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1. Vesicular stomatitis reported in Rio Blanco County, NW Colorado
By Special to the Herald Times
The Herald Times
September 23, 2015
RBC I Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) is a contagious disease that afflicts horses, livestock, wildlife and even humans has found its way into northwestern Colorado and Rio Blanco County. The disease is caused by a virus which although rarely life threatening, can have significant financial impact on the horse industry.
Clinical Signs & Diagnosis
When vesicular stomatitis occurs in horses, blister-like lesions develop on the tongue, mouth lining, nose and lips. In some cases, lesions also develop on the coronary bands, or on the udder or sheath. When VS is suspected, an exact diagnosis should be obtained by testing the blood for virus-specific antibodies. Testing is necessary to rule out the possibility that the lesions are caused by photosensitivity (sunburn), irritating feeds or weeds, or toxicity from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications like phenylbutazone.
If you horses have any of these symptoms it is suggested you contact your veterinarian for assistance, says Bill Ekstrom CSU Extension Agent.
The incubation period for vesicular stomatitis-meaning the time from exposure until the first signs appear-ranges from two to eight days. The disease generally runs its course within two weeks, although it may take as long as two months for the sores to entirely heal. Until the ulcers are completely healed, the horse remains infective and the potential remains for disease to spread.
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2. Minnesota duck hunters asked to help track avian flu
TwinCities.com
September 25, 2015
Minnesota duck hunters are being asked to assist state officials in tracking avian flu, beginning Saturday, the first day for duck hunting.
Staff from the Department of Natural Resources will be stationed around seven western and central Minnesota counties - Kandiyohi, Meeker, Morrison, Pope, Stearns, Swift and Todd - in hopes of testing 800 birds for avian influenza, which ravaged some farmed poultry flocks earlier this year and might have been transmitted via wild migratory birds.
Birds will be quickly swabbed by DNR staff and returned unaltered to hunters. There are no food safety issues with avian flu.
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3. Tough lessons rise from avian influenza outbreak [MN]
By Tom Cherveny
West Central Tribune
September 24, 2015
WILLMAR - When highly pathogenic avian influenza was first detected on the West Coast in December of 2014, those preparing for its arrival in Minnesota expected the call to action here to come in two to three years.
"That call came March 15 and we finally went home August 15,'' said Michael Starkey, who led the incident command post for the Minnesota Board of Animal Health in Willmar during the outbreak. "It was a very long, very challenging event. Very intense.''
The lessons of the outbreak are still being learned, but many changes are already being made based on what is known now. Starkey and others involved in managing the response in Minnesota and Iowa spoke Thursday in Willmar about those changes and also about the questions that remain unanswered.
They were part of a panel discussion at the daylong Animal Science Conference hosted on the MinnWest Technology Campus in Willmar. The annual event features expert speakers in the animal agriculture industry.
The most important change in the response to avian flu going forward is the effort to toughen biosecurity measures at turkey and poultry operations.
"The security practices we used in the past were not working,'' said Steve Olson, executive director of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association and of the Chicken and Egg Association of Minnesota. "We had some very high-level, biosecurity farms that this virus got into. There is not a silver bullet out there that's going to be the one answer."
He said it will require a "combination of things" to get and stay ahead of it.
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4. Vesicular Stomatitis outbreak 2015: Nearly 500 premises confirmed or suspected
Posted by Robert Herriman
Outbreak News Today
September 25, 2015
Since Apr. 29, 490 premises in several midwestern and southwestern states have been confirmed positive, or suspected positive for Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV), according to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) this week.
The strain of virus is the New Jersey serotype, where confirmed, in eight states-Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
The outbreak was first detected in a horse (the index case) in Grant County, New Mexico.
APHIS has reported Fifty-two (52) new VSV-confirmed (New Jersey serotype) and/or suspect premises in Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming have been identified and quarantined during the past week.
Currently, there are one hundred one (101) affected premises remaining under quarantine in 6 states (Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming).
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5. Murphy Farm Hay and Feed Company Issues Recall of Alfalfa Hay Due to Possible Health Risk
FDA Ctr. for Veterinary Medicine
Murphy Farm Hay & Feed Co. Press Release
September 18, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 18, 2015 - Louisburg, NC - Murphy Farm Hay and Feed Company of Louisburg North Carolina has initiated a voluntary limited recall of alfalfa hay due to potential Blister Beetle contamination. The product was offered for sale to consumers at the following two retail locations, Murphy Farm Hay and Feed in Louisburg, NC and Jones Farm Hay and Feed in Middlesex, NC.
A sample of the potentially contaminated hay tested positive for cantharidin, a poisonous substance found in blister beetles, and is suspected in the deaths of six horses. While cattle, goats and sheep may also be affected by cantharidin, horses are more susceptible to the toxin than ruminants. Horse owners should monitor their animals closely and contact their veterinarian if any of the following signs are observed; inflammation, colic, straining, elevated temperature, depression, blood in the urine, increased heart rate and respiration, dehydration, sweating and diarrhea. Death can occur between as little as a few hours and up to about 3 days after a toxic exposure so it is imperative to contact a veterinarian as soon as blister beetle poisoning is suspected. Please note that hay contaminated with the toxin may or may not contain visible beetles.
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6. Seasonal body clock discovered in animals
By Mike Addelman
Phys.org
September 25, 2015
Scientists have discovered the cells driving the annual body clock in animals which adapts their body to the changing seasons.
The BBSRC team from The Universities of Manchester and Edinburgh reveal that cells in a structure called the 'pars tuberalis'- which is situated in the pituitary gland - there are specialised cells that respond according how much daylight there is, providing an internal genetic calendar for the animal.
The activity of these "calendar cells" changes dramatically over the year, with different proteins produced in winter or summer months. The switching between proteins in calendar cells is what drives the seasonal cycle in sheep and other mammals.
The findings, published in the journal Current Biology, advance our understanding of how the environment affects animals - but could also be relevant to humans.
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7. TPP meetings scheduled for Atlanta
By Jacqui Fatka
Feedstuffs
September 25, 2015
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced that the United States will host a meeting of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade ministers in Atlanta on Wednesday and Thursday (Sept. 30 and Oct. 1). The TPP chief negotiators will meet from Saturday to Tuesday, also in Atlanta.
The USTR announcement could possibly signal that the meetings may result in a final agreement. Agricultural issues left to be resolved include dairy access with Canada and Japan. Australia is also pushing for increased sugar access with the United States. (Read more about what U.S. dairy producers are seeking in a final TPP deal.)
After the July meetings in Hawaii, USTR officials said that ministers should not meet again until they are ready to finalize the deal. "Trade ministers and negotiators last met in July and have been making good progress toward resolving the limited number of outstanding issues," USTR said this week.
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