|
* * * * * * * * * *
1. McMillan Advises Horse Owners to Vaccinate for EEE & West Nile Virus [AL]
From the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries:
SoutheastAgNet.com
August 13, 2015
MONTGOMERY, AL- Agriculture & Industries Commissioner John McMillan announces that two positive tests for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) have been reported by the department's diagnostic laboratory located in Auburn. One sample was collected from a horse located in Dallas county and the other sample was collected from a horse located in Mississippi.
"This is the time of year that we are extremely vulnerable to the spread of mosquito-borne viruses and we need to protect our livestock and ourselves" stated McMillan. "I want to encourage horse owners to vaccinate their horses for both EEE and West Nile Virus as soon as possible."
EEE is a mosquito-transmitted disease that is much more severe than West Nile Virus (WNV). The mortality rate in horses from WNV is reported at around 30%, while the rate for EEE is almost 90%. Infected mosquitoes are the primary source for EEE. The virus causes inflammation or swelling of the brain and spinal cord. General symptoms include central nervous system signs such as: head pressing, convulsions, lack of response to facial stimulation, fever above 103 degrees, ataxia, paralysis, anorexia, depression and stupor. Other symptoms may include irregular gait, teeth grinding, in-coordination, circling, and staggering. All symptoms may not be exhibited by an infected horse.
Commissioner McMillan and State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier recommend vaccinating your horses every six months against both EEE and WNV. Horse owners are encouraged to contact their local veterinarian to schedule a vaccination for their horses. The public is also advised to make every effort to reduce human exposure to mosquitoes during this time of year.
********
|
|
2. National equine vet economic study released
Feedstuffs
August 13, 2015
Results of the "National Equine Veterinary Economic Study" provide an in-depth assessment of the equine veterinary industry, including the current status and economic trends of veterinary practices, and attitudes of veterinarians. Study results will be released in a series of six monthly topics and the first release provides a financial review of the equine veterinary industry from 2007 to 2012.
Data from the study reflect, among other things, a significant downturn in key economic indicators for equine practices from 2008 to 2010, including revenues, invoices and number of active patients and clients. This was followed by a rebound in 2011 and 2012, but not a complete recovery.
Sponsored by Merck Animal Health and Henry Schein Animal Health, in partnership with the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the study was led by equine veterinary market research specialist and practice management consultant Dr. Edward L. Blach and assisted by Dr. Andrew R. Clark, a leading equine practice management consultant.
The study also includes an evaluation of current management practices to help identify ways equine practices can operate in a more profitable manner.
"For example, more work is being concentrated on fewer clients and fewer horses, which is a significant change to the business landscape - impacting business practices, revenue streams and client management," Blach said.
Full text:
********
|
|
3. New Avian Health Complex Opens August 13 At Texas A&M
BirdChannel Editors
BirdChannel.com
August 11, 2013
A new avian health complex will be formally opened Thursday, August 13, 2015, at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM), which hosts one of the top avian medicine programs in the nation. The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m.
The new climate-controlled aviary will provide an environment for a variety of birds in various conditions, CVM officials note. Containing approximately 11,000 square feet of floor space, the state-of-the-art complex includes a functional hospital, receiving area with quarantine capabilities, three isolation rooms, a Biosafety Level 2 laboratory for infectious disease research and separate areas for infected and healthy birds, along with teaching, classroom and office space.
The center conducts research into all aspects of diseases in wild and captive birds, as well as avian genetics, genomics, nutrition and behavior. The results of research at the center are already being applied to improve the health of birds kept by zoos, aviculturists and individual pet owners, as well as conserving threatened avian species in the wild, according to Texas A&M.
Full text:
********
|
|
4. FDA finds some improvement in antibiotic resistance trends
Feedstuffs
August 12, 2015
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration released its "2012-13 National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Integrated Report."
FDA said this report replaces its annual "NARMS Executive Summary" report and highlights antimicrobial resistance patterns in bacteria isolated from humans, retail meats and animals at slaughter. Specifically, the report focuses on major foodborne pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics that are considered important to human medicine, and on multidrug resistant pathogens (described as resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics).
NARMS monitors foodborne pathogens to determine whether they are resistant to various antibiotics used in human and veterinary medicine. Specifically NARMS screens: non-typhoidal salmonella, campylobacter, Escherichia coli and enterococcus.
Salmonella and campylobacter are the leading bacterial causes of foodborne illness. While E. coli and enterococcus may cause foodborne illness, they are included in NARMS mainly to help track the occurrence and spread of resistance.
