|
* * * * * * * * * *
1. Bird flu likely to persist 3 to 5 years in Minnesota, rest of U.S.
Article by: Mike Hughlett
Minneapolis Star Tribune
April 16, 2015
The unprecedented U.S. bird flu outbreak - which is centered in Minnesota - is likely to stick around for three to five years and possibly impact poultry across the nation, a top U.S. veterinary official said Thursday.
"This is something very unusual, where we have seen bird flu adapt so well," John Clifford, chief veterinary officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, told a Minnesota House agriculture committee.
"It's something in North America that we may have to live with for a few years. It will very likely reoccur later this fall, and not just in Minnesota, but in all four flyways," he said, referring to the major migratory waterfowl routes traversing North America. "It can impact poultry across the United States."
The lethal H5N2 bird flu is believed to originate in waterfowl that don't get sick from the virus, but spread it through their feces. Once it's in a waterfowl population, the virus hangs around for a few years.
Clifford, based out of Washington, D.C., has been in Minnesota to assess the bird flu situation since Tuesday. He's met with farmers and turkey company executives, including from Jennie-O, a division of Hormel Foods and one of the nation's largest turkey processors. The USDA has sent dozens of employees to Minnesota to help state animal health regulators response to the bird flu.
Domestic turkeys are particularly susceptible to the H5N2 virus, and Minnesota is the nation's leading turkey producer, churning out about 46 million birds a year. Since the virus surfaced in Pope County in early March, 22 Minnesota turkey farms have been struck with flu, leading to the death of more than 1.4 million birds.
Full text:
http://www.startribune.com/business/300151221.html
********
|
|
2. Bird flu detected in Barron County turkey flock [WI]
RiverTowns.net
April 16, 2015
MADISON -- The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is responding to the discovery of avian influenza in an additional two poultry flocks in Wisconsin. There are now three cases in Wisconsin.
These flocks are within the Mississippi flyway where this strain of avian influenza has previously been identified. While lethal to domestic poultry, the strain of virus detected is not known to have caused disease in humans and is not expected to pose a risk to public health or the food supply.
The case in Barron County affects 126,000 turkeys in a commercial turkey flock. The Juneau County discovery involved just 40 mixed breed birds in a backyard flock.
The properties were immediately quarantined and neighboring properties with poultry were being notified about the situation.
Full text:
http://www.rivertowns.net/news/region/3724273-bird-flu-detected-barron-county-turkey-flock
See Also:
More Bird Flu Confirmed [MN]
Associated Press
KDUZ.com
April 17, 2015
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota officials have confirmed four more cases of a bird flu strain that's cost the state's turkey producers over 1.6 million birds.
The affected farms include one in Roseau County, the northernmost detection of the H5N2 virus in Minnesota so far. That farm had 26,000 turkeys. They also include the first detection in Otter Tail County of western Minnesota, a 21,000 turkey operation. New cases were also reported at farms in hard-hit Stearns and Kandiyohi counties, with 67,000 and 152,000 turkeys respectively.
The Board of Animal Health says new cases raise the total affected farms in Minnesota to 26, spread across 14 counties.
Full text:
http://www.kduz.com/2015/04/17/more-bird-flu-confirmed/
********
|
|
3. Canada Lifts VS-Related Equine Import Restrictions
By The Horse Staff
TheHorse.com
April 15, 2015
Equine Canada announced April 14 that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has eliminated all vesicular stomatitis (VS) import restrictions for U.S. horses entering Canada.
Equine Canada said the restrictions were lifted as a result of additional information the CFIA received from the USDA regarding the recent VS cases reported in the United States in 2014.
In January, two horses in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, tested positive for VS. Prior to that in 2014, the United States experienced a large-scale VS outbreak that affected hundreds of premises in three states (Texas, Colorado, and Nebraska).
"The CFIA reduced VS restrictions to a county level on March 13, 2015," Equine Canada said in a statement. "Now, the restrictions that applied to only Santa Cruz County in Arizona have also been lifted, as of April, 13, 2015."
Full text:
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/35647/canada-lifts-vs-related-equine-import-restrictions
********
|
|
4. Nominations to the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
US Dept. of Health and Human Services
April 16, 2015
HHS is seeking nominations of individuals who are interested in being considered for appointment to the Advisory Council.
Nominations: Nominations, including self-nominations, of individuals who have the specified expertise and knowledge will be considered for appointment as public voting and/or non-voting members of the Advisory Council.
