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1. Import Alert: Removal of HPAI restrictions for avian commodities originating from or transiting Ontario, Canada
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin
August 25, 2015
Effective immediately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) is removing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) restrictions placed on the importation of poultry, commercial birds, other types of birds (pets, research, performing), ratites, any avian hatching eggs, unprocessed avian products and by-products, and certain fresh poultry products from the province of Ontario, Canada. These temporary restrictions were placed on these commodities on April 9, 2015.
Effective immediately, CFIA will certify for export any live poultry, day old chicks or hatching eggs, unprocessed avian products or by-products that originated, within Ontario, Canada.
Pet birds, (including U.S. origin returning birds) originating from Ontario, can enter the United States from Canada through a U.S. port of entry without an import permit or a health certificate. Importers of pet birds must schedule a VS inspection at least 72 hours in advance of land-border port arrival. There is no quarantine requirement for pet birds importing from Canada. Note: Canadian or U.S. origin pet birds importing via any land border port crossing from Canada, do not need an import permit, the VS inspection as referenced above, is all that is required.
HPAI restrictions placed on unprocessed avian meat, products and by-products originating from or transiting through Canada, including the province of Ontario, in passenger baggage are removed. This also includes composted manure*, hunter harvested meat, and meat in passenger baggage whether shipped to the United States or accompanying returning hunters. Unfinished avian trophies are no longer required to be consigned to USDA approved establishments and VS permits are no longer required.
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2. Collaborating on FMD crisis preparedness
By My Beef Checkoff
Drovers CattleNetwork.com
August 24, 2015
Although the U.S. has been free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), the checkoff recognizes the importance of being prepared to communicate with industry and consumer representatives in the event of such a crisis. With that in mind, the checkoff formed the FMD Cross Species Communications Group about a decade ago to create a unified crisis communication plan for the livestock industry and collaborate on consumer-tested FMD messages.
In June, the checkoff led a communicators' webinar for this Secure Beef Supply (SBS) plan to collaborate all sectors of the beef industry on the subject of foreign animal disease outbreaks. Similar to previous briefings of stakeholder groups - such as retail and foodservice trade associations - this latest webinar updated SBS members on communications activities of the FMD Cross Species Communications Group, including consumer-tested messages and talking points, fact sheets, website and other materials developed through the FMD Cross Species Communications Group. The FMD Cross Species Communications Group will continue work to plan against FMD with a tabletop exercise for stakeholders this fall to continue testing the crisis communications plan. Lear more at FMD info: [ http://www.footandmouthdiseaseinfo.org/ ].
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3. Iowa State University cancels classes at campus farm with rare chickens to avert bird flu risk
Associated Press
FoxBusiness.com
August 25, 2015
DES MOINES, Iowa - To protect a flock of rare chickens from the possibility of getting the bird flu, Iowa State University said Monday it has canceled classes for about 500 students at its poultry teaching and research farm.
Instead professors will rely on videos to teach the students about poultry nutrition, reproduction, anatomy and physiology.
The Department of Animal Science is minimizing traffic to the poultry farm on 11 acres 3 miles south of the main Iowa State campus in Ames amid concern the bird flu virus may return when wild birds, which carry the disease, start migrating this fall.
Six courses a year are typically taught at the farm, established in 1963. The farm has meat chickens and egg layers in addition to turkeys and other birds.
Some of the chickens have the world's oldest inbred research genetic lines, with the oldest dating back to 1925. Some originate from the 1950s, with genetics from Egypt and Spain.
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4. National Chicken Council Identifies Biosecurity Principles
SoutheastAgNet.com
August 25, 2015
From the National Chicken Council:
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In preparation for the potential re-emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the fall as wild birds begin to migrate south from Canada, the National Chicken Council (NCC) has identified the top biosecurity principles for broiler and broiler-breeder producers.