Results
Overall, FDA said the "2012-13 Integrated Report" reveals mostly encouraging findings, with some areas of concern.
Encouraging findings:
* About 80% of human salmonella isolates are not resistant to any of the tested antibiotics, a finding that has not changed in the past 10 years. Further, resistance to ceftriaxone, azithromycin and quinolones, three important drugs used to treat human salmonella isolates, remains below 3%.
* Salmonella multi-drug resistance (resistance to three or more classes of antibiotics) in human, cattle and chicken isolates has not changed (at about 10%) in the last decade, and the numbers of multi-drug resistant salmonella isolates in retail chicken have gone down (about 3%).
* Campylobacter jejuni resistance to the fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin, the most common antibiotic used to treat human C. jejuni illness, was at its lowest level in retail chicken to date (11%). C. jejuni causes most human campylobacter infections.
Still of concern:
* Multidrug resistance (MDR) in human isolates of a common salmonella serotype (l 4,[5],12:i:-) continues to rise. Resistance has more than doubled from 18% in 2011 to 46% in 2013.
* An increase in MDR and ceftriaxone resistance was also observed in salmonella serotype Dublin isolated from cattle and human sources.
Full text:
********
|
|
5. AI causes 'staggering' impact on US exports
WorldPoultry.net
August 13, 2015
Although no detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been recorded in the US for more than seven weeks, the toll the virus has taken on the US poultry and egg industry this year is staggering.
AI causes 'staggering' impact on US exports
The impact of lost exports alone - the result of a flurry of AI-related trade restrictions imposed on imports US poultry and egg products - reached nearly $390 million during the first half of 2015.
14% drop in US poultry exports
In precise terms, the combined value of US poultry and egg exports for the first half fell by 14% from the same period last year to $2.4054 billion, a decline in value of $386.3 million, according to trade data compiled by the Foreign Agricultural Service.
This sharp drop in export value, one of the largest ever for a January through June span, is a graphic example of the economic effect this year's multi-state outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has had on the industry.
The good news is that some countries have begun lifting their import restrictions on poultry products originating in certain states, now that more than 90 days have passed since affected farms were cleaned and disinfected, as is recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
********
|
|
6. Pierce County slaughterhouse recalls hogs tied to salmonella [WA]
By JoNel Aleccia, Seattle Times health reporter
Seattle Times
August 13, 2015
Kapowsin Meats of Pierce County is recalling more than 116,000 pounds of whole hogs used for barbecues that may be contaminated with salmonella. Officials say they don't believe the slaughterhouse is the only source.
A Pierce County slaughterhouse linked to an ongoing salmonella outbreak tied to pork is recalling more than 116,000 pounds of whole hogs used for barbecues, even as investigators search for other sources.
Kapowsin Meats of Graham issued the recall voluntarily Thursday, officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reported.
At least 134 illnesses linked to the rare outbreak strain of Salmonella I, 4, 5, 12:i- have been reported, and 32 of those cases were traced back to Kapowsin Meats, FSIS officials said.
People have fallen ill in 10 Washington counties, with most cases, 84, in King County, followed by 24 in Snohomish County, 12 in Pierce County and a handful of cases elsewhere. Fifteen people have been hospitalized.
Officials with USDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health and agriculture departments have been investigating the outbreak.
********
|
|
7. Drones could be stressing out wildlife, scientists suggest
By Chelsea Harvey
The Washington Post
August 13, 2015
The rising popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has caused them to show up everywhere from private back yards to national parks, and the drones have proven useful for all kinds of applications, including recreation, military defense and even scientific research. As a result, although drones and wildlife might not seem like they should ever mix, more and more frequently they do.
One increasing use for UAVs is allowing scientists, conservationists and even ecotourists to get up close and personal with nature. They have been used to ward off rhino and elephant poachers in Africa and collect data on wild humpback whales. Amateur drone operators have used UAVs to collect videos and photographs of wildlife, such as dolphins, in their natural habitats.
But as much as UAVs are becoming more common among wildlife researchers and enthusiasts, there has been little research on how the animals actually react to the aircraft. Measuring animals' reactions to drones buzzing around overhead is important for figuring out how much stress the aircraft may be putting on the local fauna, say researchers from the University of Minnesota. And they have just released a study that lead author Mark Ditmer, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Minnesota's Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, says he hopes will encourage more research on the subject.
********
|
|