A nomination should include, at a minimum, the following for each nominee: (1) A letter of nomination that clearly states the name and affiliation of the nominee, the basis for the nomination (i.e., the desired member category and specific attributes which qualify the nominee to be considered for appointment as a public voting and/or non-voting member of the Advisory Council), and a statement from the nominee (including designated representatives of organizations and/or interest groups) that indicates that the individual is willing to serve as a member of the Advisory Council, if selected; (2) the nominator's name, address, and daytime telephone number, and the address, telephone number, and email address of the individual being nominated; and (3) a current copy of the nominee's curriculum vitae or resume, which should be limited to no more than 10 pages.
Dates: Nominations must be received no later than close of business on Monday, April 29, 2015.
Addresses: All nominations should be sent to: Bruce Gellin, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health; Department of Health and Human Services; 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 715H; Washington, D.C. 20201. Nomination materials, including attachments, also may be submitted electronically to CARB@hhs.gov.
Source: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/carb/nominations/index.html
********
|
|
5. Purdue Extension sheep and goat conference includes FAMACHA training [IN]
Purdue Extension News Release
April 15, 2015
Purdue Extension's Southern Regional Sheep and Goat Conference in Scottsburg will include training on how to use a FAMACHA parasite diagnostic test, as well as sessions on animal health, nutrition and marketing.
The two-day conference will be at two sites: 5-8 p.m., May 15, at the Scottsburg High School commons, 375 E. McClain Ave, and 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 16 at the Scott County Fairgrounds, 770 Fairgrounds Road.
The first day of the conference will consist of training on FAMACHA. An acronym for Faffa Malan Chart, it is a reference card that displays a scale of colors representing the color of a sheep or goat's eyelid in various stages of anemia brought on by a barber pole worm infection. By comparing the color of an animal's eyelid to the chart, a producer can determine if the animal needs to be dewormed. Those who complete the training will be FAMACHA-certified and receive a copy of the card.
Full text:
https://extension.purdue.edu/Pages/article.aspx?intItemID=9907
********
|
|
6. Fatal White-nose Syndrome Spreads to Iowa Bats
Center for Biological Diversity News Release
April 16, 2015
DES MOINES, Iowa- State wildlife officials announced today that the incurable fungal disease that has killed millions of bats across the eastern United States has been confirmed in Iowa bats. White-nose syndrome was found on three bats near a cave entrance in Des Moines County (two little brown bats and one northern long-eared) and on four little brown bats collected in Van Buren County this winter, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Biologists first detected the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in an Iowa cave in 2011, but did not find afflicted bats until this winter.
"The fact that white-nose has now spread to bats in more than half our states should be a wake-up call to federal regulators," said Mollie Matteson, a senior scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity. "Our bats are running out of places to live. Whether or not industry wants these bats protected, we need to get it done. These creatures are vital to pest control and to the food web more broadly. We need to be doing everything we can to save them from extinction - from the dangers of this disease itself and also from other threats that add serious insult to injury, like cutting down the very same forests they depend on to survive."
White-nose syndrome has resulted in dramatic declines among several bat species, including the northern long-eared bat, little brown bat, tricolored bat and Indiana bat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently listed the northern long-eared bat as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act; the Indiana bat was federally protected as "endangered" prior to the onset of the bat disease. Populations of the northern long-eared bat have plummeted by as much as 99 percent across its core range in the eastern United States; it was the first species to be listed under the Endangered Species Act due to the devastating effects of white-nose syndrome.
Full text:
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2015/white-nose-syndrome-04-16-2015.html
********
|
|
7. Association Advocates one health to White House
JAVMA News
April 16, 2015 (posting date)
The AVMA sent a letter to the White House in March advocating a one-health approach in addressing zoonotic diseases.
The letter from AVMA President Ted Cohn follows up on a similar letter from seven U.S. senators to President Obama in February (see JAVMA, April 15, 2015).
The one-health concept is that human, animal, and ecosystem health intertwine to make "one health." The one-health approach involves collaboration among the health professions and relevant associated disciplines.
Dr. Cohn writes: "As the human population continues to increase and expand across the world, the interconnection of people, animals, and our environment becomes ever more significant and impactful. Our role as veterinarians is not only to keep animals healthy, but also to work hand-in-hand with local, national, and global public health and environmental experts. Such interaction enables us to ask the right questions and to conduct the most appropriate research, so that together, we can most successfully advance the science and technology on this vital issue. By increasing the awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the interdependency of the health of humans and animals, and the environment, our nation's leaders can begin to take proactive steps to better protect Americans from zoonotic diseases and other biological threats, support our agricultural economy, and preserve the environment for generations to come."
Source: https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/150501c.aspx
********
|
|
