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1. Collaboration key to moving forward in antibiotic stewardship
By NIAA
Bovine Veterinarian
November 13, 2015
Human and animal health experts came together in Atlanta, GA this past week to discuss issues related to antibiotic resistance and to work toward increased antibiotic stewardship in both human medicine and animal health. Throughout the dialogue, attention was focused on specific areas which can be measured in order to verify the progress made in reducing antimicrobial resistance.
Convened by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) and supported by several industry stakeholders, commodity groups, and public health entities, the national symposium brought together a broad cross-section of professionals to share relevant science and develop consensus on those key areas in which the most progress may be made.
"Antibiotics have been critical in human and veterinary medicine since the 1940's and antibiotic resistance has been a challenge almost as long," said Dr. Robert Tauxe, Deputy Director of the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Thus, with the ever changing antibiotic landscape, research, education and constantly improving stewardship is imperative."
"Stewardship is a cycle, it is not something we do and then forget," said Dr. Mike Apley, Professor of Production Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology at Kansas State University. "Stewardship is a commitment to a cycle."
With increased antibiotic stewardship comes a greater need for more detailed record keeping and data management. "Emphasis on treatment records will be relied upon like they never have been before," Apley said. "Increased federal regulations and requirements on veterinary feed directives and veterinary-client-patient-relationships, producers and veterinarians will have to keep treatment records like they do their finances."
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2. Richard Breitmeyer awarded USAHA Medal of Distinction
By University of California, Davis
Bovine Veterinarian
November 13, 2015
Richard Breitmeyer, DVM, MPVM, director of the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, was awarded the United States Animal Health Association's (USAHA) Medal of Distinction at their annual meeting in Providence, RI.
The USAHA Medal of Distinction is awarded annually to recognize one or more distinguished USAHA members who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, provided exemplary service, and have made significant contributions to the advancement of the association.
Breitmeyer oversees the CAHFS lab system - a partnership between the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the school - that provides veterinarians and livestock and poultry producers throughout the state with rapid, reliable diagnoses of animal diseases. CAHFS operates labs in Tulare, Turlock and San Bernardino, as well as UC Davis.
Prior to CAHFS, Breitmeyer served as California state veterinarian, In that role, he served at the executive level as the state, national and international representative on all animal health issues affecting California and the nation, and was the principal advisor to the agriculture secretary for all food safety and animal health issues affecting California.
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3. First world antibiotic awareness week launched [edited]
Feedstuffs
November 13, 2015
Antibiotics are essential for treating bacterial diseases, but their misuse can result in the emergence of bacteria resistant to their action, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Today, it only takes a few hours for a bacterium to travel across the planet, and a few minutes more to form a colony of thousands.
Considering that 60% of human pathogens came originally from animals, OIE said it is clear that bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics pose a serious threat to the treatment of both animal and human diseases throughout the world.
The first World Antibiotic Awareness Week, taking place Nov. 16-22, is aimed at alerting the international community to the health risks posed by antibiotic resistance and to promote best practice by all those involved in this area, to limit the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria.
"Ensuring the responsible and prudent use of antibiotics for animals is essential to protect their effectiveness, not only for animal health and animal welfare but also for human health. This is why we need better controls on the production, registration, importation, distribution and use of antibiotics, as well as good legislation, qualified veterinarians and a well-organized veterinary profession to oversee their use in animals," OIE director general Dr. Bernard Vallat said.
Now, OIE is making a number of communication tools freely available, through its new web portal* on antimicrobial resistance, to promote best practice for the use of antibiotics in animals. Aimed particularly at those involved in animal health and production, it presents the problems caused by antimicrobial resistance and describes the activities of OIE and its partners in this area.
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4. Suspected CWD found in DeWitt Township deer [MI]
By 6 News Web Staff
WLNS.com
November 13, 2015
LANSING, Mich (WLNS) - The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is investigating a suspected case of Chronic Wasting Disease in a deer from DeWitt Township.
