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1. To prevent avian flu, new rules on bird competitions [WI]
Appleton Post-Crescent
June 11, 2015
Two months after avian influenza led to the depopulation of more than 1.7 million chickens and turkeys in Wisconsin, the state veterinarian has issued two orders restricting participation in poultry events, exhibitions and fairs.
The first is a ban on poultry moving to, or participation in, any swap meets or open shows in Wisconsin that are not held as part of a county, district or state fair. Another requires fair organizers to have exhibitors certify that there have been no poultry deaths on their premises for the 10 calendar days prior to moving their poultry to the event. Both orders will expire on Dec. 31.
"We evaluated the risk of these different events, and steps the participants could take to lower the risk even more, when determining how to frame these orders," said Wisconsin State Veterinarian Dr. Paul McGraw. "We determined that county, district and state fairs present a low risk of spreading avian influenza when the exhibitors certify that they have not had any mortalities within 10 days."
These measures are being implemented in an effort to prevent any further spread of H5N2 avian influenza. Wisconsin had its first confirmation of the disease on April 13 and its last on May 4. The decision was made after consideration and consultation with representatives from the poultry industry, show coordinators and fair organizers.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/qg2flom
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2. Kentucky issues bird restrictions to combat avian flu
Kentucky Press News Service
Courier Press
June 11, 2015
FRANKFORT - State Veterinarian Robert C. Stout has enacted restrictions on bird sales and movement in Kentucky to protect Kentucky's poultry industry and bird population from the current avian influenza outbreak.
"We are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution," Stout said in a statement appearing on his agency's website. "Poultry is Kentucky's leading agricultural commodity, and we will do everything we can to keep our commercial and backyard poultry industries secure."
The Office of the State Veterinarian (OSV) announced the following actions:
All avian commingling sales events, including stockyards, flea markets, and swap meets, are banned. Sales of birds will not be allowed at any fair or show. A private sale with direct intrastate farm-to-farm movement is allowed per state regulation 302 KAR 20.065, section 7.
Entry of birds into Kentucky for sale is restricted to poultry from facilities certified by the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) as free of H5 or H7 viruses. Entry from certified H5/H7-clean facilities within a state with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infections must meet Kentucky regulatory requirements. Entry from facilities within an HPAI control zone is banned.
Entry of poultry into Kentucky for private sale or movement must be permitted by the Office of the State Veterinarian and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/py7vdls
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3. House Votes to Repeal Country-of-Origin Labeling for Meat
By Lydia Zuraw
Food Safety News
June 11, 2015
The House of Representatives has voted to repeal country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for beef, pork, and chicken.
Texas Republican Rep. Michael Conaway's Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015 passed late Wednesday night by a 300-131 vote.
Conaway introduced the bill on May 18 - the same day the World Trade Organization rejected a U.S. appeal of its decision that COOL unfairly discriminates against meat imports and gives the advantage to domestic meat products.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/nfy5kka
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4. USDA Develops New Tracking Tool for Pathogen Investigators
Industry News, USDA, Industry Research
Quality Assurance Magazine
June 11, 2015
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinary medical officer Jean Guard has developed a cost-effective diagnostic tool and dataset for identifying various strains of Salmonella. The tool, Intergenic Sequence Ribotyping (ISR), is helping improve poultry production and human health internationally, because it helps control Salmonella in the field and in consumer poultry products. Guard is with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Egg Safety and Quality Research Unit at the Richard B. Russell Research Center in Athens, Ga.
At present, there are other sequence, or DNA-based, methods for serotyping Salmonella. The traditional method, Kauffmann-White (KW), is expensive and identifies a particular serotype in only 80% of cases, Guard said. ISR is being used to serotype strains within a particularly virulent group called Salmonella enterica, which is the type associated with foodborne illness.
The ISR technology is available to specialized laboratories, producers or other qualified users who sign a proprietary Material Transfer Agreement (MTA). A producer's lab technician can take a sample from the farm, amplify for Salmonella, and run a PCR assay to isolate the serotype from a single section or piece of DNA. The producer can then submit that sample to a specialized lab-also an MTA holder-that uses the ISR tool for sequencing the Salmonella. The lab then sends the sequence results back to the producer by entering the sequence into a private online account.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/phevy24
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5. APHIS Administrator Announces Launch of New Customer Service Call Center
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin
June 11, 2015
Dear Stakeholders:
As part of our commitment to being a customer-focused Agency, APHIS is launching a new, toll-free number to make it easier for stakeholders like you and members of the public to locate Agency resources and information. The phone number is live now, and our program specialists can be reached at 844-820-2234 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.
The idea for this 800 number is based on the simple premise that you should only have to make one call to get the information you need. This is especially important at an Agency like APHIS where we have a diverse mission, and it can be challenging for stakeholders to know where to look or who to call to get the information they seek.
Full text:
http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/1091dc4
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6. Livestock producers receive waiver on hours of service rule
Feedstuffs
June 10, 2015
America's hog, cattle and poultry farmers have been granted a two-year waiver from the U.S. Department of Transportation hours-of-service rule for certain drivers.
The rule, issued in mid-2013 by DOT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), requires truck drivers to take a 30-minute rest break for every 8 hours of service. It would have prohibited drivers hauling livestock and poultry from caring for animals during the rest period.
The National Pork Producers Council, on behalf of other livestock, poultry and food organizations, in 2013 petitioned the FMCSA for a waiver and exemption from complying with the regulation. The groups this spring asked the FMCSA to renew the waiver and to extend it for the two-year maximum allowable under federal law.
In petitioning the agency, the livestock organizations noted that the rule would cause livestock producers and their drivers irreparable harm, place the health and welfare of the livestock in their care at risk and provide no apparent increased benefit to public safety - and likely decrease public safety - while forcing the livestock industry and its drivers to choose between the humane handling of animals or complying with the rule.
Full text:
http://feedstuffs.com/story-livestock-producers-receive-waiver-hours-service-rule-45-128672
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7. World Beyond Lyme, ticks cause new illnesses
By Lauran Neergaard, The Associated Press
The Bend Bulletin
June 11, 2015
WASHINGTON - Lyme disease makes the headlines, but there are plenty of additional reasons to avoid tick bites. New research highlights the latest in a growing list of tick-borne threats - a distant relative of Lyme that's easy to confuse with other illnesses.
Monday's study suggests a kind of bacteria with an unwieldy name - Borrelia miyamotoi - should be on the radar when people in Lyme-endemic areas get otherwise unexplained summertime fevers. It's one of several recently discovered diseases linked to ticks in different parts of the country, a reminder to get tick-savvy no matter where you live.
"People need to be aware of what tick-borne diseases are in their area," says Dr. Peter Krause of Yale University, a specialist who reviewed the research. "And they should know how to avoid ticks."
The first U.S. case was reported in 2013 in New Jersey, an 80-year-old cancer survivor who over four months became increasingly confused, had difficulty walking and lost 30 pounds. Doctors found spiral-shaped bacteria in her spinal fluid that looked like Lyme but caused a relapsing fever more closely related to some other tick-borne illnesses. While treatable by antibiotics - the woman recovered - doctors know little about B. miyamotoi.
Full text:
http://www.bendbulletin.com/nation/3235380-151/beyond-lyme-ticks-cause-new-illnesses#
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