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1. Study Shows Pathways of Disease Transmission Between Elk, Bison and Cattle in the Greater Yellowstone Area
SpatialNews.com
May 17, 2016
Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners have shown how brucellosis, a disease which has significant economic implications for the cattle industry and wildlife health, has been transmitted back and forth between cattle, bison and elk in the greater Yellowstone area.
The research focused on wildlife-livestock transmission pathways of a disease called brucellosis, which often causes a termination of pregnancy in animals. The disease was unintentionally introduced to elk and bison in the greater Yellowstone area on at least five separate occasions over the past century, but, more recently, is transmitting from elk to cattle and undermining livestock control efforts.
"This study provides the most definitive evidence to date that brucellosis is now self-sustaining in Montana elk and has spread at an increased rate in elk populations outside of the feeding grounds," said Pauline Kamath, USGS ecologist and lead author of the study.
Federal scientists developed and analyzed a genomic dataset of Brucella abortus, the bacteria that causes brucellosis, which spanned 30 years and included samples from cattle, bison and elk. Four out of the five strains are now primarily associated with elk and originated from the Wyoming feeding grounds, where state and federal land managers provide feed for elk in the winter.
Two of these elk-associated strains have spread at about 4 to 8 kilometers per-year. Scientists conclude that elk are the most likely source of current brucellosis outbreaks in livestock.
The fifth genetically-distinct strain originated and was mainly found in bison of Yellowstone National Park. This strain appeared to be spreading less rapidly.
Previously, it was not known whether elk could sustain the disease in the absence of bison or supplemental feeding grounds. This study shows that elk, in some areas distant from the feeding grounds, have strains that are unrelated to bison, suggesting that management of bison and feeding grounds may not affect brucellosis dynamics in these other elk populations, where the disease has been spreading.
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2. Swine Community Hosts Webinars on Senecavirus A
By Jamie Johansen
Animal.AgWired.com
May 16, 2016
Swine Health Info CenterThe Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), the American Association of Swine Veterinarians and the National Pork Board are holding a series of webinars on Senecavirus A (Seneca Valley Virus) for veterinary practitioners and pork producers. The first webinar [was held] May 16. The follow webinars will take place May 18 and 20 each starting at 4 p.m. Central.
The first one-hour webinar on May 16, "Here's what we know about the virus and how to manage it", will present results of SHIC's and USDA's 2015-16 research investment on the virus. Epidemiological investigations, virus transmission, sow and grow-finish shedding and a case example of a herd closure to eliminate the virus from the farm will be presented.
The one-hour, May 18 webinar, "An update on current diagnostic tools - capabilities and work still to be done", will focus on SHIC's and universities' funded research on Senecavirus A diagnostics. The genetic diversity of the virus in the U.S. and an update about the virus in South America, interpreting PCR values as they correlate to virus isolation and the latest information about current and future serology tests will be presented.
The final one-hour webinar on May 20 will be, "Reporting vesicles and lesions - what to expect". USDA and a state animal health official will present what practitioners and producers need to know about the state and federal government's roles and responsibilities in investigating cases of vesicular disease. The National Animal Health Laboratory Network and the Plum Island Animal Disease Center will describe the samples, testing and timeline needed to rule out Foot and Mouth Disease during an investigation.
Registration* is limited and will be closed from 12:00 PM CDT to 5:00 PM CDT each day of the webinars.
[*See: http://www.swinehealth.org/svv-webinar-registration/ ]
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3. Parx equine herpes quarantine lifted [PA]
By Jim Dunleavy
Daily Racing Form
May 17, 2016
The equine herpesvirus quarantine at Parx Racing was lifted by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture on Tuesday after all of the horses in a quarantined barn and an ontrack isolation area tested negative for the disease. The quarantine had been in place since April 1.
All of the horses in Barn 30, where trainers Ron Dandy and Michael Aro are stabled, and two horses in the isolation area were tested for the herpesvirus Monday. The tests revealed that none of the horses are infected with the virus, which can cause respiratory and neurological problems. A total of seven horses came down with the virus at Parx and four horses died due to the severity of their illness.
According to Sam Elliott, the director of racing at Parx, effective immediately, horses are allowed to ship in and out of Parx.
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4. The Case for Limiting Antibiotic Use in Farm Animals
Colin Poitras, UConn Communications
Uconn Today
May 17, 2016
In a major position statement* released this month in the journal Pharmacotherapy, the Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists is calling for significant changes in the way in which antibiotics are given to agricultural animals and how antibiotics and antifungals are used on plants. The panel that crafted the statement was led by Michael Nailor, an associate clinical professor in the UConn School of Pharmacy and at Hartford Hospital Department of Pharmacy. Nailor recently elaborated on this important issue for UConn Today.
