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1. NOTICE: USDA Issues Updated Swine Enteric Coronavirus Disease Federal Order
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin
January 4, 2016
On January 4, 2016, the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued an updated Federal Order related to swine enteric coronavirus diseases (SECD), effective today.
The updated Order will do several things, including changing how emergency funding APHIS received in 2014 will be used. APHIS has reprioritized its needs going forward and will focus all remaining SECD funds towards diagnostic testing. With this modification, the funds should last long enough to cover diagnostic testing through this winter season.
The revised Federal Order will also eliminate the herd plan requirement, as well as reimbursement to veterinarians for completing those plans. And, it will also eliminate reimbursement for biosecurity actions, like truck washing.
In response to a large number of SECD cases that were causing significant hardship for the U.S. swine industry, APHIS issued a Federal Order in June 2014 making SECD a reportable disease. At the same time, USDA made funds available to cover specific costs associated with the disease. SECD remains a reportable disease, which means that producers, veterinarians, and diagnostic laboratories are required to report all cases of SECD to USDA or State animal health officials. The reporting criteria are unchanged in the updated Federal Order.
Today, USDA is receiving more accurate and timely information about SECD affected herds and their locations, which allows animal health officials to better understand how the disease spreads and what measures are most effective in containing it. The outbreak peaked between January and March 2015. In the last 5 months, the weekly average of new confirmed positive premises has dropped 90% when compared to the average number of weekly cases during the peak of the outbreak.
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2. APHIS Administrator Announces Bernadette Juarez as Acting Animal Care Deputy Administrator
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Bulletin
January 4, 2016
Dear Stakeholders:
Today, I am announcing a new acting Deputy Administrator for our Animal Care (AC) program - Bernadette Juarez. As acting AC Deputy, Bernadette will lead the program's many employees in protecting and ensuring the welfare of millions of animals nationwide that are covered under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Horse Protection Act (HPA). She will also oversee the collaborative work done at AC's Center for Animal Welfare, building critical partnerships domestically and internationally, while seeking to improve regulatory practices and develop training and educational resources.
Bernadette is replacing Dr. Chester Gipson, who retired on Jan 1, after more than 13 years as AC's Deputy Administrator.
Prior to this position, Bernadette served with APHIS' Investigative and Enforcement Services (IES), first as Deputy Director for 4.5 years and then as Director for 2.5 years. As Director, Bernadette was responsible for leading investigations of alleged AWA and HPA violations, as well as all other APHIS-administered statutes and regulations, and pursuing enforcement actions where warranted. She also transformed the unit's ability to complete investigation and enforcement actions nearly 50% faster by streamlining its business processes and focusing on the highest priority investigations.
Bernadette's experience enforcing the AWA and HPA began prior to her joining APHIS as a trial attorney in USDA's Office of the General Counsel from 2002 to 2009. In over 6 years, she represented APHIS in numerous AWA and HPA administrative enforcement proceedings.
In 1999, Bernadette completed her Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of New Mexico. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor from American University, Washington College of Law, in 2002.
I am confident that Bernadette's accomplished leadership and management experience, her commitment to results, her extensive knowledge and enforcement of both the AWA and HPA, and her passion for AC's mission will prove invaluable to APHIS' efforts to ensure more humane and healthy conditions for animals, while also working to end the cruel and inhumane practice of soring.
Kevin Shea, APHIS Administrator
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3. Iowa Poultry Producers Prep For A New Wave Of Avian Flu
By Sarah Boden
IowaPublicRadio.org
January 4, 2016
Iowa isn't requiring new bio security standards at its poultry facilities in the wake of last spring's catastrophic outbreak of avian flu, but many farms are creating heightened bio-security barriers. Though there is no concrete proof of how bird flu spread so far and so rapidly, it's widely believed humans played a large role in spreading the disease across the Midwest.
"Facilities now maybe are shower-in-shower-out facilities," says Secretary Bill Northey, who heads Iowa's Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. "They've added automatic truck washes so every vehicle coming onto the farm is getting washed...In many cases they have spent millions of dollars making sure they keep disease out of the farm."
