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1. CSU authorized to test for horse virus as first 2015 cases emerge [VS]
By Jeff Dodge
Source - Colorado State Univ.
July 9, 2015
The state's first vesicular stomatitis cases of 2015 have been detected in horses, and Colorado State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories have gained special certification to test for the highly contagious virus, which causes painful sores in animals' mouths and forces mandatory quarantines.
Flies and midges are the main way the virus is spread; it is also spread through horse-to-horse contact and through indirect contact, as when tie-outs, trailers and grooming or feeding equipment used with an infected horse are later used with a healthy horse. CSU veterinarians join the State Veterinarian's Office in urging horse owners to practice strict fly control and infection control while on the road at horse shows, fairs and rodeos to limit the spread of VS.
Horses on five properties in Montrose County, three in Delta County and one in Montezuma County have tested positive for vesicular stomatitis this year and have been placed under quarantine, state officials announced July 9.
Timely test results
On the same day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, activated CSU's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories as a testing site for the disease. The CSU labs are expected to provide a more timely response on local test results; historically samples have been sent to a lab in Iowa.
Full text:
http://source.colostate.edu/csu-authorized-to-test-for-horse-virus-as-first-2015-cases-emerge/
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2. Chronic Wasting Disease Update [TX]
Texas Animal Health Commission News Release
July 9, 2015
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) have diligently been working to address the recent discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), with all decisions being contemplated in the context of the three goals established within the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Plan developed by both agencies.
These goals are:
1. Minimize CWD risks to the wild and captive white-tailed deer, mule deer, and other susceptible species in Texas.
2. Establish and maintain support for prudent CWD management with hunters, landowners, and other stakeholders.
3. Minimize direct and indirect impacts of CWD to hunting, hunting related economies, and conservation in Texas.
Earlier this week TAHC established a multi-agency CWD working group to address the numerous decisions and tasks necessary to mitigate disease risk associated with this event. The group's first priority is to complete a "herd plan" for herds exposed to animals from the source facility and expects to finalize this soon. The group has also begun a risk assessment of herds not exposed to the source facility to determine appropriate deer movement permissions in the context of current situation, and as more data become available. The group also reiterated the need to maintain a moratorium on all deer movement until this assessment is complete, and recommendations can be developed. Both agencies vow to complete all tasks as soon as reasonably possible with the understanding that herd plans for the source facility and exposed herds must be top priority.
The TAHC and TPWD will continue to provide information as new information arises.
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3. Vesicular stomatitis appearing in western states
By John Maday, Editor
Bovine Veterinarian
July 9, 2015
Veterinarians and producers in western states should be on the lookout for signs of vesicular stomatitis (VS), which has been reported on premises in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Utah so far this summer. VS is a reportable disease and positive identification results in quarantine of the affected premises until the disease clears.
So far this year, a total of 25 premises have been confirmed with VS and another 29 suspected.
Last summer, a total of 435 VS-positive premises were confirmed in four U.S. states including Arizona Colorado, Nebraska and Texas.
The virus is spread primarily by insect vectors, and thus tends to disappear during the winter in temperate climates and break out during the summer, particularly in areas where wet conditions encourage insect populations.
Full text:
http://www.bovinevetonline.com/news/industry/vesicular-stomatitis-appearing-western-states
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4. First Virginia case of EEE in 2015 detected in Chesapeake horse
By Becca Mitchell
WTKR.com
July 8, 2015
Chesapeake, Va. - The Chesapeake Health Department says a 12-year-old horse that recently died tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
The horse was located off West Landing Drive in southwestern Chesapeake.
Only one pool of mosquitoes in Chesapeake has tested positive for EEE this year. However, the death of the horse indicated that the mosquitoes are likely biting infected birds before biting other mammals.
Citizens should be aware of this and take precautions to protect themselves.
Horse owners should make sure their animals are vaccinated. Almost all unvaccinated horses that contract the disease die.
Full text:
http://wtkr.com/2015/07/08/first-virginia-case-of-eee-in-2015-detected-in-chesapeake-horse/
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5. House Committee votes to stop Brazilian, Argentine beef over FMD risk
By: Staff Report, Agweek
AgWeek.com
July 9, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee approved an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill that would ban the importation of Brazilian and Argentine Beef until the U.S. Department of Agriculture evaluates the potential risk of foot and mouth disease to the U.S. cattle industry.
This amendment was adopted just one week after USDA announced it was allowing the importation of beef from the Brazilian states of Bahia, Brasilia, Espirito Santo, Goias, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Rondonia, Sao Paulo, Sergipe and Tocantins.
In Argentina, beef will be imported from the Patagonia region of the country.
The decision was made despite concerns over potential threats of foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease to U.S. cattle. In April 2014, Colin Woodall, vice president of Government Affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, estimated the affect of an FMD outbreak in the U.S. to range from $5 billion to $50 billion.
Full text: http://www.agweek.com/event/article/id/27286/
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6. Obama denies Iowa disaster declaration
By Jacqui Fatka
Feedstuffs
July 9, 2015
The Obama Administration denied a major disaster event declaration request from Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in response to the avian flu outbreak in Iowa. Over 33 million birds in Iowa have been affected by the deadly virus. The request was made for Buena Vista, Sioux, Webster and Wright counties.
Branstad had requested unemployment assistance, crisis counseling, disaster case management and disaster legal services for those who lost employment and income as a result of the high pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in the hardest hit counties. The disaster request also called the Federal Highway Administration to issue a tonnage waive on the state's federal aid roadways, such as Interstates 29 and 35. This waiver would have accelerated the disposal process and reduced the likelihood of spreading HPAI while transporting poultry to disposal sites.
"Granting a disaster declaration would have made several forms of federal assistance available to these producers. Iowa has suffered great losses from this catastrophic outbreak, and I'm very disappointed that a disaster declaration wasn't granted to help deal with the impact," said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa).
Craig Fugate, administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said in a letter to Branstad that based on its review "it has been determined that the damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments, voluntary agencies and the other responding federal agencies."
The denial may be appealed within 30 days from July 7 when Fugate sent the letter.
Source:
http://feedstuffs.com/story-obama-denies-iowa-disaster-declaration-45-129714
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7. GAO says US has been slow to implement biosurveillance strategy
Biosecurity Scan for July 09, 2015
CIDRAP News & Perspective
July 9, 2015
The Obama administration has been slow to take recommended and promised steps toward a coordinated national biosurveillance strategy, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report released yesterday [July 8, 2015].
Following an earlier GAO recommendation, the administration released its National Strategy for Biosurveillance in July 2012, the report notes. The White House was to issue an implementation plan within 120 days of that, but it still had not done so as of last month, the GAO said.
The GAO, Congress's investigative arm, also faulted the administration's efforts on food and agriculture disease surveillance.
The report noted that in 2011 the GAO said the administration lacked coordination of efforts to implement the national food and agriculture defense policy, spelled out in Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9 (HSPD-9), which includes food and agriculture disease surveillance. In addition, the GAO said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) had no overall strategy for handling its HSPD-9 responsibilities
Since then, the National Security Council has begun holding interagency meetings on HSPD-9 measures, and a report on the activities is expected this summer, the GAO reported. It said that by February of this year the USDA had analyzed its HSPD-9 efforts but had not developed an overall strategy.
The GAO also said the USDA's Animal and Plant Health inspection Service (APHIS) has broadened its disease surveillance program but has made only limited progress on aligning the program with overall national biosurveillance efforts.
Full text:
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2015/07/biosecurity-scan-jul-09-2015
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