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1. Annual Testing in Oscoda County Finds Bovine TB Infected Herd [MI]
Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development Press Release
April 11, 2016
LANSING - Routine bovine tuberculosis surveillance testing conducted by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently confirmed a medium-sized beef herd as bovine TB positive in Oscoda County. This is the 64th cattle herd in Michigan found with bovine TB since 1998.
An informational meeting for beef and dairy cattle producers in Oscoda County is scheduled for:
April 21, 2016 at 7 p.m. at Elmer Township Hall, 863 Kittle Road, Mio, Michigan 48647
Bovine TB is an infectious bacterial disease primarily affecting cattle; however, it can be spread between wildlife populations and other mammals, including humans. This herd is located in a county where bovine TB is endemic in the free-ranging white-tailed deer. Any contact either directly or indirectly with the deer can spread bovine TB to a herd.
"This is the first herd designated in 2016. This herd follows three others found in 2015. The ongoing surveillance program in the modified accredited zone of Michigan continues to be vital in identifying the disease as it occurs in cattle. But, more needs to be done to prevent the transmission of TB from infected free-ranging deer," said Dr. Rick Smith, Assistant State Veterinarian. "We encourage all cattle producers to be vigilant in protecting their feed storage areas and cattle feed and water sites. In addition, cattle should be kept from areas where deer live and congregate."
In designated bovine TB portions of the Northeastern Lower Peninsula, annual surveillance testing and testing before movement is required. These testing precautions are designed to catch the disease in the very earliest stages and prevent the disease from spreading to other farms. In addition, all cattle in Michigan must have electronic identification ear tags before they move from a farm which assists MDARD in tracing cattle movement in the event of a disease investigation.
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2. Animal Agriculture Institute Announces Award Recipients
USAgNet
Wisconsin Ag Connection
April 11, 2016
Four important awards were presented last week in Kansas City at the NIAA Annual Conference. The awards were for service, leadership, and dedication to animal agriculture.
The 2016 NIAA Meritorious Service Award was presented at the NIAA Annual Conference in Kansas City this week to Dr. John Clifford, Chief Trade Advisor to APHIS' National Import Export Service. The Meritorious Service Award honors an individual who has made extensive contributions and/or has given exemplary service to the animal agriculture industry and to NIAA. Clifford was the Chief Veterinary Officer of the United States from 2004 to 2016.
Past Meritorious Service Award recipients from NIAA include Past Meritorious Service Award Recipients include Dr. James McKean, Iowa State University CVM (2015), Mr. Jim Fraley, Illinois Farm Bureau (2014), Mr. Jim Carroll, Dairy Farmers of America (2013), Dr. Peter Timoney, University of Kentucky (2012).
Dr. Michael Coe was recognized for his dedication and devotion to the advancement of animal agriculture with the 2016 NIAA Chairman's Award. Coe is Vice President Animal Profiling International and leads its sales team. He serves the NIAA as a member-at-large on the 2015 Executive Committee.
The 2016 NIAA President's Award goes annually to an NIAA committee or council chair or co-chair for exemplary leadership and dedication to the organization. This year, Dr. Eric Moore, co-chair of the NIAA Special Issues Committee on Antibiotics was recognized with this important award. Moore is Director of Technical Services - North America for Norbrook Laboratories, ltd. out of Topeka, Kansas. Dr. Moore was recently selected to the 2016 NIAA Board of Directors.
Individuals who effectively build bridges with consumers by delivering strong, positive messages about animal agriculture are honored with the NIAA Advocate Award. The 2016 NIAA Advocate Award was presented posthumously to Dr. Mark Engle, Merck Animal Health. Engle was also served on USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack's Committee on Animal Health.
Bobbie Engle, Engle's wife of 36 years, accepted the award on behalf of her husband, who passed away in December.
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3. Improving the welfare of dairy cows
By Marcia Endres, Dairy Extension Scientist, University of Minnesota
Dairy Herd Management
April 8, 2016
New technologies are available and are being developed to help the dairy industry improve the welfare of individual animals on dairy farms, which is the topic of my talk at the American Dairy Science Association's dairy cattle welfare conference May 27-30 in Itasca, Ill.
