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1. Florida thoroughbred training facility under quarantine [EHV-1]
By The Associated Press
Minneapolis Star Tribune
March 2, 2016
INDIANTOWN, Fla. - A top training facility for thoroughbreds in Florida is under quarantine for three weeks after a horse tested positive for a dangerous strain of equine herpes.
Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says a horse at Payson Park Thoroughbred Training Facility tested positive on Monday for equine herpes virus-1.
The facility will quarantine about 500 thoroughbreds at the facility for three weeks as a precaution.
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2. Dr. Reid Phillips Shares PRRS Knowledge
By Joanna Schroeder
Animal.AgWired.com
March 2, 2016
Dr. Reid Philips is in an expert in all things PRRS and shared his knowledge in a presentation during the American Association of Swine Veterinarians conference in New Orleans. Phillips is a swine veterinarian in the Swine Health Division of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica (BIVI). More specifically he is the Technical Manager for the PRRS virus. One of BIVI's key products is its Ingelvac PRRS MLV, a modified-live PRRS vaccine that helps to protect the pigs against respiratory and reproductive symptoms of PRRS.
reid-phillipsDuring the conference Phillips gave a presentation that focused on a recent PRRS "challenge dose" study. It looked to evaluate the effect of challenged dose vaccinated pigs. He explained that challenge dose looks at vaccinates and non vaccinates and then challenges them with an infectious dose of the PRRS virus and then measures the outcome. "So what this study compared is vaccinated pigs to non vaccinated pigs and then challenging those different groups with different levels of virus," said Phillips.
Phillips said there few quite a few things they learned. One, that they have known, is that vaccinated pigs perform better than non vaccinated pigs. "The vaccine helps pigs mitigate the consequences of infection." In other words vaccinated pigs, for example average daily weight gain, saw the same performance as pigs that were not challenged.
But he said what might be more interesting is that pigs challenged with two logs or less performed equal to pigs that were not challenged. This is important for producers in that immunity matters. Pigs vaccinated who are challenged with the virus are performing as well as pigs who have never been exposed to the virus. "This is cool stuff," added Phillips.
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3. Brucellosis in Elk Decreased in 2015 [WY]
Big Horn Radio Network
March 2, 2016
The prevalence of brucellosis in Wyoming's elk herds not utilizing feedgrounds decreased in 2015 according to a recent Wyoming Game and Fish Department report. But, recent testing shows two cow elk in the northwest portion of the Bighorn Mountains tested positive for brucellosis recently. This is the fourth year in a row that elk from the Bighorns have tested positive.
"Brucellosis in elk is likely at low levels in the Bighorn Mountains, but it is obviously still a concern to find it there," said Hank Edwards, Game and Fish wildlife disease specialist. "Based on this year's findings, brucellosis doesn't appear to be increasing in these elk herds . That said, additional surveillance is required for us to continue to monitor and understand the prevalence of brucellosis within these elk herds."
Each year Game and Fish monitors the distribution and prevalence of brucellosis within the state's elk herds by working with hunters to collect blood samples from their harvested animals. Hunters who harvest and return blood samples are the core of the brucellosis surveillance program. In 2015, over 10,500 blood collection kits were mailed or directly handed to elk hunters successful in limited quota elk license drawings in the targeted surveillance elk hunt areas. In general, hunters return between 1,000 and 1,500 blood samples to the Game and Fish Wildlife Health laboratory, of which approximately 60 percent are suitable for testing.
A total of 344 useable samples were collected over the past four years of surveillance in the southeastern corner of the state. All samples tested negative for exposure to Brucella abortus, the brucellosis bacteria. To date, this disease has not been documented outside of western half of the state.
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4. Livestock Diversity: Storing Genes for the Future
By Kim Kaplan
Agricultural Research Service
March 3, 2016
The National Animal Germplasm Collection, part of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), is ensuring that our livestock genetic diversity doesn't disappear.
