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1. Vesicular Stomatitis Confirmed in Arizona, Utah Equids

By The Horse Staff

TheHorse.com

May 6, 2015

Animal health officials have confirmed that two Arizona horses and a Utah mule have tested positive for vesicular stomatitis (VS).

The Arizona Department of Agriculture reported May 1 that two horses residing in Maricopa County, in the East Valley, had tested positive for the virus. Additional testing is underway on animals residing at eight Maricopa County facilities, a department statement said.

In Utah, that state's Department of Agriculture and Food reported May 5 that a mule residing in Kane County has tested positive for VS. Four horses are showing signs of VS and are undergoing tests. An additional nine horses could have had contact with the mule and four horses. All of the suspect animals are in isolation and under quarantine.

The infected Utah animals traveled from Arizona and arrived in Utah with some of the animals showing signs of disease, a Utah Department of Agriculture and Food statement said.

The confirmation of the disease has prompted a mandatory quarantine of all 14 animals by Acting Utah State Veterinarian Warren Hess, DVM.

Full text:

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/35753/vesicular-stomatitis-confirmed-in-arizona-utah-equids  

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2. State veterinarian broaches possibility that bird flu might spread farm to farm in Minnesota

Article by: Steve Karnowski, Associated Press

Minneapolis Star Tribune

May 6, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota's state veterinarian has broached the possibility that bird flu may be spreading from farm-to-farm in the state's top turkey-growing counties.

Experts downplayed that possibility in the early days of the outbreaks, which have cost Minnesota poultry producers more than 5.5 million birds.

State Veterinarian Bill Hartmann told reporters Wednesday there's still no confirmation of any lateral spread. But he says veterinarians in the poultry industry now suspect the virus may be spreading that way. He says there's still no hard evidence to substantiate that.

While farm-to-farm spread might explain why so many farms in Kandiyohi and Stearns counties have been affected, Hartmann says those counties might be so hard hit simply because they have so many farms.

Wednesday was Minnesota's first day since mid-April with no new outbreaks reported.

Source:

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/302821521.html  

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3. Birds in MO Confirmed with Avian Flu

By: Jim Suhr, Associated Press

Newsplex.com

May 6, 2015

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A strain of bird flu responsible for the deaths of millions of chickens and turkeys in several states has surfaced in northeastern Missouri, weeks after it was detected elsewhere in the state, the Missouri Department of Agriculture said Wednesday.

The department confirmed in an email to The Associated Press that ten to 12 birds in a backyard flock of mixed poultry in Lewis County were found last week to be infected with a strain of the highly pathogenic H5N2 influenza virus, forcing an additional 130 of the property's birds to be quarantined and destroyed.

The department did not identify the property owner but said the farm was not a commercial poultry producer.

Full text:

http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Birds-in-MO-Confirmed-with-Avian-Flu-302804611.html

See Also:

USDA Confirms More Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in 11 Flocks in Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and Minnesota

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin

May 6, 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 additional 11 flocks in Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and Minnesota.   No human infections with the virus have been detected at this time. CDC considers the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry, to be low.

USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed HPAI H5N2 in the following counties and states:

   Wright County, Iowa (May 5, 2015)

       1.03 million chickens

   Cherokee County, Iowa (May 5, 2015)

       100,000 turkeys

       2nd detection in this county

   Lewis County, Missouri (May 5, 2015)

       Mixed Poultry (number pending)

   Barron County, Wisconsin (May 5, 2015)

       57,200 turkeys

       4th detection in this county

   Barron County, Wisconsin (May 5, 2015)

       182,400 turkeys

       5th detection in this county

   Nicollet County, Minnesota (May 5, 2015)

       Turkeys (number pending)

   Pipestone County, Minnesota (May 5, 2015)

       72,200 turkeys

       2nd detection in this county

   Swift County, Minnesota (May 5, 2015)

       151, 300 turkeys

       5th detection in this county

   Kandiyohi County, Minnesota (May 5, 2015)

       89,100 turkeys

       27th detection in this county

   Kandiyohi County, Minnesota (May 5, 2015)

       37,300 turkeys

       29th detection in this county*

   Kandiyohi County, Minnesota (May 5, 2015)

       40,600 turkeys

       30th detection in this county

Full text:

http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/1030558  

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4. Behind the Scenes: Producers prepared

T.S. Gatz

Farm and Ranch Guide

April 19, 2015

While we continue to read and hear in the media about the presence in the United States of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called HPAI, sometimes it's what we don't read that is equally as important to livestock and poultry producers and consumers.

