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1. Lawmakers examine bird flu response, plan for outbreak
Associated Press
St. Cloud Times
September 8, 2015
ST. PAUL -- With the possible return of bird flu weighing on them, state and federal agriculture officials told Minnesota lawmakers Tuesday of how they hope honed response plans will limit the spread of the virus and address poultry producers' frustrations.
U.S. Department of Agriculture District Director Steve Halstead told a joint hearing of two House agriculture committees of "lessons learned" in dealing with the virus that led to the death or destruction of 48 million turkeys and chickens across the country - 9 million of those were in Minnesota. His comments followed testimony of two poultry producers, one of whom was highly critical of authorities' slow response at her chicken farm and trouble securing reimbursements for steep losses.
"We overcame an awful lot," Halstead said describing it as "the largest animal disease response" ever mounted. "There are still things we need to learn."
The federal agency will have rewritten a response plan by fall to expedite handling of suspected cases, deploy field staff more efficiently and be clearer about which entities will play what roles, Halstead said.
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health is expecting faster turnaround of suspected cases sent to veterinary diagnostic labs and has set a goal of exterminating flocks on affected farms within two days, according to executive director Dr. Bill Hartmann.
"We're prepared for seeing the disease this fall," Hartmann said.
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2. Avian influenza outreach efforts ramp up for fall and winter [OR]
Oregon's backyard bird owners alerted that migratory waterfowl are on the move again
Oregon Dept. of Agriculture News Release
September 9, 2015
Migratory waterfowl potentially carrying a highly pathogenic bird flu virus are about to begin the annual trek south over Oregon and other states in the Pacific Flyway. That means it's time for the Oregon Department of Agriculture to step up its outreach and education efforts to backyard bird owners whose flocks might come in contact with wild waterfowl over the fall and winter. The messages haven't changed much from earlier this year when ODA and its partners embarked on outreach following two separate detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in backyard birds in Douglas and Deschutes counties, but those messages bear repeating.
"Getting the word out about practicing good biosecurity is important 12 months a year, but fall and winter are especially critical because migration of waterfowl is taking place," says ODA Avian Health Coordinator Madeline Benoit. "The cold and wet weather ahead of us actually helps the virus to survive better and with a lot of people hiking or hunting in the fall, they could unknowingly track the virus home on their shoes and spread it to any backyard birds they might have."
Outreach efforts ramped up following last December's detection of HPAI in a flock of backyard birds in Douglas County. That kicked off implementation of Oregon's multi-agency response plan to bird flu which includes enhanced surveillance along with increased outreach and education, especially to backyard bird owners. A second detection of HPAI in a Deschutes County backyard flock in February provided additional impetus to reach bird owners throughout the state.
While commercial poultry operations need to be prepared for dealing with HPAI, messaging about good biosecurity has focused on backyard bird owners. No commercial poultry in Oregon was affected by the outbreaks inside the state's border, even though commercial operators in other states were greatly impacted by HPAI outbreaks in the Midwest this year.
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3. WTO sets arbitration hearing dates for meat labelling dispute with U.S.
By Kelsey Johnson
iPolitics.ca
September 8, 2015
The latest World Trade Organization (WTO) hearing over the protracted dispute between Canada and Mexico on the one hand and the United States on the other over mandatory U.S. meat labelling rules has been set for September 15-16 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The arbitration hearing comes as Canada and Mexico continue to demand the American government repeal its controversial mandatory country-of-origin labeling rules (COOL).
In place since 2008, COOL requires producers and processors identify where an animal is born raised and slaughtered. Canada and Mexico have protested the law as protectionist, a view that has been upheld by the World Trade Organization four times.
Canadian officials want to impose more than $3 billion worth of retaliatory tariffs against the United States because of COOL. American officials have challenged Canada's economic analysis - triggering the WTO arbitration hearing.
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4. McDonald's to Fully Transition to Cage-Free Eggs for All Restaurants in the U.S. and Canada
Marketwired via COMTEX
MarketWatch.com
September 9, 2015
OAK BROOK, IL -- To meet consumers' changing expectations and preferences, McDonald's MCD, -1.39% today announced that it will fully transition to cage-free eggs for its nearly 16,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada over the next 10 years.
