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1. Turkeys between 12 to 16 weeks most susceptible to avian flu
By Mark Dorenkamp
Brownfield Ag News
July 29, 2015
Turkeys between the ages of 12 to 16 weeks seem to be the most susceptible to avian influenza. Minnesota Turkey Growers Association executive director Steve Olson says younger birds aren't getting sick.
"Like-wise with broiler chickens which are raised to six weeks of age or so, have not been infected with (avian flu). So it may be a function of there's something going on when those birds get to be older."
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service this month announced new information about the virus in a follow-up report to a June study and warns producers to be extra vigilant about protecting birds in the 12 to 16 week age group. The typical lifecycle for commercial turkeys is anywhere from 12 to 22 weeks.
Source:
http://brownfieldagnews.com/2015/07/29/turkeys-between-12-to-16-weeks-most-susceptible-to-avian-flu/
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2. Vaccination could save birds but stall poultry exports
By Spencer Chase
Agri-Pulse.com
July 30, 2015
WASHINGTON - The Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is furthering its efforts on a vaccination to better prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), but poultry exports could dramatically drop as a result.
At a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture, John Clifford, APHIS deputy administrator for veterinary services, reiterated that vaccination is by no means a silver bullet to stop the spread of HPAI, but it could prove to be a useful tool to address the disease. APHIS announced in June that presently available vaccines must meet 'additional criteria' before the agency could authorize emergency use, but in Clifford's opening statement he said that if vaccines were used, they would be an "additional tool in our eradication efforts and will be targeted in the states and poultry sectors where they can be most effective." U.S. SOY Global Trade Exchange, September 9-11,2015
David Swayne, laboratory director of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, told subcommittee members that his laboratory has developed a vaccine "that can completely prevent mortality in chickens" against a modified strain of the virus. However, they are still waiting on test results for turkeys and plan to do more extensive field testing on both species.
Clifford said trade constraints continue to be an issue with the potential use of a vaccine. He said APHIS has been in conversation with trading partners who said that if U.S. poultry producers began using a vaccine, exports to that country would be stalled while a risk assessment was conducted, a process that could take several months. If the risk assessment found the vaccine to be acceptable to other countries, trade could be reopened, but Clifford said there is the potential for $3-4 billion in lost exports because of the use of a vaccine.
Full text:
http://www.agri-pulse.com/Vaccinations-could-save-birds-but-stall-poultry-exports-07302015.asp
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3. Biosecurity, depopulation & disposal top avian flu concerns
By Jacqui Fatka and Krissa Welshans
Feedstuffs
July 30, 2015
Top U.S. Department of Agriculture officials were again on Capitol Hill this week to focus on lessons learned and where to make improvements in the response to avian influenza and preparation for anticipated future outbreaks.
A House Agriculture Committee hearing again featured testimony from USDA's deputy director of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Dr. John Clifford and Dr. David Swayne, laboratory director for the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory at the Agricultural Research Services.
Coming off a two-day meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, with industry stakeholders and government officials, Clifford said the three basic areas for improvement remain biosecurity, depopulation and disposal.
"We all need to improve biosecurity," Clifford said, which can be accomplished by washing equipment, limiting the number of people on farms, limiting contact with wild birds and improving outreach with producers.
Clifford said there's also recognition of the importance of rapid depopulation. "The longer it takes to depopulate, the greater chance to overwhelm biosecurity efforts," he said. A new emphasis has been focused on euthanizing birds within 24 hours and doing so in a way as humanely as possible without further spread of the virus.
Full text:
http://feedstuffs.com/story-biosecurity-depopulation-disposal-top-avian-flu-concerns-45-130443
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4. Vilsack: U.S. needs poultry disaster program
By Jerry Hagstrom, Special to Agweek
AgWeek.com
July 30, 2015
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. needs a disaster program for the poultry and turkey industries, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said, as House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., praised the U.S. Department of Agriculture's and the state of Minnesota's response to the crisis
Peterson added there can still be improvements.
"I would hope that one of the long-term lessons from all of this is that we can convince our friends in Congress to understand that it isn't just about dollars and cents, as was the case in this last farm bill," Vilsack told a poultry industry conference about the outbreak in Des Moines on July 27.
"The reason why a disaster program wasn't included was because it didn't pan out in terms of budget," he said.
"We really do need to take a look at a disaster program. Why? Because at the end of the day, it's going to be ultimately less expensive.
