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1. CWD-positive white-tailed deer found on Eau Claire County farm [WI]

DATCP News Release

Leader-Telegram

June 24, 2015

MADISON - A white-tailed deer from a breeding farm in Eau Claire County has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), Wisconsin State Veterinarian Dr. Paul McGraw announced today. The National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the test results.

The 7-year-old Eau Claire County doe, which died on the farm, was one of about 167 deer reported to be on the 12 acre farm, according to the farm's March 2015 registration.

Samples were taken from the doe on June 8 in accordance with Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's (DATCP's) rules, which require testing of farm-raised deer and elk when they die or are killed.

McGraw quarantined the Eau Claire County herd, which stops movement of live deer from the property, except to slaughter. Disposition of the remaining deer will depend upon the outcome of the investigation. The DATCP Animal Health Division's investigation will also examine the animal's history and trace movements of deer onto and off the property to determine whether other herds may have been exposed to the CWD test-positive deer.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/q6oqmrr  

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2. Willmar, Minn., lab playing role as poultry industry looks for answers to bird flu

AgWeek.com

June 23, 2015

WILLMAR, Minn. - The biggest lesson from the outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza in Minnesota is that this virus has behaved differently than anything dealt with previously, according to veterinarian Trevor Ames, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

"And so there may need to be changes in what were considered routine and adequate practices going forward with the anticipation that this virus could be around for a while,'' Ames says.

Researchers are now analyzing data collected during the outbreak from 105 infected sites in Minnesota to understand this virus, and what producers can and should not do to manage it.

"That is really why the research is so vital,'' Ames says. "Not only to understand what we need to do, but also to understand what we don't need to do.''

The disease is responsible for the loss of almost 9 million birds in Minnesota since March.

Full text:

http://www.agweek.com/event/article/id/26969/  

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3. Bird Flu Update From Nebraska Department Of Agriculture

By: WOWT 6 News

June 23, 2015

According to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture there are no new cases of Avian Influenza in Nebraska.

The current number of farms confirmed to have the disease is five.

Infected birds at four farms in Dixon County have been destroyed and the cleaning and disinfection procedures are in the beginning stages.

NDA is coordinating the state response, with staff in the area daily enforcing the quarantines of affected farms; overseeing the depopulation, composting and cleaning / disinfection efforts; monitoring quarantined poultry farms within a 6.2 mile radius of the affected farms and coordinating testing efforts on those farms.

Permits for movement of materials such as supplies and egg and egg products outside of the 6.2 mile perimeter are also being issued by NDA.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/olnblxq  

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4. Riverside County, California, Equids Test Negative for EHV-1

By The Horse Staff

TheHorse.com

June 24, 2015

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) reported June 24 that several equids in Riverside County have tested negative for neurologic equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1).

"Five exposed horses/mules demonstrating compatible clinical signs and/or previously testing positive for low viral levels of the neuropathogenic strain of EHV-1 tested negative for EHV-1 on June 23," a statement posted on the department's website read. "A second sample will be collected from all five horses on June 29. If all samples are negative and no additional horses demonstrate clinical signs during the time period, the quarantine will be released on June 30. The CDFA continues to monitor the situation."

The department reported June 16 that a 12-year-old Quarter Horse gelding and a 12-year-old mule, both from Riverside County, attended Mule Days in Bishop, California, which took place May 17-26.

Full text:

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/35995/riverside-county-california-equids-test-negative-for-ehv-1  

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5. ASF, FMD swine surveillance pilot project

By Dr. Barbara Porter-Spalding, DVM MVPH

PorkNetwork.com

June 24, 2015

The United States swine industry and USDA need your help. AASV, National Pork Board and National Pork Producers Council support USDA's pilot project to evaluate a foreign animal disease (FAD) surveillance system. As part of comprehensive and integrated surveillance, select diagnostic labs now have the ability to test case-qualifying samples for African swine fever (ASF) and foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the same way they have been testing for classical swine fever (CSF) since 2009.

This testing supports the swine industry by assuring trading partners and other stakeholders that the US is free of foreign animal diseases. It also supports stakeholder participation in a system to rapidly detect foreign animal diseases should they occur in swine in the United States.

AASV practitioners and accredited veterinarians are a first line of defense in detecting and reporting foreign animal diseases. You can assist this program by submitting currently validated biologic samples (whole blood for ASF, oral swabs for FMD, tonsil/tonsil scrapings/nasal swab for CSF). Samples and a completed surveillance diagnostic submission form should be submitted to one of the following NAHLN labs:

   California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory

   Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

   Purdue University Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory

   Kansas State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

   University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

   North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture Rollins Diagnostic Laboratory

   South Dakota State University Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory

   Texas A&M University Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

Currently validated samples to be collected for the ASF and FMD surveillance pilot are whole blood and oral swabs, respectively. The previously listed NAHLN laboratories will conduct rRT-PCR for detection of ASF in whole blood samples, FMD in oral swab samples, and CSF in tonsil/tonsil scraping/nasal swab samples.

See this link to read the rest about the project from AASV: https://www.aasv.org/news/story.php?id=8098#

Source:

http://www.porknetwork.com/disease-diagnostics/asf-fmd-swine-surveillance-pilot-project  

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6. Stabenow proposes voluntary COOL

By Jacqui Fatka

Feedstuffs.com

June 24, 2015

In advance of this Thursday's Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on country of origin labeling for meat products, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.) released a draft proposal which would remove beef and pork mandatory labeling provisions under COOL and put in its place a completely voluntary Product of the U.S. label.

Stabenow said she hopes her proposal offers a pathway forward on COOL following a May World Trade Organization ruling which found the United States again out of compliance.

"This proposal offers a viable alternative and I look forward to discussing it at our hearing and with my colleagues in the Senate as we work to come to agreement on a bipartisan solution," she said.

Her Republican counterpart on the committee Sen. Pat Roberts sent out a fact sheet Tuesday outlining the costs of retaliation and that repeal is the "only solution" for Canada & Mexico. It also noted that the timeline on action is urgent as the "WTO determination process is uncertain and can take a minimum months, potentially longer." Canada and Mexico have issued $3.2 billion in retaliation authorization requests which could go into effect as soon as August.

Full text:

http://feedstuffs.com/story-stabenow-proposes-voluntary-cool-45-129172  

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7. USDA considers additional reporting rules for animal testing

By Lydia Wheeler

TheHill.com

June 24, 2015

The Obama administration is considering amending its reporting requirements for research facilities that use animals for tests and experiments.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is considering forcing research facilities to include information about how animals are being used for research and experiments in the annual reports they are required to submit to the Animal Care Regional Director in the states where they are located.

The report, which is a requirement of the Animal Welfare Act, now requires facilities to state the location of all facilities where animals were housed and/or used for actual research, testing, teaching or experimentation.

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

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