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1. Pork crisis alert text service announced
Source: National Pork Board
National Hog Farmer
January 11, 2016
The National Pork Board today introduced a pork industry crisis text news service, Pork Crisis Alert, which will immediately deliver essential information to U.S. pork producers in the event of a major industry-wide emergency.
"Every day, America's pork producers are busy on their farms and may not always have immediate access to information that could impact their operation," says Derrick Sleezer, National Pork Board president and a pig farmer from Cherokee, Iowa. "Disease outbreaks and other emergency situations can spread quickly, so America's pig farmers need a news service to notify them immediately and enable them to take early action to safeguard their farms."
When a pork industry-wide emergency is declared, Pork Crisis Alert will text instructions to farmers alerting them on how to access information and other critical resources online or by calling the Pork Checkoff Service Center at 800-456-7675. Pork Crisis Alert is just one element of the Pork Checkoff's overall risk management program, defined in the strategic plan introduced early in 2015.
Pork Crisis Alert texts will be used strictly in the event of a true industry-wide emergency and will never be used for activities unrelated to emergency communications. This database of subscribers will never be used for marketing or shared with any third parties. The system will also be tested twice each year to ensure operational accuracy for the pig farmers who enroll in the program.
To sign up to receive the alerts, producers need to text "PorkCrisis" to 97296. "I encourage all pork producers and farm employees to opt-in to receive these important alerts. The program is like insurance in the sense that, while we hope we never need it, it is reassuring to have state-of-the-art communications resources at our fingertips," Sleezer says.
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2. Cattle disease spreads to fourth South Dakota county
TriStateNeighbor.com
January 11, 2016
A reproductive disease of cattle that can be economically devastating for ranchers has been diagnosed in another South Dakota cattle herd.
Bovine trichomoniasis, or trich, has recently been diagnosed in Dewey County, becoming the fourth South Dakota herd with the disease since November 2015, the state's animal industry board announced Monday.
Trichomonas foetus is transmitted between cows and bulls during breeding, and can result in early term abortions. Producers are often unaware of the problem until the disease is well established in the herd. Signs that the disease may be present in a herd include a high number of open cows, cows showing signs of heat when they should be pregnant, and the presence of many late-calving cows.
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3. Officials continue to monitor Bucks County farm after EHV-1 outbreak
Lillian Shupe
NJ.com
January 9, 2016
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) is still monitoring a stable in Doylestown, Bucks County, after four horses that tested positive for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) were euthanized in December, according to a Jan. 8 press release.
The stable was placed under quarantine after two horses at the stable developed signs consistent with equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) on Dec. 22.
Two additional horses were euthanized on Dec. 24 and 31, respectively, after presenting similar clinical signs. They also tested positive for EHV-1. Other horses at various locations throughout Pennsylvania with suspect clinical signs have been tested but there have been no positive results.
An additional eight horses have less severe clinical signs and some have shown improvement. All horses at the stable are being closely monitored and are receiving comprehensive veterinary care, according to the PDA release.
Department officials have noted the quarantined facility's consistent and complete compliance with sanitation and biosecurity measures to help ensure the safety of the resident horses.
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4. Testing for CWD negative thus far [TX]
Written by Steve Knight
Tyler Morning Telegraph
January 9, 2015
Along with deer hunting winding down in Texas so is this year's search for Chronic Wasting Disease.
After the discovery of CWD in three pen-reared bucks from the San Antonio area last spring, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department went into a full-court press in an effort to discover it in the wild anywhere in the state. It ramped up its annual testing from a couple of thousand deer to more than 9,000 samples and counting.
"We have collected 9,285 samples statewide, which is a tremendous effort by our biologist in cooperation with hunters, deer processors, landowners and everyone else out there," said Alan Cain, TPWD's deer program leader.
The department was hoping to collect about 7,700 samples this season, with certain target numbers for various counties based on estimated herd density. With a few exceptions like the northwest Panhandle where deer numbers are extremely low, the quotas have been met.
At this point in the game, though, there is an asterisk on the results.
"We have a pile of samples that haven't been tested yet," Cain said. "The lab is backed up. There are probably 2,500 or 3,000 that haven't been tested."
But, and put the asterisk here, to date no sample has tested positive.
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5. 'Bayesian thinking' helps in disease control
By JoAnn Alumbaugh, Editor
PORK Network
January 11, 2016
Thomas Bayes wrote:
The probability of any event is the ratio between the value at which an expectation depending on the happening of the event ought to be computed, and the value of the thing expected upon its happening.
Put in simpler terms, Bayesian thinking is about conditional probability, said Peter Davies with the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine during a presentation. Even though Bayes, who was an English theologian and statistician, lived 300 years ago, his theories are useful in studying modern biosecurity and disease control.
Davies explained that prior probability (belief or opinion) exists, but with new information, the probability (belief or opinion) is revised. He used this basis to discuss Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) and how biosecurity measures have changed as a result of knowing more about PEDv.
The Food & Agriculture Organization describes biosecurity as protection of health through avoidance of disease; and implementation of measures that reduce the risk of the introduction and spread of disease agents. Biosecurity requires the adoption of attitudes and behaviors by people to reduce risk in all activities, Davies said.
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6. Wisconsin Livestock ID Consortium hopes to expand horizons
By Jim Massey, Editor
The Country Today
January 11, 2016
MADISON - The Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium is providing the "bare bones" services required according to its mission statement, but WLIC offi�cials say they hope to change that with an influx of new members, ideas and revenue.
About 30 members attended the WLIC annual meeting Jan. 4 to get an update on the organization's status and make plans for the future. The WLIC is a non�profit livestock producer and industry organization established in 2002 to develop a livestock-identification system to protect animal health and market access.
The WLIC's primary function in recent years has been managing the state's mandatory premises-identification program. The premises ID database is designed as a clearing�house of locations where all livestock and poultry are produced, raised and kept. The system aids animal health officials in the event of an animal disease outbreak.
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7. Deer Hunting Bill Clears Senate Committee [IN]
By Brandon Smith
IndianaPublicMedia.org
January 11, 2016
Supporters of legislation that would regulate Indiana's high-fenced deer hunting say the recent resolution of a decade-long court battle - negating any state authority over the industry - will give them traction this session. The measure is expected to finally pass after years of legislative inaction.
Rodney Bruce is an owner of one of Indiana's high-fenced deer hunting preserves, where people can pay money to hunt farm-raised deer in an enclosed area. The state court system ultimately decided last year that Indiana has no authority under current law to regulate facilities like Bruce's. He says that makes this year's legislation critical.
"We're out of options and it's time to put this to bed," Bruce says. "And I think everybody that has a dog in this fight has contributed to this resolution."
The bill would allow an unlimited number of preserves, all under the authority of the Board of Animal Health. It requires new reserves to be at least 100 acres, fences to be at least eight-feet high, and mandates reporting of disease and escape.
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