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1. VFD: Questions, concerns and opportunities
By John Maday, Editor, Bovine Veterinarian
Drovers CattleNetwork,com
November 5, 2015
Through the summer and fall of 2015, Farm Foundation hosted a series of workshops in locations around the country to address upcoming changes to FDA rules and guidance relating to antibiotic use in food animals. One of these was held in Denver on Sept. 28. The workshops were designed to inform stakeholders of the implications of FDA Guidance to Industry 213 and changes to the veterinary feed directive (VFD) rule.
Guidance 213 will remove performance or production claims from medically important antibiotics used in feeds by December 2016. Changes to the VFD rule will bring the use of medically important feed-grade antibiotics under the oversight of veterinarians by Jan. 1, 2017.
The new VFD rule actually took effect on Oct. 1, 2015, affecting the use of three antibiotics currently classified as VFD drugs. Those are avilamycin, florfenicol and tilmicosin. Of those, only tilmicosin is used as a feed-grade drug in cattle.
As of Jan. 1, 2017 the list of VFD drugs will expand to include all medically important antibiotics used in feed for prevention, control and treatment of disease. Cattle drugs affected at that time include neomycin, tylosin, virginiamycin, chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline. Over-the-counter sales of those drugs will no longer be allowed, and producers will need to work through their veterinarian to obtain a VFD order.
Craig Lewis, DVM, MPH, DAVCM, a veterinary medical officer with the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, addressed the workshop and provided background on the FDA's initiatives for judicious use of antibiotics.
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2. Transmission of chronic wasting disease to sentinel reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus)
Authors: Moore, S.; Kunkle, Robert; Nicholson, Eric; Richt, Jurgen; Hamir, Amirali; Waters, Wade; Greenlee, Justin
USDA ARS
Submitted to: American College of Veterinary Pathologists Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: August 12, 2015
Technical Abstract: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a naturally-occurring, fatal neurodegenerative disease of North American cervids. Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) are susceptible to CWD following oral challenge, but CWD has not been reported in free-ranging caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) or farmed reindeer. Potential contact between CWD-affected cervids and Rangifer species that are free-ranging or co-housed on farms presents a potential risk of CWD transmission. The aims of this study were to 1) investigate the transmission of CWD from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; CWD-wtd), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus; CWD-md), or elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni; CWD-elk) to reindeer via the intracranial route, and 2) to assess for direct and indirect horizontal transmission to non-inoculated sentinels. Three groups of 5 reindeer fawns were challenged intracranially with CWD-wtd, CWD-md, or CWD-elk. Two years after challenge of inoculated reindeer, non-inoculated control reindeer were introduced into the same pen as the CWD-wtd inoculated reindeer (n=4) or into a pen adjacent to the CWD-md inoculated reindeer (n=2). Reindeer were allowed to develop clinical disease. At death/euthanasia a complete necropsy examination was performed, including immunohistochemical testing of tissues for disease-associated CWD prion protein (PrP-CWD). Intracranially challenged reindeer developed clinical disease from 21 months post-inoculation (MPI). PrP-CWD was detected in 5/6 sentinel reindeer although only 2/6 developed clinical disease during the study period (<57 MPI). We have shown that reindeer are susceptible to CWD from various cervid sources and can transmit CWD to naive reindeer both directly and indirectly.
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3. Vesicular stomatitis outbreak continues with mild fall weather
By John Maday, Editor
Bovine Veterinarian
November 4, 2015
This summer's outbreak of vesicular stomatitis (VS) has affected 722 premises as of October 28, according to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Confirmed cases have occurred in eight states - Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Currently, there are 131 affected premises remaining under quarantine in six states including Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
Last week's situation report from APHIS listed 57 new VS-affected or suspected premises since the previous report on Oct. 21. [See: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/downloads/animal_diseases/vsv/Sitrep_102815.pdf ]
VS is a reportable disease and positive identification results in quarantine of the affected premises until the disease clears.
After a relatively mild fall season, weather forecasts suggest colder temperatures will move into much of the VS-affected region over the next week. Freezing temperatures should kill off the insect vectors that spread the virus, and new cases should decline during the coming weeks.
Colorado has seen the most cases so far this year, with 364 premises in 32 counties affected. This summer's index case occurred on April 29, with a confirmed finding of VS in a horse in Grant County, New Mexico. Most confirmed cases of VS have involved equine premises, although the disease does affect cattle.
