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1. State veterinarian broadens restrictions [WI]
Wisconsin State Farmer
July 3, 2015
MADISON --The state veterinarian has broadened the restriction against poultry gatherings in a modified order that now prohibits all poultry at any swap meet in the state through the end of 2015. A previous order issued June 10 prohibited swap meets held in conjunction with a county, regional or state fair.
"As long as avian influenza is still potentially in the environment, we need to better manage the gathering of birds to ensure that we are not spreading the virus to new areas of the state," said Dr. Paul McGraw, Wisconsin State Veterinarian.
This action is intended 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 careful consideration and consultation with representatives from the poultry industry, show coordinators and fair organizers.
"We realize this will be a challenge to some who rely on swap meets to sell their birds, but this is necessary to protect all poultry owners in Wisconsin," McGraw said. "It is still acceptable to advertise birds for sale and sell them privately directly from an owner's farm."
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/nwhmbtr
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2. Vesicular Stomatitis cases close in on neighboring states [NM]
La Junta Tribune-Democrat
July 3, 2015
BROOMFIELD, Colo. - On June 24, 2015, the New Mexico Livestock Board announced a confirmed case of Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) in a horse located in Sandoval County; this most recent confirmation is approximately 100 miles from Colorado.
"This most recent confirmation in New Mexico serves as a reminder that livestock owners must be vigilant in safeguarding their herds from this virus," said State Veterinarian, Dr. Keith Roehr. "Now is the time to start thinking about disease mitigation practices to protect Colorado's livestock."
Vesicular stomatitis can be painful for animals and costly to their owners. The virus typically causes oral blisters and sores that can be painful causing difficulty in eating and drinking. Veterinarians and livestock owners who suspect an animal may have VS or any other vesicular disease should immediately contact state or federal animal health authorities. There are no USDA approved vaccines for VS.
Full text:
http://www.lajuntatribunedemocrat.com/article/20150703/NEWS/150709985/-1/News
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3. Rabies cases rise in Kansas
High Plains Journal
July 5, 2015
The Kansas Department of Agriculture's Division of Animal Health has identified a an increased number of rabies cases reported in Kansas this year. As of June 30, 69 cases of rabies have been confirmed in Kansas for 2015.
Rabies testing is performed by the Kansas State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which confirmed only 69 positive cases in all of 2014. Of the 69 cases reported this year, 13 of them occurred in domestic animals including nine cattle and four cats. These numbers are expected to continue to rise through the end of the year.
Dr. Bill Brown, Kansas Animal Health Commissioner, urged Kansans to be alert. "Being observant of erratic behavior in wildlife or livestock is important," he said. "Pet owners are urged to follow best practices and vaccinate their pets to prevent this devastating disease."
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/pafnf9w
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4. Avian flu hasn't reached Alaska birds yet, but it could
Associated Press
NewsMiner.com
July 4, 2015
JUNEAU, Alaska - The largest avian influenza outbreak to hit the poultry industry in history has spread across the lower 48 U.S. states and Canada, but Alaskan flocks have not yet been affected.
"The active surveillance in Alaska has not identified any outbreaks in domestic or wild birds so far," Alaska State Veterinarian Robert Gerlach told the Peninsula Clarion (http://bit.ly/1Caorkz ). But he cautions that farmers should take care to prevent the virus from infecting the state's birds.
Outside of Alaska, nearly 50 billion laying hens, turkeys and pullets have either been killed by the outbreak or slaughtered to prevent further transmission, according to Gerlach. Pullets are hens bred to lay eggs but not yet old enough to do so.
Wild birds that have contracted the avian flu in Canada or the lower 48 could spread the disease to Alaska. To prevent a local outbreak, Gerlach says poultry farmers should be careful to keep their animals clean at the large agricultural fairs coming up at the end of the summer.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/nvhopgp
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5. Tennessee prepares for potential Avian flu outbreak [edited]
Knoxville Daily Sun
July 2, 2015
KNOXVILLE - The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is taking steps to prepare for a potential Avian flu (HPAI) outbreak which is considered one of the most costly animal health disasters in American history. HPAI has not been detected in Tennessee, but steps are being taken to prepare. Three staff members recently returned from Minnesota where they used their skills to assist with the efforts to stop the spread of the illness.