Biosecurity is the poultry industry's first line of defense to all avian diseases, including HPAI. The following biosecurity measures have been identified by NCC, members of the NCC biosecurity working group, veterinarians and avian health experts as the most important to prevent disease spread and promote flock health:
* Limiting visitors on the farm and minimizing foot traffic;
* Avoiding contact with wild and domestic fowl;
* Avoiding the sharing of farm equipment;
* Having a clean and functioning footbath at each entrance to the broiler house;
* Ensuring that all visitors or personnel have disinfected or new footwear before entering a house or facility;
* Making sure feed and water sources are covered and free of contaminants, limiting the attraction of wild fowl and pests;
* Having official signage clearly stating the farm is a biosecure zone and any unauthorized entry is strictly prohibited;
* Employing effective pest and wild bird management practices; and
* Adequately training farmers, farm and company personal in biosecurity and disease prevention.
"Rigorous implementation of biosecurity principles will be essential to preventing disease introduction onto broiler chicken operations," said NCC President Mike Brown. "I know each industry has been preparing similarly. By maintaining this strong collaboration and sharing of lessons learned, I am confident we will all be in a much better place this year."
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5. Iowa to Participate In National Avian Influenza Surveillance Effort
Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources
KIWAradio.com
August 25, 2015
Des Moines, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is participating in a national surveillance effort to test waterfowl for the presence of avian influenza. Testing began this summer as part of the DNR's annual waterfowl banding work and will continue with hunter harvested ducks this fall and winter.
The project is coordinated by the USDA Wildlife Services that is targeting watersheds by season. This fall, hunters in the Upper Mississippi, Iowa, Skunk and Wapsipinicon River watershed and the Chariton and Grand River watershed may be asked to have samples collected from their harvested ducks. Later this winter, the focus shifts to the Missouri and Little Sioux River watershed.
"We are targeting dabbling ducks - teal, gadwall, widgeon, mallards are the highest priority and hope to fill our sample quotas on the opening day of regular duck season," said Orrin Jones, waterfowl biologist with the Iowa DNR.
Watersheds were selected based on the likelihood that dabbling ducks would be intermingling with other ducks and were assigned quotas to determine if avian influenza is present in the watersheds: 60 samples, 80 samples and 140 samples, respectively.
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6. Large animal veterinarians in short supply
Associated Press
Iowa Farmer Today
August 25, 2015
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - If you are one of the estimated 10,000 cattle producers in Mississippi, you may have faced a challenge in finding a veterinarian to treat a sick or injured animal right away.
According to the USDA, nationally in 2010 - the most recent year for which statistics are available - about 6 percent of veterinarians specialized in equine veterinary medicine, about 8 percent practiced exclusively or predominantly on food animals and another 7 percent had mixed-animal practices.
By contrast, two-thirds of the nation's veterinarians in 2010 practiced exclusively on companion animals (dogs, cats and other small animals). The trend toward small-animal practices is believed to have continued, as increasing numbers of vet school graduates opt for more lucrative pet practices to pay off six-figure student loans sooner.
It's an issue here in Mississippi, too.
"There are plenty of vets out there; there's just a shortage of those offering large animal services," said Andy Berry, executive vice president of the Mississippi Cattlemen's Association. "It's a problem anytime you have less availability. Where it affects you is it may take longer for someone to get to you."
For routine veterinary procedures, a few hours or even days may not be crucial, but securing an animal doctor quickly to deliver a breech calf or to treat a horse with pneumonia could mean the difference between recovery and death for the animals in question.
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7. Emergency response teams train to protect animals [LA]
By Kaci Cazenave
The Daily Reveille [LSU]
August 25, 2015
First responders are giving the phrase "no one gets left behind" a new meaning this hurricane season. Now, not only are they being trained to save man, but also to save man's best friend.
On Sunday, disaster response experts, who led animal rescue efforts following Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, returned to Louisiana to begin training state emergency responders to rescue animals in future disasters.
These experts included representatives from the American Humane Association, ASPCA, LSU School of Veterinary Medicine and similar organizations. The first phase of training took place outside Cabela's in Gonzales.
The rescue training boot camp is hosted by the Louisiana State Animal Response Team and the National Alliance of State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs. It is part of a continued Katrina relief plan and will last until Saturday, the 10-year anniversary of the storm.
During training, responders learn water rescue, fire rescue, pet first-aid, large animal rescue, animal sheltering and decontamination of animals, among other skills.
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