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4. Proper handling affects health and safety for producer, animal
By Benjamin Herrold
Illinois Farmer Today
November 5, 2015
Ron Gill has spent years helping people better understand how to handle their livestock.
Gill, a livestock specialist for Texas A&M, said the stakes of proper livestock handling and stockmanship are high, with impacts on health and safety for producer and cattle alike, in addition to the financial bottom line.
"The way we handle livestock can be a leading cause of stress in livestock," he says. "If we don't understand their nature, we can be a cause of a lot of stress."
Gill says stress impacts the immune system, so lowering stress can reduce infections, antibiotic use and the potential for antibiotic resistance. There are also weight gain benefits.
"The other aspect is they're not spending energy on their immune system response, they're spending energy on growth," he says.
Low-stress livestock handling can also help manage shrink when marketing cattle, he says.
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5. UTIA researchers receive $1.8 Million USDA grant to study organic dairy production
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
EurekAlert
November 5, 2015
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Over the years, organic dairy producers have expressed frustration over a lack of available information on forage production. Research-based information regarding forage for their herds has been difficult to come by, which in turn, may have led to decreased profitability for their operations. Recently, researchers with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture received funding from the USDA to conduct research that may address this issue.
The primary focus of the $1.8 million grant is on forage production for organic dairy herds in the southeastern United States. UTIA's Dr. Gina Pighetti will lead a team of researchers from Tennessee and the University of Kentucky looking to help these producers select forages that will increase efficiency and productivity. In addition, Pighetti's team also will address the need to develop practical, research-based recommendations for organic forage management to help producers maximize their operations potential.
"The organic industry represents a strong alternative market for dairy producers," said Pighetti. "To help producers, our research seeks to identify forage combinations in pastures to promote productivity, animal health, fertility and economic efficiency," she said.
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6. Report pinpoints heavy veterinary shortage in Appalachia
By Kristi Reimer, Editor, News Channel Director
DVM360 MAGAZINE
November 3, 2015
Veterinary students at work at Lincoln Memorial University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Courtesy of LMU.A report out of a newly launched veterinary school in northeastern Tennessee makes the case that the need for veterinarians in rural areas-specifically, in this case, rural Appalachia-is much greater than previously thought. What's more, officials say, this report has the potential to increase federal spending through the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program.
The 2015 State of Animal Health in Appalachia report was released in mid-October during a conference put on by the Center for Animal Health in Appalachia (CAHA), a newly created institution affiliated with the College of Veterinary Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) in Harrogate, Tennessee.
Part of LMU's stated mission is to improve the breadth and quality of healthcare services in rural Appalachia, and two years ago university officials decided to study both the need and opportunity for veterinary medicine in this region of the country, officials say. With the help of analysts from the National Center for Healthcare Analytics in Blacksburg, Virginia, they determined the distribution of livestock, pets and veterinarians in 420 Appalachian counties in 13 states.
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7. Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the Release of Text for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
USDA Office of Communications Bulletin
November 5, 2015
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2015 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today released the following statement regarding the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.
"The release of the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is an important step forward in the process to make this landmark agreement for U.S. agriculture a reality. The text confirms that this agreement provides new market access across the board for America's farmers and ranchers by lowering tariffs and eliminating other barriers, and will boost exports and support jobs in our rural economies.
At the end of the day, TPP is about opportunity. The agreement will advance U.S. economic interests in a critical region that accounts for nearly 40 percent of global GDP. It will also help the United States respond to the regional and bilateral trade agreements that are already in place or are being negotiated by competitor countries. This high standard agreement will expand U.S. agricultural exports, generate more rural economic activity, and support higher-paying American jobs. I encourage our farmers and ranchers to take a look at what's in the deal for them, and I hope that after a period of consideration and review in the coming months, Congress will move quickly to pass this agreement.
While the release of the text is a critical benchmark, there is still much work to be done. We look forward to a discussion across the country about the details of this agreement, including the simple fact that TPP removes barriers to trade in food and agriculture products, which is critical for the economic health of U.S. agriculture and rural communities. With 95 percent of the world's consumers outside of our boarders, we cannot afford to let this opportunity slip away."
To review the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, visit www.usda.gov/trade.
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