A hunter brought the deer into the DNR's Rose Lake Station earlier this week to be checked for the neurological disease. Tests are indicating that the deer could be the fourth case of CWD found in free-ranging deer in this area.
The DNR is asking hunters in the nine-township Core CWD Area consisting of Alaiedon, Delhi, Lansing, Meridian, Wheatfield and Williamstown townships in Ingham County; Bath and DeWitt townships in Clinton County; and Woodhull Township in Shiawassee County to bring their deer in for testing. The DNR is also asking hunters in all of Ingham, Clinton and Shiawassee counties to bring in their deer for tests.
So far more than 700 hunters have brought in deer heads for the CWD tests.
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5. Rounding Up The Last Of A Deadly Cattle Virus
By Dan Charles
National Public Radio
November 12, 2015
There are only two diseases that humans have wiped from the face of the earth. One is smallpox. The other one, you may not have heard of.
It's a cattle disease called rinderpest. Even the name sounds scary. It's German for "cattle plague." It was once one of the most fearsome diseases on the planet.
In Europe, centuries ago, "it was feared as much as the Black Death," says Keith Hamilton, executive director of international programs at Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. That's because when cattle herds died, people lost meat, milk and the animal power they needed to plow their fields.
In the 1950s, science delivered an answer: an effective vaccine. International animal health authorities started "a massive, coordinated effort to try and eradicate rinderpest," Hamilton says.
It succeeded. The last known case of rinderpest occurred in Kenya in 2001. Scientists declared the disease eradicated in 2011.
But the virus lives on, kept by at least 27 scientific institutes that studied the disease or made the vaccine. That's according to a survey carried out by the World Organization for Animal Health, or OIE, which is based in Paris. Hamilton, who worked at OIE until recently, and several of his former colleagues are publishing their results in the December issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
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6. Avermectin scientists awarded Nobel Prize for Medicine
By Merial
PorkNetwork.com
November 13, 2015
Dr. William C. Campbell and Dr. Satoshi Omura were awarded a share of the prestigious 2015 Nobel Prize for Medicine for their discovery of avermectin. The active ingredient that revolutionized the animal-health industry and also led to the treatment of some of the most devastating parasitic diseases, including river blindness in humans. It also prevents heartworm disease in dogs.
Campbell and Omura were awarded half of the prize, sharing the honor with Youyou Tu for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria.
Originally developed for livestock, the ground-breaking discovery of avermectin led to the development of Merial products that have had a significant impact on the international food supply today.
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7. Central Massachusetts Disaster Animal Response Team sounds call for volunteers
By Christina Galeone, Correspondent
The Worcester Telegram
November 13, 2015
How many organizations work tirelessly to put themselves out of business? Not many.
Nevertheless, that's exactly what the Central Massachusetts Disaster Animal Response Team strives for as part of its mission. Although it donates time and energy to educating the public and local municipalities about disaster preparedness, its emergency response services are still greatly needed. And with the winter fast approaching, volunteers of varying skill sets are needed as well.
Founded in 2003, CMDART is a nonprofit with between 80 and 90 active volunteers. Based in Douglas, it serves towns throughout Central Massachusetts by providing information, training, support, supplies and volunteers to help pets, livestock and exotic animals affected by natural and man-made disasters.
CMDART also helps towns comply with the federal Pets Evacuation and Transportation Act, which requires states applying for Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to include pets and service animals in their emergency management evacuation and sheltering plans. Working with the Red Cross of Central Massachusetts, emergency management agencies, animal control, veterinarians, animal rescue/welfare organizations and others, the nonprofit has two types of volunteers - disaster responders and the people who also keep it running by doing everything from helping with fundraising to being a board member.
Despite being one of the largest DART teams in the state, there's still a great need for volunteers. The nonprofit is particularly looking for people with a business background or committee experience to help govern the organization, truckers who can tow CMDART trailers in storms, youth who can help shovel out and take care of equipment, and disaster responders.
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