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1. New rabies strain found in Lincoln County fox [NM}
By Olivier Uyttebrouck
Albuquerque Journal
May 19, 2015
Genetic sequencing has identified a never-before-seen strain of rabies found in a fox that bit a Lincoln County woman in April, New Mexico Department of Health officials said Tuesday.
The 78-year-old woman received a series of rabies vaccinations that prevented her from developing the illness, which is usually fatal, officials said.
Wildlife acting sick, fearless, aggressive or friendly should be considered a threat and avoided, officials warned.
The new strain, identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, is related to other rabies strains found in bats, state Health Secretary Retta Ward said.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/kb6gsl8
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2. New law creates electronic dairy cattle sales database [WA]
By Ross Courtney
Yakima Herald-Republic
May 18, 2015
A long-awaited modernized way to track livestock, especially diseased animals, as they move through the supply chain should come to fruition under legislation signed recently by Gov. Jay Inslee.
Dairy farmers are gearing up to make use of a newly signed state law that will allow them to electronically register cattle sales.
The legislation allows ranchers to use a Web-based electronic database to report cattle transactions and thereby skip a veterinary brand inspection that otherwise would be required.
Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, sponsored Senate Bill 5733 with the support of dairy and livestock industries, hoping to streamline and modernize the ability of state agriculture authorities to trace diseased animals.
Full text:
http://www.yakimaherald.com/emails/3169145-8/new-law-creates-electronic-dairy-cattle-sales-database
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3. FDA Releases Draft Guidance on Animal Drug Compounding from Bulk Drug Substances
Ctr. for Veterinary Medicine
May 18, 2015
As part of its overall efforts to address compounded drugs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released a draft "Guidance for Industry (GFI) #230, Compounding Animal Drugs from Bulk Drug Substances." Current law does not permit compounding of animal drugs from bulk drug substances, but the FDA recognizes that there are limited circumstances when an animal drug compounded from bulk drug substances may be an appropriate treatment option. FDA's GFI #230 outlines specific conditions under which the agency generally does not intend to take action against state-licensed pharmacies, veterinarians, and facilities registered as outsourcing facilities when drugs are compounded for animals from bulk drug substances.
[*See: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforcement/GuidanceforIndustry/UCM446862.pdf ]
The Drug Quality and Security Act, which amended the human drug compounding provisions in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and created a new section 503B of the FD&C Act for outsourcing facilities, provides certain statutory exemptions for compounded human drugs, but the law does not apply to drugs compounded for animal use.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/p2b4pet
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4. U of A research could detect Johne's disease [Canada]
By Alma Release
Alberta Farm Express
May 19, 2015
Johne's disease is a challenge for the dairy industry. One of the main issues associated with identifying Johne's is that the calf gets infected at a young age, but symptoms may not show in the animal for years. Johne's disease is difficult to diagnose and when present, can cause animal mortality, decreased milk production and financial concerns for producers.
Currently, the dairy industry focuses on disease prevention because there is no reliable, cost-effective method to identify the subclinical carriers of Johne's disease. University of Alberta Professors Dr. Stephane Evoy and Dr. Christine Szymanski hope to change that. They recently completed a research project that uses bacteriophages and bacteriophage tails to detect Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP), the bacteria that causes Johne's disease.
According to Dr. Evoy, "Bacteriophages are unique viruses that are often used for bacterial typing. If they can identify the bacteria at an earlier stage of Johne's disease, this could provide great relief to dairy producers."
The test works when the bacteriophages' receptor binding proteins (RBPs) found on their tails bind with receptors on the bacteria. Drs. Evoy and Szymanski have also successfully determined that bacteriophages and their recombinant binding proteins can detect bacteria such as E. coli, campylobacter, shigella and salmonella.
Full text:
http://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/2015/05/19/u-of-a-research-could-detect-johnes-disease/
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5. Volunteers Needed for New State Animal Response Team [DE]
Delaware.gov
May 20, 2015
DOVER - The Delaware Animal Response (DAR) program is offering a unique opportunity for Delawareans to support state and county efforts to keep animals, small and large, safe and protected during emergencies and disasters. The program is recruiting community volunteers for the new Delaware State Animal Response Team (DE SART) and their specialized unit, the Delaware Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps (DE VMRC).
Managed by the Division of Public Health's Office of Animal Welfare (OAW), the program is looking for volunteers with various experiences and skills, including:
* Small or large animal care, handling, control, training, sheltering, or rescue experience
* First responders and others with experience in emergency preparedness and response
* Veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants
* Persons interested in animal welfare and animal protection.
The deadline to sign up for the first round of recruitment is Monday, June 1, 2015. Training will be provided in a range of areas, including community outreach, animal emergency sheltering, and field response.
Full text:
http://news.delaware.gov/2015/05/20/volunteers-needed-for-state-animal-response-team/
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6. USDA Confirms More Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in Four Flocks in Minnesota and Iowa
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin
May 20, 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 four additional flocks in Minnesota and Iowa. 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:
Renville County, Minnesota (May 19, 2015)
625,500 chickens
2nd detection in this county
Kandiyohi County, Minnesota (May 19, 2015)
42,600 turkeys
33rd detection in this county
Sac County, Iowa (May 19, 2015)
28,400 turkeys
5th detection in this county
Sioux County, Iowa (May 19, 2015)
Backyard flock (number pending)
5th detection in this county
Full text:
http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/1055946
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7. Amid flu outbreak, state board shuts down poultry expositions [SD]
By Bob Mercer
The Mitchell Republic
May 20, 2015
PIERRE - Bird flu that has swept through many turkey and chicken operations in South Dakota and neighboring states now has another casualty: Poultry expositions.
The South Dakota Animal Industry Board voted unanimously Wednesday to order an immediate suspension of poultry shows.
State Veterinarian Dustin Oedekoven said animal health experts don't know what's causing the deadly outbreaks.
He called the situation "a very devastating blow to our poultry industry" and told the board that North Dakota and Minnesota recently imposed similar bans on poultry shows.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/kbhjp6c
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8. NYS bans bird competitions at state, county fairs out of bird flu risk
By Brian Nearing
Albany Times Union
May 19, 2015
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has issued an order banning all live fowl competitions at the Great New York State Fair and at all county fairs in New York, according to a press release today from Commissioner Richard A. Ball.
Per the release:
The order is the direct result of the continuing spread of strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Midwest.
"Avian influenza has not yet been detected in New York State, but it is a very serious threat to poultry and all breeds of fowl and is continuing to spread. Despite the efforts of the best poultry health experts in North America, we do not fully understand the cause of the rapid spread of this virus. This commonsense step will help limit the spread of the influenza to other farms and chickens," said Ball.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/l9ontpb
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