[ *See: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.1737/abstract]
Why are antibiotics being given to agricultural animals?
In 1950, a large study found that adding antibiotics to livestock feed accelerated animal growth rates. The practice swept through the industry, and now about 80 percent of all antibiotics consumed in the United States are consumed by agricultural animals. These antibiotics are sold without a prescription, and in almost all cases without the involvement of a veterinarian.
Does this result in increased meat and milk production in the United States?
In the 1950s it did, but there is no compelling data that it still has the same effects, given contemporary agricultural methods for breeding, feeding, and general care. That is something that needs to be further explored so we can determine the benefits versus the known risks of continuing this practice.
It sounds like the benefits are uncertain. What are the risks?
The FDA, USDA, and CDC all testified before Congress that the routine use of antibiotics in healthy agricultural animals was a major cause of antibiotic resistance in humans. Approximately 2 million illnesses and 23,000 human deaths annually are directly attributable to antibiotic resistance, and no matter how much effort is spent to decrease antibiotic overuse by primary care physicians and in hospitals, we cannot curtail this rising epidemic without controlling antibiotic use in agricultural animals. Remember that agricultural animals can infect people through bacteria on under-cooked meats and by infecting farm workers, butchers, grocers, or consumers, who then transmit the disease to others. Disease can also be transmitted through insects that act as carriers. It is also a risky proposition for the animals themselves. If antibiotics are being routinely given to animals, their infections are more likely to be lethal because the bacteria are likely resistant to standard treatment.
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5. House Approves Block of Plum Island Sale
By Christine Sampson
East Hampton Star
May 17, 2016
The preservation of Plum Island is one step closer after a bill to block its sale by the federal government passed the House on Tuesday in a unanimous, bipartisan vote.
As it stands, Plum Island is to be sold to the highest bidder unless the 2008 law requiring its sale is changed. It is home to the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, which is to be decommissioned in the coming years as the federal government builds a new biological and agricultural defense facility in Kansas. The sale of Plum Island was intended to pay for rehabilitating the developed areas of the island as well as the building of the new facility in Kansas, but opponents of the sale say the estimated costs of rehabilitation would render the rest of the proceeds toward the new building negligible. Zoning restrictions in the Town of Southold, in whose jurisdiction Plum Island falls, would also make development of the island difficult, which would impact the selling price, opponents say.
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6. A Day in the Life of an Equine Veterinary Student
Hayley Rasmussen-Ball describes a typical 24 hours in the world she wouldn't trade for anything
By Diane E. Rice
TheHorse.com
May 17, 2016
Maybe you are one of the hundreds-if not thousands-of young men and women who dream of working with horses every day in a veterinary career. Whether it's the relentless dedication your own veterinarian displayed when handling a difficult case, a ceaseless hunger for scientific discovery, or a sense of feeling more "alive" when caring for animals, something about veterinary medicine has captivated you. Or perhaps you know someone who harbors that hope of being a veterinarian deep in his or her heart.
If you've ever pondered this vocation, you might have researched what all is involved in making it a reality, by speaking with your own veterinarian or a pre-vet advisor at a higher institution. Sometimes it helps to see it through the lens of someone experiencing it right now. Because catching up with a overscheduled (and thoroughly sleep-deprived) veterinary student can be challenging, we've done it for you, by following fourth-year veterinary student Hayley Rasmussen-Ball of Washington State University's (WSU) College of Veterinary Medicine through a typical day.
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7. Iowa will be home to North America's biggest land-based fish farm [edited]
By Matt Kelley
Radio Iowa
May 17, 2016
While Iowa's known as a global leader in agriculture, it will soon be home to one of the world's biggest aquaculture facilities. Plans are moving forward to build the Hawkeye State's first major fish farm in north-central Iowa.
Keith Driver is president of Vero Blue Farms, based in Plano, Texas. The company is cementing a proposal to build a major operation in Webster City.
"Once complete, this will be the largest land-based fish farm in North America," Driver says. "It's taken a lot to convince the world and the markets that putting $50-million into aquaculture in Webster City, Iowa, is a good idea, not because it's Webster City, Iowa, but because there's not a shore or a sea on either side of us."
The aquaculture operation will house the barramundi species of fish, also known as Australian sea bass.
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