"Our customers are increasingly interested in knowing more about their food and where it comes from," said McDonald's USA President Mike Andres. "Our decision to source only cage-free eggs reinforces the focus we place on food quality and our menu to meet and exceed our customers' expectations."
"We're proud of the work we're doing with farmers and suppliers to advance environmentally and socially conscious practices for the animals in our supply chain," said Marion Gross, senior vice president and Chief Supply Chain Officer of McDonald's North America. "This is a bold move and we're confident in our ability to provide a quality, safe, and consistent supply."
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5. South Dakota veterinarians honored at annual event
Tri-State Neighbor
September 9, 2015
The South Dakota Veterinary Medical Association held its 124th annual meeting Aug. 9-12 at the Ramkota Convention Center in Sioux Falls.
The meeting included continuing education opportunities for more than 200 veterinarians and veterinary technicians and recognized outstanding accomplishments by professionals in the veterinary fields.
Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award honors an individual who has brought distinction to the veterinary profession through devotion to the care and well-being of animals, support for the profession and contributions to the community. Dr. Sam Holland was this year's recipient.
Born and raised on a farm in south-central Minnesota, Holland spent 15 years in practice before beginning 23 years of public service. He was in large-animal private practice in central South Dakota, then served as assistant state veterinarian from 1986 to 1995.
He was appointed executive secretary and state veterinarian in 1995 and retired as state veterinarian on March 6, 2009, having served the state's agriculture industry for 23 years. He currently is serving as executive director of the South Dakota Veterinary Medical Examining Board.
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6. Cattle transports are subject to compliance checks [TN]
Tennessee Department of Agriculture reminds haulers of 2013 rule
From staff reports
Hartsville Vidette
September 9, 2015
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is reminding haulers that anyone transporting livestock across state lines is subject to compliance checks under the federal Animal Disease Traceability rule. The rule, which went into effect in 2013, requires the identification of livestock being moved interstate.
"The federal rule is an effective way to trace the movement of livestock in an animal disease event so that appropriate action can be taken to limit its spread," state veterinarian Dr. Charles Hatcher said. "Our current vigilance for high path avian influenza is a perfect example of this. The rule only applies to livestock being moved interstate, but it's important that farmers work with their local veterinarian to obtain proper documentation."
The ADT rule requires all livestock, including cattle, equine, sheep and goats, swine and poultry, being moved interstate to be officially identified, unless specifically exempted. Livestock must be accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection or other documentation, such as owner-shipper statements.
Brands, tattoos and brand registration can also be used as official identification when accepted by the shipping and receiving states. Back tags are accepted as an alternative to official ear tags for cattle moved directly to slaughter.
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7. As Saudi MERS total grows, study hints at increased transmissibility [edited]
Lisa Schnirring, News Editor
CIDRAP News
September 9, 2015
Saudi Arabia's government today reported two more MERS-CoV infections, one involving a healthcare worker likely infected in Riyadh's outbreak, and Chinese researchers detailed a comparison of recent samples that hints at increased transmissibility.
In other developments, the Saudi agriculture ministry announced new results from a large camel sampling project, which revealed that 3.3% of the country's animals are probably infected with MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus).
An official from Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Agriculture unveiled the results of a camel sampling at a Sep 7 media briefing in Riyadh, and said the findings provider stronger proof that camels are transmitting the virus to people, Arab News reported today [Sept. 9].
Bats and camels are thought to harbor the virus, but the animal reservoir and intermediate sources of the virus haven't been fully defined.
Ibrahim Qassem, director general of the ministry's livestock division, said 40 survey teams that included 200 veterinarians looked at 32,000 samples from 8,000 camels. They found that 81.5% of the animals were immune to the virus and 3.3% carry or spread it, according to the news report. He estimated that 7,700 of the country's 233,000 camels are infected with MERS-CoV.
Qassem told reporters that although the findings confirm the relationship between camels and the virus, they aren't likely to settle the debate about transmission from camels to people. He added that the ministry is trying to determine how camels are infected and if they are infected by other animals.
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