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119th USAHA and 58th AAVLD Annual Meeting
October 22-28, 2015
Providence, Rhode Island

 

USAHA News Alert Summaries - October 14, 2015 - In this issue:
1. USDA Adds Avian Influenza Vaccine Doses to the National Veterinary Stockpile; Action Signals Preparation for Future Outbreak, Not a Decision to Vaccinate
2. Chronic Wasting Disease Found In Deer Hunt Area 100 [WY]
3. DNA testing for disease is on the way [Canada]
4. Manifestations of Equine Herpesvirus-1
5. Equine WNV Case Count in Texas Rises to 22
6. More missing deer accounted for at farm where CWD found [WI]
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1. USDA Adds Avian Influenza Vaccine Doses to the National Veterinary Stockpile; Action Signals Preparation for Future Outbreak, Not a Decision to Vaccinate
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin
October 13, 2015
 
 
The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today awarded contracts to two companies to manufacture doses of avian influenza vaccine.   This action is being taken to develop the Agency's National Veterinary Stockpile., and does not signal a decision to vaccinate for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
 
While APHIS has not approved the use of vaccine to respond to HPAI, the Agency is preparing to ensure that vaccine is available should the decision be made to use it during a future outbreak. Any decision to use vaccination in a future HPAI outbreak would require careful consideration of the efficacy of the vaccine, any impacts of using HPAI vaccine in the field, and the potential trade impacts.
 
Earlier in the year, APHIS issued a request for proposals (RFP) for vaccine manufacturers with the interest and capability to supply a variety of Eurasian (EA) H5 vaccines in sufficient numbers to establish the emergency stockpile. As part of the award, companies must:
 
       Manufacture the number of vaccine doses outlined in their contract, and store those doses up to 5
           years
 
       Deliver the finished vaccine anywhere in the country within 10 days of a request for doses from the
           National Veterinary Stockpile
 
      Test the vaccine regularly to ensure continued potency
 
       Provide information and testing results with APHIS upon request
 
The HPAI vaccines covered by this award carry either conditional or full licenses from APHIS' Center for Veterinary Biologics, and were carefully evaluated on a number of factors, including their efficacy against EA H5 viruses.   The companies included in this award were:
 
       Harrisvaccines
       Ceva
 
Although no decision has been made to use vaccine in the event of a future HPAI outbreak, APHIS will continue to issue RFPs for vaccine manufacturers on a quarterly basis through September 2016, to allow additional products to be developed and considered for the stockpile should an HPAI outbreak occur. Information about future RFPs and awards will be available on the APHIS website.
 
 
Source:
 
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2. Chronic Wasting Disease Found In Deer Hunt Area 100 [WY]
By News Desk
SweetwaterNow.com
October 13, 2015
 
 
GREEN RIVER - Staff at the Game and Fish Department's wildlife disease laboratory in Laramie confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in a buck mule deer harvested on Oct. 2 near Flat Top Mountain, in deer hunt area 100, which lies about 15 miles northwest of Baggs. Deer hunt area 100 is bordered by CWD positive deer hunt areas 82 and 84 to the east and 98 to the northeast.
 
"This is our first new positive hunt area this year. We again appreciate the help of hunters who help with the surveillance program. We do recommend people not eat deer, elk or moose that test positive for CWD," Deputy Chief of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Wildlife Division, Scott Edberg said.
 
Green River region personnel continue to collect samples of deer, elk and moose through hunter field checks and at CWD sampling stations. WGFD personnel collect and analyze more than 1,600 CWD samples annually throughout the state.
 
 
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3. DNA testing for disease is on the way [Canada]
By Debbie Furber
CanadianCattlemen.ca
October 13, 2015
 
 
It sounds like science fiction but you will soon be able to test a newborn's DNA as a baseline for future detection of potentially chronic conditions such as Johne's disease and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and even BSE to get an early jump on treatment, all from a single blood sample.
 
The technology will be offered in Canada by CNA Diagnotics, a Calgary-based company formed by lead scientist Dr. Christoph Sensen and several well-known Canadians in cattle circles.
 
Sensen is also working with others to employ this technology for early detection of disease in humans.
 
While he is currently a professor at Graz University of Technology in Austria, his expertise in this field was gained during a 20-year research career in Canada, 14 of which were spent is in Calgary where he was a professor of bioinformatics at the University of Calgary's faculty of medicine. There he participated in large genomic research projects including two for the development of markers for BSE and chronic wasting disease funded by the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency.
 
You read correctly. There is the possibility of a test to screen live animals for BSE. CNA Diagnostics filed a pre-patent application for the potential markers almost two years ago. Sensen says there are 300 known markers that could be used to detect classical BSE in live animals as early as 10 months before clinical signs can be observed.
 
 
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4. Manifestations of Equine Herpesvirus-1
By Equine Disease Quarterly
TheHorse.com
October 13, 2015
 
 
Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is one of five herpesviruses commonly found in horses. EHV-1 infections manifest in three syndromes: respiratory, reproductive, and neurologic.
 
Like other herpesviruses, EHV-1 can establish latent infections, making it possible for outbreaks of disease to occur in herds that are considered closed. While quarantine of new arrivals; segregation of young stock, breeding stock, and show stock; and vaccination are important management tools in the prevention of EHV-1 infections, complete protection is not possible to achieve. Vaccination confirms relatively short-term immunity (four to five months) and immunity is not entirely protective, meaning that even well-vaccinated horses can develop disease.
 
The respiratory form of EHV-1 is generally mild and self-limiting. Clinical signs are indistinguishable from other viral causes of respiratory disease, such as equine influenza and EHV-4. Horses generally exhibit a fever, cough, serous nasal discharge, and mild lethargy.
 
Reproductive disease is generally considered to be the most economically important manifestation of EHV-1. Infection with EHV-1 causes abortion in the last trimester of gestation. Affected foals are occasionally born alive but are generally very weak and succumb within days of birth, often with secondary disease conditions.
 
 
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5. Equine WNV Case Count in Texas Rises to 22
By Edited Press Release
TheHorse.com
October 13, 2015
 
 
More Texas horses have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV), bringing the total to 22.
 
New cases include a horse in east Texas, one north of Dallas-Fort Worth, and the third horse to be identified in Jefferson County. The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) confirmed the WNV cases via serological test.
 
 
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6. More missing deer accounted for at farm where CWD found [WI]
By Keith Edwards
WQOW.com
October 13, 2015
 
 
Eau Claire County (WQOW) - Three more deer, believed to have escaped from an area deer farm where chronic wasting disease was found, have been accounted for, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
 
The owner reported that five deer escaped from the farm in the Fairchild area, some through a fence-break in May and others through an open gate in September.
 
One of the deer was recaptured by the owner. The DNR told News 18 that another deer was shot and killed by the owner. It was tested for CWD, but the results are not back yet. Two others that were believed to have escaped were recently found dead inside the farm's 10-acre enclosure. Officials are still waiting to learn if they were too decomposed to be tested.
 
Officials said the recent development means only one deer still remains on the loose.
 
 
 
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USAHA News Alert Summaries is a service provided to its members as a timely, up-to-date source of news affecting animal health and related subjects, intended for personal use by USAHA members.  Information in these articles does not necessarily represent the views or positions of USAHA. 

   Sources of articles are state, national and international media outlets, press releases, and direct from organizations or agencies.  Each article includes direct citation and link.  Comments, questions or concerns about the information included in each article should be directed to the source in addition to USAHA. While USAHA strives for accuracy in the information it shares, the News Alert Summaries should be treated as a tool that provides a snapshot of information being reported regarding animal health and related subjects.