Northey says because every farm is different, it doesn't make sense to create new rules. He believes that the financial incentives of preventing future outbreaks of avian flu are enough to inspire poultry producers to heightened bio security measures.
In addition to poultry producers, Iowa's beef and pork industries are also planning for worst-case scenarios in case a disease hits their livestock and wreaks havoc similar to what poultry producers encountered last year.
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4. Questions about VFD? Let's clear up the confusion
By Mike Apley in Vet's Opinion
Beef Magazine
January 4, 2016
As we welcome 2016, we begin the countdown to year's end and the implementation of the veterinary feed directive.
From the calls I have received, it is apparent there is some confusion in the industry about the new VFD rule, which took effect Oct. 1, 2015, and the new feed and water antibiotic labels which will be phased in during December 2016. There are some changes affecting those using a VFD drug in cattle today, but the major changes won't take effect for us until things roll over to the new labels as of Jan. 1, 2017.
Initially, the Oct. 1, 2015, implementation of the VFD changed some details in the requirements for recordkeeping, such as who keeps the original copy of the VFD - now, it's the veterinarian - as well as clarifying the veterinary-client-patient requirement. For a cattle producer today, unless you are feeding the only current VFD antibiotic for cattle (Pulmotil, Elanco Animal Health), there will be no effect on you.
The big change for BEEF readers will be when the new VFD drug labels go into effect, which is expected to happen in December 2016. The label change will affect antibiotics delivered to animals in feed and water that are also important in human health.
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5. EHV-1 update: No new cases reported as of Jan. 4
Lillian Shupe
NJ.com
January 4, 2016
No new cases of horses infected with EHV-1 have been in Pennsylvania or New Jersey as of Jan. 4.
Four horses were euthanized in December after developing neurological symptoms as the result of EHV-1 infection.
A private stable in Bucks County, Pa. was placed under quarantine on Dec. 23 after three horses were put down after becoming ill. A fourth horse quickly declined and was put down on Dec. 31.
The farm will be quarantined for 21 days after the last sign of illness in any horse.
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6. Wendy's is the latest fast-food chain to join the cage-free egg movement
By Jeanette Settembre
New York Daily News
January 4, 2016
Wendy's is flocking to the cage-free egg movement.
Starting in 2020, the restaurant known for its square-shaped patties and Frostys will use only eggs laid by hens raised outside of cages, it announced Monday. It follows competitors including McDonald's, Starbucks and Panera who've already jumped on the bandwagon.
The majority of egg-laying hens live in inhumane conditions cramped in cages that hinder them from spreading their wings, according to the Humane Society. Despite the growing concern for animal cruelty, cage-free eggs make up roughly 4.5% of the 7.5 billion eggs produced in the U.S. in an average month.
"Animal welfare is a core part of our company's role as a responsible corporate citizen," Wendy's spokeswoman Liliana Esposito said in a statement.
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7. Learn how to address the '5 M's' of down cattle
By Dr. Meredyth Jones, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
The Eagle
January 4, 2016
In nature, cattle and other grazing species exist at the bottom of the food chain. From a survival standpoint, in the face of an illness, they are wired to try to appear healthy and fit until they simply cannot fake it anymore. As a prey species, if cattle appear weak, they become a target for predators. For this reason, owners must be alert to even the most minor signs of illness in order to initiate treatment early to increase the chance of success.
With this in mind, we know that very severe illness or injury must be present for an animal to be unwilling or unable to stand. For this reason, anytime an animal is unable to rise, it critically is important that a correct diagnosis of the problem be made as soon as it is found and proper treatment initiated.
Most of the causes of cattle not being able to stand fall into what veterinarians refer to as the "5 M's of Down Cows." These are categories of disease which help us to develop a list of possible causes and work through each one to determine the cause for each given case.
The five M's are mastitis, metritis, metabolic, musculoskeletal and mystery. Yes, you read that last one correctly!
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