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1. First Equine Leptospirosis Vaccine Available Next Week [week of Oct. 12]
By The Horse Staff
TheHorse.com
October 9, 2015
At a panel discussion held Oct. 8 in Lexington, Kentucky, Zoetis introduced its new Lepto EQ Innovator vaccine against equine leptospirosis. This is the first USDA-approved, equine-specific vaccine to help prevent the disease responsible for abortion in pregnant mares, kidney and liver failure, and equine recurrent uveitis (ERU, the most common cause of blindness in horses).
Horses become infected with Leptospira bacteria when it enters the body via mucous membranes or wounds. Carrier hosts, such as rodents, wildlife, and domestic animals, spread the bacteria in their urine, which horses can come in contact with when it contaminates water or soil. Infected horses also shed the bacteria in their urine, which can lead to leptospirosis outbreaks on farms. The disease is zoonotic, meaning it's transmissible to humans.
The development of a vaccine against the serovar Leptospira pomona (which is the serovar most frequently associated with clinical disease in horses in North America) is significant because leptospirosis causes serious and costly health problems in horses. Economic losses from horses with leptospirosis-associated ERU or abortion amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and Poulsen Nautrup et al.
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2. Equine Health Watch: First case of West Nile reported in NJ
NJ.com
October 11, 2015
A 10 year-old gelding from Gloucester County was humanely euthanized on Oct. 3 after having tested presumptive positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). This is the first confirmed case of WNV in a horse in 2015.
The vaccination status of this horse was unknown. In August, a 2-year-old mare from Gloucester County was also humanely euthanized after testing positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). That horse was not vaccinated and was the first and, so far, only confirmed equine case of EEE this year.
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3. Cattle Diseases - The Nasty Seven
BY DTN/Progressive Farmer
KTICRadio.com
October 12, 2015
From the commercial cow herd to the feedlot, cattle diseases are a growing concern. Veterinarians are stressing the importance of keeping herd health and biosecurity top of mind, as they will have a large impact on safety and profit levels going forward.
BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHEA
Commonly referred to as BVD, this disease is found most often in cattle younger than 2 years of age. It is the most costly viral disease in U.S. cattle herds today. One estimate reports exposure of feedlot animals to a persistently infected (PI) case of BVD will cost more than $67 per head in performance loss and fatalities.
BVD can infect several organ systems, causing suppression of the immune system, respiratory disease, infertility and fetal infection. Early infection of a bred cow can result in the birth of a PI calf. Once they are born, PI cattle shed the BVD virus throughout their entire lives.
"With BVD, you see a lower calf crop," said Tom Hairgrove, livestock and animal systems coordinator at Texas A&M University. "Vaccine programs are important, but they are only a part of a good herd-health program. Purchasing a PI animal or a bred female with a PI fetus can result in reduced reproduction for years. It is important to know your source of replacements and the health status of that herd."
Kathy Simmons, chief veterinarian for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, added the cattle industry has worked to control BVD through research. The focus has been on a better understanding of the epidemiology of BVD, a wider availability of diagnostic tests to detect the disease and a clearer understanding of the economic impact it has on cattle herds. Visit www.bvdconsult.com for more information.
Also covered: Anaplasmosis, Texas Cattle Fever, Brucellosis, Foot-and-Mouth, Trichomoniasis,
Calf Scours.
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4. Purdue veterinarian: Farmers should test hay to improve cattle health
Purdue Extension
October 12, 2015
A Purdue University veterinarian urges livestock farmers to test their hay before relying on it as the sole ration for their cattle this year because a very wet spring delayed some harvests.
Mature hay has less energy than hay cut at earlier maturity and is not likely to adequately support a cow's nutritional needs during winter, said W. Mark Hilton, clinical professor of food animal production medicine.
He said the only way to know if the hay will meet the nutritional needs is to test it. Livestock farmers can contact their Purdue Extension educator, feed supplier or herd health veterinarian for information on testing.
"We are just starting to receive hay tests from our producers on the Integrated Resource Management program that live all across the state, and the overwhelming majority are deficient in energy," Hilton said.
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5. U.S. Readies for a Return of Bird Flu
By Kelsey Gee
Wall Street Journal
October 12, 2015
U.S. poultry companies and regulators are taking unprecedented steps to combat the potential return of an avian-influenza virus that roiled egg and turkey farmers earlier this year and killed more than 48 million birds.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, bracing for a return of the virus during autumn migration season, is hiring hundreds of veterinarians and other temporary workers to help respond to the threat. USDA also is weighing its first use of bird-flu vaccines, and states are ramping up employee training and readying equipment to compost dead chickens.
Poultry giants including Perdue Farms Inc., Tyson Foods Inc. and Cargill Inc. are redoubling safeguards such as barring outside visitors to barns and farms. Animal-health companies and farm-equipment makers are ramping up production of tools to quickly euthanize flocks and decontaminate barns.
"We have every reason to believe we could see an outbreak of some sort this fall as wild birds come back through the middle of the U.S.," said Bill Northey, Iowa's agriculture secretary. The state was the top U.S. egg producer before half its roughly 60 million egg-laying hens were wiped out this spring in the nation's worst outbreak of avian influenza.
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6. Cornell veterinary school is star of new National Geographic series
Melinda Johnson
Syracuse.com
October 12, 2015
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine is getting screen time in the series "Vet School" airing at 10 p.m. Saturdays on National Geographic Wild. The series follows seven veterinary students for a year in Ithaca. It can be seen on Time Warner Channel 130.
The fourth episode on Saturday is titled "The Big Rotation." It is so titled because a fourth-year student begins her large-animal rotation and has to treat a big, blind cow. At the same time, first-year students will learn how to draw blood from sheep.
The series was filmed last year in Ithaca. The National Geographic crew began filming before the fall 2014 semester and finished at graduation. Featured were first-year students Cristina Bustamante, Dan Cimino and Hannah Brodlie and fourth-year students Sam Dicker, Singen Elliott, Aziza Glass and Aria Hill, who have now graduated.
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7. AFIA to offer FSMA Phase III training at IPPE
Feedstuffs
October 12, 2015
The American Feed Industry Assn. (AFIA) will host its second Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Phase III training Jan. 27, 2016, as part of the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, Ga.
The one-day session will cover various components of the new law, published in the Federal Register on Sept. 17, "Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals."
The seminar is ideal for all employees involved in feed, ingredient and pet food manufacturing. AFIA staff experts and Dr. Daniel McChesney of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine will address:
* Completing an animal food safety plan;
* Current good manufacturing practices;
* Developing an effective supply-chain program;
* Foreign Supplier Verification Program and third-party rules;
* Records for FSMA compliance, and
* AFIA's next steps.
For the complete agenda, see: http://tinyurl.com/osyy9ph
"AFIA was ready for the release of the FSMA final rule and you can rest assured our staff is preparing to make the implementation process as smooth as possible," Dr. Henry Turlington, AFIA director of quality and manufacturing regulatory affairs, said. "This training will help plant managers, quality associates and feed industry personnel gain a better understanding of the animal food rule."
To register online, visit www.ippexpo.org. On-site registration will also be available.
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