Veterinary medical officer Dr. Doug Balthaser and animal health technicians Wes Montooth and Marshall LaFever spent three weeks in Willmar, Minn., a location that is central to an area coping with HPAI. The three learned aspects of the logistical response and gained valuable experience in the field.
Dr. Balthaser worked as a liaison between state and federal officials and producers to complete inspections and assist with paperwork. "The magnitude of this outbreak becomes clear when you consider the area where the virus has spread," Dr. Balthaser said. "You have cases 30 miles south of Willmar all the way up to northern Minnesota."
Montooth and LaFever collected samples from poultry in the affected area. They covered thousands of miles to test multiple backyard flocks. "They hit the ground running with backyard surveillance testing and really did Tennessee proud," Dr. Jacob Davis with USDA APHIS said. "They became my 'go-to' team when something needed to be done. I would be glad to work with them any time."
As a precaution, a State Veterinarian's Order has been issued requiring that effective August 1, all out of state birds transported to Tennessee must have proof of a negative AI test within 21 days of movement or National Poultry Improvement Plan AI Clean certification.
Full text:
http://www.knoxvilledailysun.com/health/2015/tn-prepares-for-avian-flu-outbreak.html
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6. Senate Agriculture Committee to hold avian flu hearing
By Jacqui Fatka
Feedstuffs
July 6, 2015
Tuesday afternoon (July 7) the Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on the impact of the avian influenza and the federal government's response.
The hearing is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST and can be viewed live online by this link:
http://www.ag.senate.gov/hearings/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-the-impact-on-the-us-poultry-sector-and-protecting-us-poultry-flocks
An archived Webcast will be available at the same link.
The announcement follows a letter sent by the two Senators from Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) to Agriculture Committee chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) requesting a hearing on the federal government's response to the ongoing outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
Roberts released the hearing will feature two panels. The first will feature Dr. John R. Clifford, deputy administrator for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and Dr. David Swayne, laboratory director at the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory at USDA's Agricultural Research Service.
The second panel features industry stakeholders including James Dean, chairman of the United Egg Producers; Ken Klippen, president of the National Assn. of Egg Farmers; Brad Moline, manager of Moline Farms in Manson, Iowa; Rob Knecht, president and vice president of operations of Michigan Allied Poultry Industries and Konos, Inc; and Tom Elam, president of FarmEcon.
Ernst said the hearing represents an "important opportunity to bring leaders and key stakeholders together to review the pandemic spread of this deadly disease, identify areas for improvement within response procedures, and set the stage to ensure we are better prepared in the future."
Over 30 million birds have been depopulated in the state of Iowa and over 47 million birds nationwide.
Source:
http://feedstuffs.com/story-senate-agriculture-committee-hold-avian-flu-hearing-45-129594
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7. Texas A&M AgriLife researchers investigate salmonella in Texas feedlots
By Blair Fannin, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Bovine Veterinarian
July 6, 2015
A study examining the presence of salmonella in beef cattle feedyards was the focus of a series of studies by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists and faculty in the department of animal science at Texas A&M University, College Station. The findings could help develop new pre-harvest food safety interventions in providing safe, wholesome food for consumers.
AgriLife Research scientists Drs. Jason Gill, Dr. Matt Taylor and other professors are researching bacteriophages, or phages, which are viruses that act as predators to bacteria, for use as food safety interventions.
Both Gill and Taylor gave seminars recently to departmental faculty and graduate students on the findings from projects sponsored by the Beef Checkoff and Texas Beef Council. Taylor described the recovery and identification of salmonella serovars from feedlot environmental samples, while Gill gave an overview of the presence and types of phages recovered from these samples.
Taylor and researchers looked to identify the serotypes of salmonella from environmental samples taken from a select group of feedlots in South Texas previously identified by study collaborators Drs. Kerri Gehring, Jeffrey Savell and Ashley Arnold, all in College Station, to bear differing rates of salmonella presence in the lymph nodes of cattle at harvest.
The work was published in the Journal of Food Protection. The researchers recovered no detectable salmonella from superficial cervical lymph nodes from cattle in one feedlot, while cattle sourced from feedlot B yielded 100 percent positive salmonella detection from cervical lymph nodes at harvest.
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/op2vkm5
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