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1. Purina Recalls Medicated Sheep Feed
Wisconsin Ag Connection
June 27, 2016
Purina Animal Nutrition LLC is voluntarily recalling one lot of Purina Lamb Grower B30 Medicated Sheep Feed packaged in the green and white generic paper LAND O LAKES Feed bags.
The single lot number is: L329 - 1850500-206 - Purina Lamb Grower B30 Medicated - 6MAY06WCH2
The product was distributed in Ohio and Pennsylvania during the dates of May 12 through June 22.
Elevated copper levels can cause health issues and potential mortality in sheep. There has been one report of mortality associated with this product. Customers should discontinue feeding the product immediately.
Symptoms of copper toxicity in sheep include: lethargy and anemia, grinding of teeth, thirst, off feed/poor appetite, pale to yellow mucous membranes, red/dark purple colored urine and recumbancy. Death usually occurs one to two days after onset of clinical symptoms.
Customers can find the lot number on the sewing strip of each bag. Retailers have been contacted and told to check their inventories and immediately quarantine any remaining recalled product including notifying customers who purchased the product. Customers who purchased this product should return remaining bags to their retailer.
For more information on the product recall, contact Customer Service at 800-227-8941. The number is staffed 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time Monday through Friday.
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2. USDA Signs Three International Agreements Supporting Animal Health and Global Trade
Posted by Donna Karlsons, APHIS Public Affairs Specialist
USDA Blog
June 27, 2016
A U.S. delegation, led by Dr. Jack Shere, USDA Chief Veterinary Officer, and Dr. John Clifford, U.S. Delegate to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) participated in the 84th General Session in Paris, France.
International trade is a key factor in the economic and financial stability of many countries. Trade restrictions resulting from an animal disease outbreak can have devastating economic effects. With this in mind, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service signed three international agreements on this very topic last month at a meeting of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in Paris, France. These agreements will make it easier to maintain safe and fair trade of animals and animal products if an animal disease outbreak occurs. They emphasize the cooperation and understanding of the countries involved to promote shared knowledge, data and resources, which can be crucial during an animal health event.
The three arrangements, signed by the United States, relate to the International Animal Health Emergency Reserve (also signed by Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom), the Sharing of Vaccines for Foot and Mouth Disease (Australia, Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand), and Supporting the Recognition of Zoning for Foreign Animal Disease Outbreaks (Australia, Canada, and New Zealand).
The International Animal Health Emergency Reserve agreement allows for countries to share emergency response teams and personnel as needed during animal disease outbreaks. It also lets the countries involved to act rapidly and more effectively control and eradicate an outbreak.
The Sharing of Vaccines for Foot and Mouth Disease agreement allows for countries to more readily request and consider requests for FMD vaccine from their respective FMD vaccine banks. This particular arrangement provides an opportunity to share vaccine resources can be beneficial during an outbreak and leaves the door open to include other countries' FMD banks if there is future interest.
Supporting the Recognition of Zoning for Foreign Animal Disease Outbreaks agreement allows countries to understand and accept each other's processes for managing outbreaks and paves the way for recognizing "zones" for trading purposes. This arrangement would allow for trade to be resumed early from disease-free zones and support continuing trade from affected zones where biosecurity risks can be effectively managed through specific import conditions, such as product treatments.
Our animal health experts have a shared vision to safeguard our nation's agricultural resources and to support international trade and cooperation while preventing the introduction of dangerous and costly disease in our country. These agreements will complement our existing preparedness activities and benefit not only US producers and consumers, but the global community.
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3. Codex Alimentarius Commission: 27-30 June 2016
EINNews.com
June 28, 2016
The United Nations food standards body Codex Alimentarius Commission is meeting in Rome from 27 to 30 June 2016 to examine food safety and quality standards.
Charged with protecting consumer health and ensuring fair practices in the food trade, the Codex Alimentarius is a joint initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Decisions taken at the 39th session of the Commission will be published below as they are made.
