|
* * * * * * * * * *
1. Vesicular Stomatitis Outbreak now reported statewide [WY- edited]
County10.com
October 6, 2015
Riverton, Wyo. - Wyoming State Veterinarian Dr. Jim Logan in Riverton said this week the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) outbreak has now been documented throughout the state.
The disease is manifested primarily in horses, but also cattle and other hooved animals, he said. The symptoms include slobbering, blisters that pop and break open leading to a raw open sore on the tongue, lips and sometimes on the coronary band above the hooves of horses and in the udder and genital area of cattle and other hooved animals, including sheep, pigs and goats. The symptoms can also appear on the muzzle and inside the ears of horses.
Animals with the disease can lose weight because it is painful for them to eat, or become lame.
"It was first noted clear back in May in Texas, then Colorado and from there the next cases were noted in Arizona and then Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. Since then other cases have been noted in Nebraska and South Dakota," he said. "The first cases in Wyoming was in a horse in Goshen County. It was then found in Laramie County, then Platte and Sublette counties. It bounced around and was also noted in Albany, Fremont, Converse and Natrona counties.
In Fremont County, Logan said 20 different locations are under quarantine for the disease that is impacting a total of some 100-125 animals. "Not that many are affected, probably only one or two per site, but the healthy animals where there is one with the virus are all being quarantined." According to a local equestrian who did not want to be identified for fear of losing business, said one horse in their herd had gotten the disease, but none [of the] others. "I know quite a few folks who have horses with the VSV, but haven't reported it," the source said. Logan agreed. "Livestock owners are supposed to report this, but I suspect many don't for whatever reason."
********
|
|
2. Poultry Farmers Building Fences, Hosing Down Visitors to Prevent Bird Flu
By Lydia Mulvany and Linly Lin, Bloomberg
Claims Journal
October 5, 2015
In Iowa, one of the largest U.S. egg processors has started to buy foreign supplies for the first time. Elsewhere in the Midwest, a free-range egg producer says it may build automatic car washes to scour vehicles accessing its 60 farms. And nationally, agricultural workers are being urged to get flu shots.
Less than six months after the country's worst-ever outbreak of avian influenza killed 48 million birds and cost taxpayers almost $1 billion, the American poultry industry is remaking itself to prepare for the likely return of the disease. The virus thrives in chilly weather and is carried across the country by wild birds that are just now beginning to migrate south.
Poultry farmers that incurred losses earlier this year remain rattled because no one knows for sure whether the disease is spread through the air, in feed grain or contact with equipment and people. The next outbreak could exceed the 211 farms affected last spring.
The government is preparing to deploy enough resources to handle more than 500 infected flocks, with emergency management teams and veterinarians ready to handle everything from destroying infected birds within 24 hours to cleaning up barns.
"It might return in 12 months or in two years time, and we do not understand the virus enough that we can prevent it," said Jonathan Spurway, vice president of marketing at egg producer Rembrandt Enterprises Inc. in Spirit Lake, Iowa. "What we're learning is, you can be 100 percent confident of it returning."
Full text:
********
|
|
3. Rancher seeks halt to tick inspections [TX]
By Emma Perez-Trevino, Staff Writer
Brownsville Herald
October 5, 2015
HARLINGEN - Cattle rancher Daniel "Danny" E. Davis and his Cascabel Cattle Co. are asking a federal judge to temporarily stop the state's attempt to inspect and treat his cattle pending resolution of his challenge.
Davis and his cattle company, through attorney Joe W. Stuckey of Rosharon and Dennis Sanchez of Brownsville, are challenging in federal court the state and federal government's management of the tick eradication program.
The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction against the Texas Animal Health Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture via its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
They also are challenging the use of the agencies' tick insecticide, claiming it is illegally being applied in the dipping and spraying processes, resulting in injury to cattle and sometimes death.
The agencies state they are mandated to ensure fever tick, which is fatal in cattle, does not spread, thus ensuring the cattle industry is protected.
Full text:
********
|
|
4. Parx quarantine to last until Oct. 29 [edited]
By Jim Dunleavy
Daily Racing Form
October 5, 2015
An equine herpesvirus quarantine at Parx Racing will remain in place until Oct. 29, provided no other horses test positive for the disease.
Horses are allowed to ship into Parx to race, according to Sam Elliott, director of racing, but they will not be able to leave the grounds during the quarantine, which is being overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Top of the Stretch, a 2-year-old filly trained by Blane Servis, began showing symptoms of the disease last Thursday, five days after she had raced at Parx, and was sent to the Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center in Ringoes, N.J. Last Friday night, test results confirmed that she had the equine herpesvirus.
Full text:
********
|
|
5. Colorado State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories relate animals and humans
The Rocky Mountain Collegian
October 6, 2015
Colorado State University is a place where Rams take care of Rams- this doesn't just mean students, but animals as well.
In the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories, Fort Collins community members, students and the public can get information about their animal, or discover if the animal has a disease such as cancer. Associate Dean of the DVM program Dr. Barbara Powers said these laboratories are used to test and obtain samples from live or deceased animals.
"We do things that are public health-related, so right now, we are having problems with rabies in the state and it's mostly in raccoons, skunks and bats," Powers said. "If anyone finds any of these animals that are already dead, they bring it to us and we check it for rabies because rabies can kill people."
Powers said these laboratories take samples from severely diseased animals in order to protect people in the community, as well as other animals.
"Everything we do is an animal sample, we don't do human samples, although it can effect humans," Powers said.
These laboratories are not simply for Fort Collins, or even Colorado, because they receive samples from all over the world.
"It's open to the entire public, we're open to the entire state, but also the region," Powers said. "We also work with the United States Department of Agriculture, so we do some testing for them. We get samples from all over the country, including Canada and Japan, we get samples from all over the place."
********
|
|
6. Swine Health Information Center launches website
Feedstuffs
October 6, 2015
The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), a newly established independent, non-profit organization dedicated to improving non-regulatory disease preparedness, has officially launched its website to provide the latest information about emerging diseases that threaten the health of the U.S. swine herd.
The site, www.swinehealth.org, will help veterinarians, pork producers, researchers and others with an interest in the health of pigs stay abreast of developments in monitoring and managing diseases, said Dr. Paul Sundberg, executive director of SHIC.
In addition to providing the latest news, the site will also have detailed information about specific emerging diseases and will be where SHIC posts calls for proposals on specific research topics, Sundberg said.
Full text:
********
|
|
7. FDA's Strategy for FSMA Training: Public and Private Partners Working Together
FDA Ctr. for Veterinary Medicine
October 6, 2015
Food Safety Modernization Act and Animal Feed
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the most sweeping reform of our food safety laws in more than 70 years, was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. FSMA aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination of the food supply to preventing it. The law applies to human food as well as to food for animals, including pets. FDA's FSMA page contains complete information about the implementation of the law, and the intent of this page is to highlight the FSMA content that will be of most interest to manufacturers and distributors of animal food.
What's New
October 6, 2015 - FDA's Strategy for FSMA Training: Public and Private Partners Working Together
The FDA has released its FSMA Training Strategy* outlining its evolving vision of how the agency will work with public and private partners on the development and delivery of food-industry training. The strategy outlines the options for those who must comply with the new food safety regulations and introduces the FDA's partners in promoting training to the global community of food suppliers.
[*See: http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm461513.htm ]
********
|
|
