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1. Levels of drug-resistant salmonella in poultry fall
By Catherine Boudreau
Politico.com
April 29, 2016
The levels of multidrug resistant strains of salmonella in raw chicken and turkey products that consumers purchase at the grocery store have declined since 2011, the FDA said Thursday in a report based on samples taken from January 2014 to June 2015. Twenty percent of the chicken the agency tested contained salmonella resistant to more than one antibiotic, compared to 45 percent in 2011, while the rate of antibiotic resistant bacteria in turkey has fallen from 50 percent to 36 percent during the same time frame. Overall, prevalence of salmonella in retail poultry is at its lowest level since testing began in 2002.
The news arrives amid ongoing efforts by the Obama administration to cut antibiotic use in both animal and hospital settings to combat rising rates of drug-resistant bacteria. The National Chicken Council said the report provides a "strong case" that the industry is contributing to those goals by using antibiotics judiciously and implementing strategies to reduce salmonella in poultry (USDA has outlined stricter salmonella standards for the industry that take effect in May). Most chicken producers are ahead of a December deadline set by FDA to phase out medically important antibiotics for growth promotion in farm animals, said Ashley Peterson, the group's senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. She added that analyzing resistance patterns, rather than antibiotic sales, is more meaningful to public health outcomes.
Sales of medically important antibiotics for food producing animals increased by 23 percent between 2009 and 2014, according to the FDA.
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2. Thank a vet today, World Veterinary Day [April 30th]
Farm Futures
April 30, 2016
On World Veterinary Day, April 30, the World Organisation for Animal Health pays tribute to the crucial role played by veterinarians in protecting global health.
This year, the event focuses on the opportunities for veterinarians to continue their training and extend their expertise in areas related to the 'One Health' concept. To achieve this, World Veterinary Day promotes collaboration with the human health sector in the coverage of issues such as zoonoses, food safety and antimicrobial resistance.
In this era of globalization, the emergence and re-emergence of unforeseen health crises is accelerating. It is estimated that five new infectious human diseases appear each year, three of which are zoonotic. The recent Ebola epidemic, as well as the appalling number of human deaths caused by rabies each year, is a remorseless reminder of the strong links between human health, animal health and the environment, and thus the need to adopt cross-sector approaches, as illustrated by the 'One Health' concept.
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3. University of Tennessee to Host Equine Podiatry Conference
By Edited Press Release
TheHorse.com
April 30, 2016
The University of Tennessee (UT) College of Veterinary Medicine is inviting farriers and veterinarians to attend the third annual Equine Podiatry Conference to be held in Knoxville on Saturday, May 21.
Topics include body condition scoring, palmar foot pain, and farrier techniques for managing the condition. A pre-conference workshop covering the anatomy and physiology of the foot will be held Friday, May 20 from 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
One of the speakers, Scott Plesant, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, is a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Virginia Tech's Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM). He is a board-certified surgeon and currently serves as director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital's Equine Podiatry Service, as a member of the Equine Field Service Section, and as the college's Equine Extension Liaison. His clinical and research interests include equine podiatry, lameness, and nutrition.
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4. Chronic disease testing becomes mandatory [MO-2 counties]
By Margaret Slayton
St. Joseph News-Press
April 30, 2016
There will be new mandatory testing of whitetail deer for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in two counties in Northwest Missouri during the opening weekend of deer season this fall according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Barbara Keller, resource scientist, said hunters will be required to present their deer for CWD testing at locations in Livingston and Carroll counties during the opening weekend of the fall firearms deer season on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13.
The testing is free and hunters also can request the test results. Hunters must bring the deer to sampling stations at various locations during the opening weekend of the season.
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5. National Milk Production Sets New Record in 2015
USAgNet
WisconsinAgConnection.com
April 29, 2106
Milk production increased 1.3 percent in 2015 to a record 209 billion pounds. Accoring to the USDA's National Ag Statistics Service, the rate per cow, at 22,393 pounds, was 134 pounds above 2014. The annual average number of milk cows on farms was 9.32 million head, up 60,000 head from 2014.
Cash receipts from marketings of milk during 2015 totaled $35.7 billion, 27.6 percent lower than 2014. Producer returns averaged $17.21 per hundredweight, 28.5 percent below 2014. Marketings totaled 207.7 billion pounds, 1.3 percent above 2014. Marketings include whole milk sold to plants and dealers and milk sold directly to consumers.
An estimated 969 million pounds of milk were used on farms where produced, 0.5 percent more than 2014. Calves were fed 91 percent of this milk, with the remainder consumed in producer households.
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6. To avoid food poisoning, there's an app for that
By HealthDay News
UPI.com
April 29, 2016
There are apps for maps, restaurants and calorie-counting. Now, there's even one from the U.S. government for reducing your risk of food-borne illness.
The FoodKeeper app* -- free from the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- is available for Apple and Android devices. It enables users to set up automatic notifications when foods and beverages are nearing the end of their recommended storage dates.
[*See: http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/foodkeeperapp/index.html ]
Showing how foods and beverages should be stored in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry, the app helps people select storage methods that extend the life of more than 400 items. These include baby food, dairy products, eggs, meat, poultry, seafood and produce, according to the USDA.
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7. Dr. James Edwin Pearson [Obituary]
The Ames Tribune
April 30, 2016
Dr. James Edwin Pearson, 82, died Sunday, April 3, 2016, in Des Moines following an extended battle with Alzheimer's. He leaves his wife of 42 years, Patricia Pearson; his children, Sharon Litchfield, Mark Pearson and Beth Coronelli; step children, Cindy Horn, Dave Johnson and Amy Keng; as well as 14 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.
Born in Springville, he was the son of Ralph and Bertha Pearson. Dr. Pearson attended Iowa State University. After graduating with a degree in agriculture, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served as a navigator and radar intercept officer flying in jet fighters. He later became involved in the Iowa National Guard, where he served until 1984, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.
After his early service in the military, he returned to his family farm for a short time before attending Iowa State, where he graduated with a degree in veterinary medicine, and later went on to earn a master's degree. After graduation, he worked in a veterinary practice in Fort Madison for several years. In 1968, Dr. Pearson started his career as a research virologist at National Animal Disease Center in Ames. He then went on to serve for three decades at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL), also in Ames. In 1970, he became head of the avian, equine and ovine viruses section. He worked there until 1987, when he was named chief of the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory. He served as the director of NVSL from the mid to late-1990s. After retiring, he and his wife, Pat, moved to Paris, where he worked with World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), which focuses on the research, surveillance and control of animal diseases around the world. He headed the OIE Scientific and Technical Department and served as vice president of the OIE Standards Commission.
Dr. Pearson was truly committed and immersed himself in his work to safeguard animals against disease. With his focus on diagnosing diseases, he provided support for the Department of Agriculture's and international animal-health efforts. He was widely recognized for his work, including as a world's foremost authority on the diagnosis of the bird virus, Newcastle. Along with numerous other honors, he was recognized with 11 USDA awards, was presented the E.P. Pope Award for Excellence by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, and was a recipient of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine Stange Award for Meritorious Service, the college's highest honor for alumni. He also coauthored more than 115 publications.
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