"Whether it's a risk management insurance-type program or a disaster program or a combination, it really will reinforce the biosecurity aspects of this. It will reinforce the need for us to be focused on trying to mitigate the consequences and it will make sure that everyone understands what the rules are in advance. It will just become easier and more efficient to operate."
Bills are being discussed and developed to create a program similar to the one the livestock industry has.
Full text:
http://www.agweek.com/news/nation-and-world/3807948-vilsack-us-needs-poultry-disaster-program
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5. Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) Cases Reported in Texas
Texas Animal Health Commission Press Release
July 29, 2015
AUSTIN - The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) recently received confirmation from the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) of Texas horses testing positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). The infected horses are located in: Newton, Orange, Liberty, Jasper and Jefferson counties. To date, there are a total of five positive EEE cases in Texas.
TAHC officials remind equine owners to consult with their private veterinary practitioner regarding vaccinating their horses against mosquito-borne illnesses such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE), Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE), and West Nile Virus.
Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) is a mosquito-borne viral disease of all equine species. Infected horses may suddenly die or show progressive central nervous system disorders. Symptoms may include unsteadiness, erratic behavior and a marked loss of coordination. The death rate for animals infected with EEE is 75-100%.
Western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE) is a viral disease that mainly affects horses; mosquitoes primarily transmit this disease. Similar to EEE, WEE is characterized by central nervous system dysfunction. About 20 to 50% of horses infected with WEE die.
Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) is a viral disease that affects horses and causes illness in humans. It has not been seen in the United States for many years (however, a recent outbreak of VEE occurred in Mexico). Mosquitoes most often transmit the disease after the insects have acquired the virus from birds and rodents. Humans also are susceptible when bitten by an infected mosquito, but direct horse-to-horse or horse-to-human transmission is very rare. Symptoms in horses vary widely, but all result from the degeneration of the brain. Early signs include fever, depression and appetite loss. The mortality rate for VEE is 40 to 80%.
"Vaccines are available for neurologic diseases such as EEE and WEE. As part of routine equine health care, we strongly recommend that equine owners consult with their local veterinarian to discuss an appropriate vaccination program to protect their horses against mosquito-borne diseases such as these," said Dr. Andy Schwartz, TAHC Assistant Executive Director.
Full text:
http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/news/pr/2015/2015-07-29_EEEinTexas.pdf
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6. Participation in swine surveillance pilot project encouraged
Source: American Association of Swine Veterinarians
National Hog Farmer
July 30, 2015
The U.S. swine industry and the USDA need your help. The American Association of Swine Veterinarians, National Pork Board and National Pork Producers Council support the USDA's pilot project to evaluate a foreign animal disease 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 and foot and mouth disease in the same way they have been testing for classical swine fever since 2009.
This testing supports the swine industry by assuring trading partners and other stakeholders that the United States 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 Department of Agriculture Rollins Diagnostic Laboratory
South Dakota State University Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory
Texas A&M University Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory
Full text:
http://nationalhogfarmer.com/health/participation-swine-surveillance-pilot-project-encouraged
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7. AVMA issues report on the market for veterinarians
By AVMA
Bovine Veterinarian
July 30, 2015
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) today released its 2015 AVMA Report on the Market for Veterinarians.
The fourth installment of the AVMA's six-part 2015 Veterinary Economic Report series, the report includes information on the compensation trends in veterinary medicine, the demand for new veterinarians, the supply of labor and a forecast of the market for veterinarians.
"Our 2015 AVMA Report on the Market for Veterinarians attempts to detail and explain the current market based on the latest data and information from a variety of sources," said AVMA Economics Director Michael Dicks, PhD. "It takes into account a complex set of horizontally related veterinary markets that include practitioners across a wide spectrum of species, as well as those in public health, industry and academia. We also explore such topics as compensation, the supply of labor, veterinarians' satisfaction with their current employment and what the future may hold in terms of the market for veterinarians."
The report series is designed to help veterinarians better understand the markets they operate in and the factors that affect their livelihood. The 2015 AVMA Report on the Market for Veterinarians can be purchased online from the AVMA Store as part of the six-installment series, and free summaries of the first four published reports also are available. The price for the series is $249 for AVMA members and $499 for nonmembers. The three other reports will be available upon publication.
Full text:
http://www.bovinevetonline.com/news/industry/avma-issues-report-market-veterinarians
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