the Wisconsin National Guard as part of their Domestic Operations support mission. Evaluators observed the activity and provided feedback to participants who can then reflect on the experience and adjust procedures to become more effective.
"Two years of intensive planning culminated in a valuable test of our ability to respond to a catastrophic animal disease outbreak and fortify valuable working relationships with our partners," said Dr. Paul McGraw, Wisconsin's State Veterinarian.
Full text:
http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/Announcements/WI%20NVS%20Logistics%20Ex%20Article%204-8-15.pdf
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