As of the end of March, the media has shared information regarding the spread of HPAI from its first case at a commercial poultry farm in California to Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas and Arkansas. The media has also kept its readers and listeners informed about numerous countries - including China, Mexico, the EU and most of Central America - banning U.S. poultry and egg imports from either the entire United States or states where the virus has been found.

And, thankfully, the media has included information from the Centers for Disease Control calling the risk to people from the H5 HPAI infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry "low" and that "no human infections with the virus has been detected" at this time.

What hasn't been in the media eye, however, are the preparedness activities that are minimizing the risk of exposure of poultry flocks to HPAI, thereby limiting its spread and saving numerous poultry producers from having to depopulate their flocks. The same activity also deserves significant credit for maintaining business continuity - a big deal when you consider the United States produces nearly 80 billion eggs annually and the average U.S. family of four consumes 1,000 eggs per year.

This behind-the-scene effort is the Secure Egg Supply Plan, a robust collaborative partnership that USDA APHIS Veterinary Services and the egg industry have supported since its introduction in 2008.

Funded by USDA APHIS National Preparedness and Incident Coordination Center, the Secure Egg Supply Plan is a collaboration between the federal government, state governments, industry and academia. The Secure Egg Supply Plan involves specific science-based and risk-based recommendations that emergency decision-makers - such as federal and state officials - can use to rapidly decide whether to issue or deny permits for the movements of egg industry products during an HPAI outbreak.

Full text: http://tinyurl.com/kyyyr9j  

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5. Fever tick fight escalates on Texas border

Logan Hawkes

Southwest Farm Press

May 5, 2015

In spite of efforts in recent months to reduce risks along the Texas-Mexico border in Deep South Texas, state and federal officials are stepping up their war on unwanted invaders that continue to hitchhike across the Rio Grande into Texas, bringing with them potential death, destruction and the promise of economic hardship.

These invaders have been crossing into Texas for as long as time remembers, most often riding on horseback, stray livestock and wildlife, many of them taking up residence at local farms and ranches near the border and spreading their diseases to unsuspecting victims.

"We're down here chasing fever ticks," reports Dawna Michalke, Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) Region 3 inspector, one member of a team of state and federal inspectors trying to control an outbreak of cattle fever ticks in a temporary preventive quarantine area (TPQA) in Cameron County.

"These fever ticks are already out of the permanent quarantine zone and are now in the temporary zone. If they continue to move further into the state they threaten not just the livestock industry in Texas but the larger industry nationwide," Michalke added.

Full text:

http://southwestfarmpress.com/livestock/fever-tick-fight-escalates-texas-border  

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6. Counties can't veto bison transfers in Montana

Karl Puckett

Great Falls Tribune

May 5, 2015

Counties won't get veto power over transfers of bison by the state of Montana.

Gov. Steve Bullock on Monday vetoed Senate Bill 284.

The bill would have required approval of county commissioners before wild bison are released into a county.

It prompted a government powers debate at the Legislature.

In a letter explaining the veto, Bullock, a Democrat, said the bill would set a dangerous precedent by supplanting the state's management of fish and wildlife with county regulation.

Bullock said Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks already must follow a comprehensive and public process in determining if and where brucellosis-free bison could be transplanted.

Full text: http://tinyurl.com/lty852c  

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7. NOTICE: VMLRP RFA released; applications due JUNE 22, 2015

NIFA Announcement

May 6, 2015

NOTICE: The FY2015 VMLRP RFA has been released and can be found on our website http://www.nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp.

All applications must be received by our office by JUNE 22, 2015 to be considered for an award.

We will hold a webinar to review the application process and answer interested applicants' questions on Wednesday May 13, 2015 at 2 PM (Eastern).

The RFA along with application forms, directions, webinar details, shortage areas and more can be found in the Applicants section of our website www.nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-applicants.

Any questions regarding the application process can be sent to vmlrp@nifa.usda.gov

See Also:

Notice of Request for Applications for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program

Federal Register Volume 80, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 6, 2015)

Notices

Pages 25998-25999

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[FR Doc No: 2015-10287]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Notice of Request for Applications for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is announcing the release of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP). General information regarding the VMLRP can be obtained at: www.nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp.

   The Request for Applications (RFA) can be obtained at:

http://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-request-applications-rfa.

DATES: The fiscal year (FY) 2015 Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) application package will be available at: http://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-request-applications-rfa. Applications must be

received by June 22, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Danielle Tack, VMLRP Program Manager, Program Coordinator, Institute of Food Production and Sustainability, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20024; telephone: (202) 401-6802; fax:

(202) 720-6486; email: vmlrp@nifa.usda.gov.

Full text:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-05-06/html/2015-10287.htm  

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