The mission is to build a germplasm collection as diverse as our present livestock populations as insurance against disasters like the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak that hit Britain in 2001. An incident like that could easily decimate the gene pool of a livestock species and cost billions in lost revenue, explained ARS geneticist Harvey Blackburn, who oversees the Collection. And dead is dead-and-gone if there aren't backups in the freezer as the National Animal Germplasm Collection has in Fort Collins, Colorado, he added.
As the world's largest gathering of genetic material from food and fiber animals, the Collection stores nearly a million samples from 31,000 domestic animals. This includes conventional livestock like pigs, chickens and cattle, and farmed fish like trout, as well as unexpected species such as bison, elk and even yaks, because they are also raised for food and wool.
Right now, the Collection is helping to pry open a genetic bottleneck in the Holstein dairy breed, which has had a decline in fertility and genetic diversity. All pedigrees of Holstein A.I. sires (providers of semen for artificial insemination) currently trace back to just two bulls in the 1880s.
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5. Ensuring healthy wildlife to ensure a safer world
OIE Press Release
March 3, 2016
Paris - For the third consecutive year, the World Organisation for Animal Health welcomes the World Wildlife Day.
In a world where five new human infectious diseases appear on average every year, three of them coming from animals, mostly from wildlife, the OIE recognizes the importance of healthy wildlife populations, which are sentinels for human and domestic animal health for infectious diseases and toxic threats. Early detection, prevention and surveillance of the wild animals' diseases are essential. In addition, as disease outbreaks may present risk of decline or even extinction of already threatened species, the health of wildlife is a key management component for their conservation.
Within the framework of the overall mandate to improve animal health and welfare, the Organisation assists its 180 Member Countries to address disease impacts on wild animals, by developing animal health international standards and supporting its Members in strengthening their Veterinary Services to protect animal health and welfare including aspects related to wildlife and biodiversity.
The OIE also assures transparency on animal diseases through the global information systems OIE WAHIS which includes WAHIS-Wild, a web interface dedicated to the collection and dissemination of information on wildlife diseases.
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6. Regulations regarding Feral Swine approved by State Board of Agriculture [OK]
Woodward News
March 3, 2016
The State Board of Agriculture on Tuesday approved proposed regulations pertaining to Feral Swine.
The measure was approved by a 5-0 vote of the board during the regular March board meeting at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF), 2800 N Lincoln Blvd.
The purpose of these rules is to implement the provisions of the Feral Swine Control Act and to adopt aggressive measures for the eradication of all feral swine in the State of Oklahoma. Feral swine are a non-native invasive species to Oklahoma that detrimentally impact agricultural production and natural resources in Oklahoma. As feral swine populations increase, citizens of Oklahoma suffer damage to crops, livestock and wildlife habitat. Feral swine pose a health risk to humans, livestock, companion animals and native wildlife. The Department's goal is to render the State of Oklahoma free of feral swine. The Department shall investigate and implement new population control methods, technologies, and toxicants as they become available to achieve this goal.
The approved rules will now go to the state Legislature and Governor for review and approval.
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7. How will the 2016 presidential election impact animal agriculture?
By Animal Ag Alliance
PorkNetwork.com
March 2, 2016
With Super Tuesday behind us, the race to the White House is in full swing. While issues in food and agriculture are seldom brought up at campaign rallies or on debate stages, they are integral to the economy, trade and national security. With candidates dropping out and frontrunners emerging, it's time to take a critical eye to the presidential hopefuls and how their leadership may impact animal agriculture.
Tyson Redpath, senior vice president with The Russell Group, will take the stage at the 2016 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit to discuss what might be in store for animal agriculture under the administration of the remaining candidates. The Summit, themed "Securing Animal Agriculture's Future: Action, Please!", will be held May 5-6 at the Westin Arlington Gateway in Arlington, Va. Redpath will also offer attendees recommendations for getting involved in the political process to help shape agriculture policy.
The Russell Group is a firm specializing in food and agriculture that provides government relations, public affairs, policy development, interest group outreach, forecast and analysis and strategic counsel to clients. The Russell Group team's expertise includes animal health, antibiotic stewardship, production agriculture, trade, agricultural research and food safety.
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