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1. NOTICE: APHIS Extends Scrapie Proposed Rule Comment Period
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin
November 9, 2015
APHIS is extending the comment period for a proposed rule to amend the regulations of the national scrapie eradication program through December 9, 2015. The comment period for the draft revised scrapie program standards is also extended through December 9, 2015.
APHIS welcomes all comments on the proposed rule. The proposed rule and draft revised program standards may be reviewed and comments may be submitted at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2007-0127.
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2. Auburn Univ. launches research studying prevalence of tick-borne illnesses in AL
By Rosanna Smith
WSFA.com
November 5, 2015
AUBURN, AL (WSFA) - Auburn University is again leading the way on what could be some ground breaking research. This particular study focuses on the prevalence of tick-borne illnesses in Alabama.
Over the past several years there has been an increase in Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever cases in Alabama. Researchers at Auburn University's School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences are working to hopefully shed light on this problem.
A team will be collecting data on ticks, tick-borne illness incidences, vegetation and climate from across the state. After gathering that information they will develop a predictive model to show where the tick populations and tick-borne illnesses are more likely to occur and if they are spreading. This risk prediction tool will potentially help better educate residents, medical professionals, state and federal agencies and others on the areas of greatest risk.
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3. Cough It Up, PETA Says, on TB-Positive Elephants
By Zack Huffman
Courthouse News Service
November 9, 2015
WASHINGTON (CN) - Noting that elephants and humans can communicate deadly tuberculosis, an animal-welfare group has filed a federal complaint to learn how U.S. authorities would handle an outbreak.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed the complaint on Nov. 5 under the Freedom of Information Act, more than 17 months after the Norfolk, Va.-based group filed its request with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, seeking all records up to the date of its filing "related to elephants and tuberculosis from January 1, 2011."
The 2011 start date marks the year that the CDC released a report on the elephant-to-human transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis.
That report warned, according to PETA's complaint, "that there is a 'high prevalence of M. tuberculosis infection among elephants living in North America,' and further warned that because of 'gaps in scientific knowledge' 'and the insensitivity of diagnostic tests, a substantial need exists for focusing attention on infection control practices and occupational health programs specifically designed to reduce zoonotic M. tuberculosis transmission in the captive elephant industry.'"
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4. Elk killed in Monona County, Iowa
By Bret Hayworth
Sioux City Journal
November 9, 2015
SIOUX CITY | An elk of unknown origin was killed Sunday near Onawa in Monona County at the request of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
IDNR Spokesman Mick Klemesrud said the action was taken to protect the Iowa deer herd and area livestock from the potential impacts of chronic wasting disease and other diseases.
A farmer saw the elk when combining his field. He contacted IDNR, and that agency got the help of the Monona County Sheriff's Office. A deputy sheriff shot the bull elk, which Klemesrud estimated was 3 to 4 years old.
Klemesrud said elk sightings are "fairly common" in Iowa. When an elk is spotted, IDNR works with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to determine status of elk and the best available options. If possible, the elk are returned to proper owners. If not, they pose a disease risk, so they are typically killed, Klemesrud said.
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5. Better Antibiotic Stewardship Needed to Offset Resistance and Other Effects
California Council on Science and Technology
November 9, 2015
The discovery of antibiotics was one of the most significant advances in medical care in the 20th century. However, more than seven decades after penicillin was first used to treat infections, the use of these medications has become extremely and, according to some, unnecessarily widespread both in patient care and livestock management. A coordinated strategy curtailing use of these drugs is necessary in order to ensure their long-term effectiveness and to offset other impacts of antibiotic use, according to many medical professionals.
A substantial part of the problem is that wide and relatively indiscriminate use of antibiotics has led to a rise in microbial strains resistant to the drugs. This has required using new classes of antibiotics, but research has not been able to keep up with the rise of resistance. All classes of antibiotics in use today were first discovered prior to the mid 1980s.
"At least 2 million people per year in the U.S. get infections that are resistant to antibiotics and 23,000 die as a result of these infections," said Tom Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control, in a briefing discussing drug-resistant health threats. "We talk about a pre-antibiotic era and an antibiotic era. If we're not careful, we will soon be in a post antibiotic era."
Beyond the obvious problem of drug-resistant infections, however, doctors have come to understand that the widespread use of antibiotics may also be impacting our health and environment in other ways.
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6. Chipotle E. Coli Outbreak Widens In Washington And Orgeon
By Michael Mitchell
FinancialSpots.com
November 9, 2015
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) hired two food safety consulting firms amid the E.coli outbreak, which was linked to its eight restaurants in Oregon and Washington.
Yesterday there were 19 confirmed cases in Washington and 3 in Oregon, all people connected to the Chipotle outbreak.
Fortunately, there are still no reported cases of anyone dying of the infection according to the Washington State Department of Health although seven Washington patients and three Oregon patients were hospitalized for further examination.
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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.
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