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1. Vets euthanize horse with herpes; other horses quarantined [WI]
WISN.com
May 13, 2016
WEST BEND, Wis. -A horse kept in a 50-horse stable in West Bend was euthanized this week after testing positive for a herpes virus, state officials said.
Three other horses with a fever are being monitored and held in isolation from the other horses in the barn. The premises have been quarantined, a statement from Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection said.
Humans cannot acquire the strain of the herpes virus, EHV-1, but can aid in spreading it to their horses.
Any horse that shows symptoms of fever, weakness, lack of coordination, and urine dribbling or inability to urinate should be kept from shows, competitions or public trail rides, Dr. Paul McGraw said.
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2. Gov. Walker lays out steps for stepped-up CWD management [WI]
By Paul A. Smith
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
May 13, 2016
Gov. Scott Walker on Friday announced six steps to heighten efforts in Wisconsin to curtail the spread of chronic wasting disease.
"We want whatever we do to be science-based, based on facts," Walker said. "And we know we won't be able to do anything without the support of hunters."
Walker made his remarks at the annual convention of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. More than 300 delegates from around the state were in attendance as well as many Department of Natural Resources employees.
Walker said the state would invest in:
A) a research study of deer in southern Wisconsin to evaluate the effects of CWD, predators and habitat on the deer herd, among other factors;
B) follow through with recommendations of the 2012 Deer Trustee Report and engage the County Deer Advisory Councils in CWD efforts;
C) encourage research to develop a faster CWD test, with a goal of providing hunters with results in 48 hours;
D) Require more frequent fence inspections at captive deer facilities;
E) Develop guidelines for hunters on the best management practices of liquid deer scents;
F) Encourage public input as the DNR updates the state's CWD management plan. The Natural Resources Board requested a report on the status of the plan no later than December.
According to DNR records, 9.4% of deer tested in Wisconsin in 2015 were CWD-positive, the highest rate since the disease was discovered in the state in 2002. The agency also tested the fewest animals in 2015 since 2002.
Forty-one of the state's 72 counties are now considered CWD-affected by the DNR.
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3. State destroys 100 hogs on Mid-Missouri farm
By Jenny Gray
Fulton Sun
May 12, 2016
About 100 hogs were destroyed recently at a Callaway County farm, suspected of contracting a disease known as pseudorabies.
The disease was most likely contracted from feral hogs, according to a statement emailed by Sarah Alsager, public information officer with the Missouri Department of Agriculture. It is a disease of the central nervous system that causes convulsions and intense itching, and is usually fatal.
Alsager stated department officials discovered a positive result for pseudorabies when testing feral hogs in the area in which the farm is located.
"As part of the department's disease surveillance for pseudorabies and brucellosis, feral swine are routinely tested. When MDA is informed of positive results, we conduct an investigation to identify any at-risk swine within a one- to two-mile radius of the captured feral swine," she said in the email. "At-risk swine herds are tested and appropriate actions are taken, which may include re-testing a herd (if there are not any indications of disease) or depopulating a herd (if re-testing is not an option or animals are exhibiting clinical signs of disease)."
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4. 2016 Pork Master: Elizabeth Lautner
By Cheryl Day
National Hog Farmer
May 12, 2016
The Masters of the Pork Industry are a very special, handpicked group of pork industry leaders. These are their stories.
The Masters share their personal stories and philosophies about life, their careers in the pork industry and their visions for the future.
They are professionals, entrepreneurs and family-based pork industry enthusiasts whose dedication and wisdom are sure to inspire young and old as they tackle the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in an ever-changing global pork industry.
Elizabeth Lautner, DVM, MS, rises to every challenge that greets her, and walking away from problematic situations is never an option in her book.
Growing up on a family fruit and livestock farm in northern Michigan, Lautner was around animals all the time and knew from a young age she wanted to be a veterinarian. However, the road to become a veterinarian was not exactly easy, but smart thinking, sheer determination and a little push from her father made each new chapter in her career possible.
The idea that a young woman wanted to enter a male-dominated field was not exactly a popular notion. However, Lautner never let anyone else hold the pen in her life's story. Working for a veterinarian in order to obtain a recommendation was the only thing standing between Lautner and studying veterinary medicine at Michigan State University.
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5. BLM director: Wild horse program facing future $1 billion budget shortfall
By Scott Sonner, The Associated Press
Denver Post
May 13, 2016
RENO, Nev. - The head of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management says it's time to admit his agency has a $1 billion problem.
BLM Director Neil Kornze says the administration can't afford to wage an increasingly uphill battle to protect the ecological health of federal rangeland across the West while at the same time properly managing tens of thousands of wild horses and caring for tens of thousands more rounded up in government corals.
Kornze told The Associated Press the agency may not have done as good of a job as it could have in recent years to underscore the environmental and budgetary crisis looming in its wild horse and burro program.
His experts estimate $1 billion will be needed to care for the 46,000 wild horses and burros currently in U.S. holding facilities over their lifetime. That doesn't include the cost of future efforts to shrink the population of the record-67,000 now roaming public lands in 10 Western states.
"We're trying to make an effort to be real clear about the challenges because they are significant," Korzne said late Tuesday.
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6. Animal Agriculture Awareness Week is May 15-21 [ND]
Farm and Ranch Guide
May 13, 2015
BISMARCK - Governor Jack Dalrymple has proclaimed May 15-21, 2016 as Animal Agriculture Awareness Week in North Dakota.
"Animal agriculture impacts everyone's lives, whether it is realized or not," said Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. "From the food that you eat to products that you use every day, animal agriculture has an impact on your daily life."
Animal agriculture in North Dakota represents approximately $2.6 billion in revenues, with an economic impact of just over $12 billion on main street North Dakota.
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