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1. Kansas State Tapped To Work On Animal Disease Outbreak Plan
By Laura Ziegler
KCUR.org
September 1, 2015
Adding extra preparations following the disastrous bird flu outbreak this year, federal authorities have tapped Kansas State University to share its course on responding to agricultural emergencies.
K-State's National Agricultural Biosecurity Center, or NABC, is helping the Federal Emergency Management Agency provide training to first responders, according to a release from K-State.
Federal officials -- specifically the USDA -- were criticized for a slow and chaotic response to this year's outbreak of highly pathogenic avian flu, which decimated the egg-laying and turkey industry in the Midwest.
The training will be included in the catalog of FEMA's National Training and Education Division, said Marvin Meinders with the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Health Affairs. It's crucial to have a collaborative operating plan for local, state and federal responders, he said.
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2. Livestock disease continues to be found in South Dakota [VS]
Associated Press
Rapid City Journal
September 1, 2015
PIERRE -- A highly contagious livestock disease continues to be found in South Dakota facilities.
The state Animal Industry Board says vesicular stomatitis virus has been found at 29 locations in five counties in western South Dakota since July 28. Twenty-seven of the premises have affected horses, while two cattle herds have also been infected.
The disease is transmitted by flies and midges. It infects mainly horses and cattle, though other animals including swine and sheep also are susceptible. It's rarely fatal but can cause economic hardship for people who own performance animals.
State Veterinarian Dustin Oedekoven recommends that livestock owners monitor their animals, especially those traveling for shows or other events.
The board says horses traveling to Huron for State Fair-related events must have a certificate of veterinary inspection issued within 48 hours of arrival.
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3. Washoe County Horse Tests Positive for West Nile [NV]
By: News Release
KOLOtv.com
September 1, 2015
RENO, NV - A 13-year-old mare in the Washoe Valley/Franktown Road area has tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV), according to Washoe health officials. The report confirms WNV presence in southern Washoe County including Sparks, Reno, and Washoe Valley.
Officials stress the importance of taking preventive measures to keep from contracting WNV, and remind horse owners that although there is no vaccine available for humans, there is a WNV vaccine for horses.
The Nevada State Laboratory reported to the Health District that the animal hadn't traveled before onset of the disease, and that the horse is now suffering from neurological complications, leading it to be taken to UC Davis for treatment.
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4. Kentucky Reports Third Equine WNV Case of 2015
By Erica Larson, News Editor
TheHorse.com
September 1, 2015
The Kentucky State Veterinarian's office has announced Sept. 1 that a Shelby County horse has tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV), the third confirmed case in the commonwealth this year.
In a statement Kentucky Equine Programs manager E.S. "Rusty" Ford relayed that the 3-year-old Quarter Horse mare with no history of vaccination presented on Aug. 28 with lethargy, ataxic (mild rear limb weakness), facial muscle fasciculations (twitching), bilateral nasal discharge, and head tilting. As of Sept. 1, the attending veterinarian reported that the mare is able to rise and is in stable condition, Ford's statement said.
West Nile virus was first diagnosed in Kentucky equids during the late summer in 2001.
"Including this year's three reported cases (through Sept. 1), our cumulative equine case total since 2001 is 716," Ford said.
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5. Scientists create nanoproduct to fight the common tick [MX]
Phys.org
September 1, 2015
The common tick is a parasite whose bite damages the flesh and skin of cattle and affects the quality of their milk. Additionally, it can transmit infections to humans. However, this vector is difficult to monitor, because some of the current strains are highly resistant to the insecticides offered in the international market.
To address this problem, a scientific group at the National University of Mexico (UNAM) designed a new external antiparasitic in the form of nanoparticles to target the tick. The laboratory has shown it to be less toxic than products currently marketed, and it does not harm the environment or the people who handle it.
Chemists Enrique Angeles Anguiano and Fernando Alba Hurtado, who head the scientific group at the UNAM, explained that the components of the antiparasitic are not absorbed by the gastrointestinal tracts of cattle, so they do not circulate in the bloodstream or affect the quality of their meat or milk, which can occur with the products currently used.
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6. Experts describe expectations for new vaccine adjuvants
By VaxLiant
Bovine Veterinarian
September 1, 2015
This week, at the 2015 Animal Health Research Symposium, experts described four expectations that new vaccine adjuvants should meet, and presented data on a next-generation vaccine under development that could be the first to use DNA technology to immunize poultry against avian influenza virus (AIV). AIV was one of several disease organisms featured in 24 presentations at this two-day symposium addressing the growing risk of vector-borne diseases that are zoonotic, meaning they can spread among animals and humans.
"Disease-causing organisms are constantly evolving to gain a competitive edge, and many endanger both human and animal health," said Tim Miller, Ph.D., co-founder of VaxLiant. "That's why it is so important to focus research on preventive solutions that are agile and flexible enough to match this evolution, especially that of rapidly changing viruses causing zoonotic diseases."
In his presentation, Miller highlighted the importance of developing new adjuvants - an ingredient added to vaccines to improve the resulting immune response - that are versatile enough to create next-generation vaccines. According to Miller, the ideal adjuvant should: 1) be flexible enough to enable vaccine developers to create a specific immune response (immunomodulation); 2) minimize cell destruction to allow in vitro development; 3) provide extended stability when the vaccine is stored or administered to the animal; and 4) include no animal-origin materials that could compromise safety, and restrict the import or export of animals and animal products.
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7. Animal Health Corridor adds new player to the herd
Brian Kaberline Editor
Kansas City Business Journal
September 1, 2015
A company focusing on stem-cell therapies is joining the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor.
MediVet Biologics announced it will open a lab in Manhattan in early October. The lab will develop patented technology that the company bought from Kansas State University earlier this year.
MediVet has dual headquarters in central Kentucky and Sydney, Australia. The company specializes in regenerative medicine, including a process for using an animal's stem cells for pain relief and a vaccine designed to aid in the treatment of cancer in dogs.
The Manhattan lab will be MediVet's second in the United States. The company plans to locate the lab in the Kansas Entrepreneurial Center in Manhattan initially and is looking at options for a permanent site in the city, according to a release.
In June, MediVet bought a patent involving umbilical cord matrix stem cells. The technology, developed by a team at K-State led by Dr. Mark Weiss, involves harvesting, isolating and culturing stem cells, which then can be turned into other cell types for use in treating mammals. The technology is in pre-clinical development as a potential treatment for musculoskeleton and internal medicine uses.
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