CANADA - A new facility that significantly improves Newfoundland and Labrador's ability to identify and respond to foreign animal diseases was officially opened last week.

The $3.9 million facility was opened by Vaughn Granter, Minister Responsible for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency. Minister Granter was joined by John Dinn, Member of the House of Assembly (MHA) for Kilbride, and the province's Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Hugh Whitney.

The new facility includes a molecular diagnostics laboratory, rabies laboratory, necropsy room and incinerator.

"The Foreign Animal Disease Laboratory Complex enhances our ability to monitor, regulate and control foreign animal diseases, before they impact the agriculture industry, and to respond quickly in the event of a disease outbreak.

"It enhances testing for diseases of provincial concern such as rabies, and avian influenza and demonstrates the Provincial Government's commitment to improved food security and public and animal health.

"The facility also increases our capacity to work with academic institutions to study significant animal diseases," said Mr Granter.

Full text:

http://www.thesheepsite.com/news/1294/new-canadian-laboratory-helps-identify-foreign-animal-diseases/

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2. TB, Johne's disease challenging ancient diseases

Feedstuffs

July 13, 2015

The Bovine tuberculosis (TB) and paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) Symposium at the 2015 JAM: "What we know and what we need to know" provided an excellent overview of both diseases, highlighting both domestic and international opportunities and challenges for the diseases.

Vivek Kapur, Penn State University provided an introduction. He noted that the biology of both diseases is complex and poorly understood. No country is free of the diseases and losses associated with them runs into the billions of dollars. As examples of the scope of the disease, the UK loses about 2% of their cattle population to bovine TB each year and one in ten animals at auction in the US is infected.

Adel M. Talaat, UW- Madison described "A three-year study of bovine tuberculosis in an enzootic area, the Nile Delta." It provides an opportunity to work in a high prevalence situation where at least one isolate appears to be human related. The need for better diagnostics and whole genome sequencing has been shown.

Holly L. Neibergs, Washington State, reported on" Host genomics-What have we learned?" She shared references to a large number of publications showing that adequate genetic variation exists to make progress in increasing resistance to Johne's disease with heritability estimates ranging from 1 to 28%. Several potential candidate genes have been identified, and genome-wide association analysis has identified several chromosomes of interest. Genetic change takes a long time, but it is permanent.

Scott Wells topic was "Johne's disease and bovine tuberculosis: Updates on control and prevention." He reported on work at Minnesota that verified currently recommended control practices work. Slaughter surveillance works, but it takes a long time. A project in Uruguay is demonstrating the potential of risk based surveillance and the use of social network analysis can help to identify "at risk" farms.

Full text:

http://feedstuffs.com/story-tb-johnes-disease-challenging-ancient-diseases-45-129869

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3. Escaped captive deer on the loose in Eau Claire County [WI]

By: DNR News Release

WEAU.com

July 14, 2015

EAU CLAIRE COUNTY, Wis. (RELEASE FROM DNR)-- The state Department of Natural Resources is requesting the help of residents of Fairchild and Augusta and the surrounding areas to be on the lookout for two escaped ear-tagged captive white-tailed deer from a local captive deer facility.

On June 24 the Department of Agriculture, Trade, & Consumer Protection announced a captive white-tailed deer from a breeding farm in Eau Claire County has tested positive for chronic wasting disease.

In early May, the farm owner reported that multiple captive bucks escaped the facility when a tree fell on the fence causing a breach. Most of the escaped bucks were recovered with two still remaining out on the landscape.

"We need landowners and the public to be on the lookout for any deer that appear to have an ear tag. These captive escapes are a potential health risk to the local wild deer herd and should be removed from the landscape," said DNR wildlife biologist Bill Hogseth.

Full text: http://tinyurl.com/oqwyx2c

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4. Study: Feral hogs cause at least $30 million in damage to Louisiana farms

The Franklin Sun

July 13, 2015

Feral hogs caused at least $30 million in damage to crops on Louisiana farms in 2013, according to an LSU AgCenter study.

AgCenter economist Shaun Tanger has been gathering data for more than a year from Louisiana farmers about hog activity and damage, which ranges from rooting up and eating crops to damaging farm equipment. The hogs can also spread fatal diseases to wildlife and livestock.