For more information on the upcoming Codex session, visit the links listed at right.
Guidelines for the control of Salmonella in beef and pork AGREED - 27 June 2016 Beef and pork meat can be contaminated with various bacteria including non-typhoidal Salmonella. Salmonella, which causes diarrhoeal disease, is one of the most frequent causes of foodborne illnesses around the world, with tens of millions becoming sick each year. Although most cases are mild, Salmonella causes an estimated 60 000 deaths annually. The guidelines adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission focus on practices from primary production to processing to prevent, reduce, or eliminate Salmonella in fresh beef and pork. In addition, the best way for consumers to avoid becoming sick from eating meat that may be contaminated with Salmonella is to cook it thoroughly.
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4. Perdue Announces Industry-First Animal Care Commitments
Plan expands definition of animal care and re-commits to farmer relationships
Business Wire
June 27, 2016
SALISBURY, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Perdue Foods today announced a renewed focus on animal care, a continuation of its focus on premium, trusted brands that meet evolving consumer expectations. Chairman Jim Perdue shared the company's commitments to animal care, a four-part plan that will accelerate its progress in animal care, strengthen relationships with farmers, build trust with multiple stakeholder groups and create an animal care culture for continued improvement.
Titled 2016 and Beyond: Next Generation of Perdue Commitments to Animal Care, the plan was developed with input from stakeholders such as farmers, academics and leaders of animal advocate organizations who were invited by Perdue to help shape this progressive animal care plan that sets new industry standards.
"As we continue to learn about innovative and better ways to raise animals through our No Antibiotics Ever journey and our experience in raising organic chickens, we are adopting a four-part plan which will result in changing how we raise chickens," said Chairman Jim Perdue. "Transparency is very important to Perdue consumers, who are interested knowing how we raise, care for and harvest our chickens. Our vision is to be the most trusted name in food and agricultural products and animal care is a big part of that journey."
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5. Researchers discover the 2009 swine flu pandemic originated in Mexico
Newswise
June 27, 2016
NEW YORK -- The 2009 swine H1N1 flu pandemic - responsible for more than 17,000 deaths worldwide - originated in pigs from a very small region in central Mexico, a research team headed by investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is reporting.
The scientists say their findings, published in the journal eLife, represent the first time that the origin of an influenza pandemic virus has been determined in such detail.
Researchers used state-of-the-art genetic analysis to identify the precise location and the main molecular transformations that allowed a pig influenza virus to jump into humans. They found that the virus responsible was a mix of one North American swine virus that had jumped between birds, humans, and pigs, and a second Eurasian swine virus, that circulated for more than 10 years in pigs in Mexico before jumping into humans. Previously, the most closely related ancestor viruses to the 2009 H1N1 virus were identified in Asian swine, but they were not as close genetically to the human 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus as the swine Mexican isolates found in this study.
The only other H1N1 pandemic flu known to date was the "Spanish" flu of 1918 that killed between 50 and 100 million people - 3 to 5 percent of the world's population.
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6. BLM to start sterilizing wild horses
Associated Press
Elko Daily Free Press
June 27, 2016
RENO (AP) - A federal agency is on a path to sterilize wild horses on U.S. rangeland to slow the growth of herds - a new approach condemned by mustang advocates across the West.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management also continues to resist calls from ranchers and western Republicans to euthanize or sell for slaughter the animals overflowing holding pens so as to clear the way for more roundups.
Bureau of Land Management Deputy Director Steve Ellis delivered those messages at an emotional congressional hearing this week. He offered a glimpse of the challenges facing the agency that has been struggling for decades with what it describes as a $1 billion problem.
Highlights of the hearing included Nevada's state veterinarian calling for the round-up and surgical sterilization of virtually every mustang in overpopulated herds, a protester who briefly interrupted with shouts denouncing "welfare ranchers" turning public lands into "feedlots," and an Arkansas congressman whose puppy is about to get neutered.
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