The U.S. dairy industry continues to consolidate. A greater proportion of milk is produced in dairy farms with more than 500 cows, even in more traditional states in the Midwest and Northeast.
In 2012, 50% of milk came from those herds in New York, 33% in Minnesota, 38% in Wisconsin, 75% in South Dakota and 58% in Michigan compared with 16%, 8.5%, 9%, 26% and 20% in 2000, respectively (USDA Census of Agriculture).
This rapid shift appears to be the trend for the future, which means that cows are housed in larger groups, making it more difficult to observe the individual animal. These operations are more labor efficient, but the question is whether there is enough time available per individual animal.
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4. All four herpes-infected Parx horses have died
By Jim Dunleavy
Daily Racing Form
April 11, 2016
BENSALEM, Pa. - Monday was the fourth consecutive day that there hadn't been a confirmed case of the equine herpesvirus at Parx Racing. If no other horses test positive, the current quarantine will end May 5.
Since April 1, four horses have tested positive for the equine herpesvirus. They have all either died from the disease or been euthanized because of their degree of illness. Two of the horses were trained by Michael Aro and the other two by Ron Dandy, who are both stabled in Barn 30.
Dandy on Monday said the virus hit his horses hard.
"I lost a 3-year-old and a 9-year-old," he said. "One of my horses got sick, the next morning, we sent him to isolation, and the next morning, he was gone."
Dandy said his barn is being disinfected every day.
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5. Feeding Bacteria to Livestock Could Cut Antibiotic Use
By Amy Mayer
Iowa Public Radio
April 11, 2016
On a cold windy morning, Kelly Nissen feeds the cows at the Iowa State University Beef Nutrition Farm north of Ames. Far from just tossing hay, he weighs out specific rations and carefully delivers them to numbered feed bunks.
"When you're feeding, you're always double-checking yourself to make sure it's going in the right lot," Nissen says.
These cows munch on the common mix of hay, corn and distiller's grain, but they're often getting a little something new, too. They test different formulas that researchers in the animal science department at Iowa State develop. Among the goals, across livestock species, is to find ways farmers can lower their use of antibiotics that are important for human health.
The antibiotics that clear up infections and keep us healthy are becoming less effective because as they are used, some squirrelly bacteria develop resistance. Those pesky ones easily share their adaption, which can infect unsuspecting humans and leave doctors struggling to cure so-called drug resistant bacteria.
Scientists say giving the drugs to farm animals is part of the problem, which is why researchers are looking into new ways to keep livestock healthy and profitable, especially the animals that become our pork chops, chicken tenders and steak.
"There are alternatives to antibiotics in feed," says Stephanie Hansen, one of those Iowa State professors. "And that's going to be a broad area of research here in the next 10 to 15 years."
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6. Alaska remains a 'hot spot' for avian influenza to enter North America: USGS
Posted by USGS Press Release
Outbreak News Today
April 11, 2016
The U.S. Geological Survey released additional evidence that western Alaska remains a hot spot for avian influenza to enter North America. The new report announces that while no highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses have been found in Alaska, the state remains an important area to monitor due to migratory bird flyways from North America and Eurasia that overlap the region.
"Our past research in western Alaska has shown that while we have not detected the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, up to 70 percent of the other avian influenza viruses isolated in this area were found to contain genetic material from Eurasia, providing evidence for high levels of intercontinental viral exchange," said Andy Ramey, a scientist with the USGS and lead author of the recent report. "This is because Asian and North American migratory flyways overlap in western Alaska."
The designation of low or highly pathogenic avian influenza refers to the potential for these viruses to cause disease or kill chickens. The designation of "low pathogenic" or "highly pathogenic" does not refer to how infectious the viruses may be to humans, other mammals or other species of birds. Most strains of avian influenza are not highly pathogenic and cause few signs of disease in infected wild birds. However, in poultry, some low-pathogenic strains can mutate into highly pathogenic avian influenza strains that cause contagious and severe illness or death among poultry, and sometimes among wild birds as well.
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