"Up to this point, we've only had anecdotes, so we wanted to quantify how much cost is associated with feral hog activity," said Tanger, who worked on the survey project with AgCenter forest products specialist Rich Vlosky and wildlife and fisheries specialist Michael Kaller.

Hog-damaged crops often sell at a reduced price, and sometimes farmers cannot sell them at all.

The 2013 Louisiana soybean crop suffered more than $9 million worth of hog damage. Hay producers lost about $7 million, while the rice and corn industries both saw about $5 million in damage.

Farmers also reported hogs interfering with livestock operations and damaging equipment and levees.

Full text: http://tinyurl.com/psb2ywu

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5. Panel recommends ARS animal welfare procedure improvements

By Jacqui Fatka

Feedstuffs

July 14, 2015

The second phase of reviewing the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service animal welfare and care policies found no evidence of poor animal handling or abuse but did recommend establishing more defined guidelines for each location's animal welfare oversight committees as well as attending veterinarians for the research facilities.

The ARS - Animal Handling and Welfare Review Panel visited five ARS research sites in the aftermath of a New York Times report earlier this year which unveiled a scathing report on a Nebraska ARS's handling of animals.

The panel visited five ARS research sites: the Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Miles City, Montana; the Livestock Behavior Research Unit in West Lafayette, Indiana; the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory in Athens, Georgia; the Richard B. Russell Agricultural Research Center in Athens, Georgia; and the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa.

Dr. Aaron Olsen, chair of the panel and director of the Laboratory Animal Research Center at Utah State University, said a key finding was the role and expectations of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and attending veterinarian is not uniformly understood at all ARS facilities. The primary function of the IACUC is to act as an agent for the welfare and well-being of animals used in research. The attending veterinarian plays a crucial role in promoting animal welfare.

For instance, at the National Animal Disease Center the panel found that IACUC protocols listed the researcher (who is also a veterinarian) as the only contact for veterinary care issues. The panel recommended a research veterinarian should not also fill the role of clinical veterinarian for treatment or handling of animals beyond the required research protocol.

The panel recommended ARS should work to harmonize expectations of the IACUC across all sites using animals in research. The report explains that for IACUC to fulfill its welfare and oversight functions, it is vital for it to have adequate administrative and financial support. The panel urged facility directors to "make animal welfare oversight responsibilities a priority when considering budgetary needs and provide strong administrative support to individuals tasked with participating in oversight activities."

Full text:

http://feedstuffs.com/story-panel-recommends-ars-animal-welfare-procedure-improvements-45-129896

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6. Researcher at animal wellbeing symposium to discuss cattle handing in feedlots

By Sara Landis, University of Arkansas Extension

Drover's CattleNetwork.com

July 14, 2015

The results of studies on handling cattle in feedlots will be presented Aug. 6 by Ruth Woiwode at the 5thAnnual Symposium on Current Issues and Advances in Food Animal Wellbeing. Woiwode is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and a former student of Temple Grandin, a nationally prominent researcher at Colorado State University on the best methods for handling cattle in processing facilities.

Woiwode and several other speakers will discuss current issues at the symposium sponsored by the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing, a unit of the Division of Agriculture. The event will be held in the John W. Tyson Building's Leland Tollett Auditorium on the University of Arkansas campus. Registration is $25. Those planning to attend should register by July 31. Registration information and the program are online at http://foodanimalwellbeing.uark.edu/AnnualSymposium.html.

Full text: http://tinyurl.com/oaear93

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7. Eastern Equine Encephalitis case confirmed in Polk Co. [equine-FL]

10 News Staff

WTSP.com

July 14, 2015

Bartow - The Florida Department of Health in Polk County has confirmed a positive case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in a horse. This is the second case in the county within the past two weeks.

EEE can be transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. It is a rare illness in humans, and only a few cases are reported in the United States each year. There have been no human cases of EEE in the state of Florida reported in 2015.

Residents are advised to avoid mosquito bites by taking the necessary precautions.

Full text: http://tinyurl.com/pug7m9k