1. As USDA announces field trials for bird flu, UT veterinarian expects long process
By Alex Gonzalez, Producer
Public News Service
September 16, 2024
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved field trials for bird flu vaccines among cattle, but one Utah State veterinarian says to his knowledge those trials haven't begun yet.
Dr. Daniel Christensen, state veterinarian for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, said the USDA is likely still a long way from having the vaccine developed that would help mitigate the spread of bird flu in livestock.
The initial field study would only involve dairy cows to evaluate the safety of the vaccine. Christensen said H5N1 among cattle isn't a death sentence as it is among birds.
"So, they seem to recover pretty well and return to a decent level of production," said Christensen, "within two to three weeks, something in that range."
But Christensen added that the bird flu can lead to a drop in milk production for a two- to three-week time period while cattle recover.
Full text: https://tinyurl.com/5e74ssmp
2. Texas' battle against deer disease threatens breeding industry
Texas has seen a record number of chronic wasting disease cases this year. The state is looking for new ways to contain the spread without driving deer breeders out of business.
By Alejandra Martinez and Jakob Maurer
Texas Tribune
September 13, 2024
HUNT COUNTY - Under the shadows of tall post oak trees, two white-tailed deer snap their heads in high alert as John True tosses corn at them.
"They're the most incredible animal that God created," said True, a 49-year-old deer breeder who has been raising deer since 1998. True is a partner in the breeding operation at Big Rack Ranch, about 40 miles east of Dallas, which sells to ranchers who want to start or stock their own herds.
Inside the pen, the smaller of the two bucks is 3 years old - the typical age that True sells his deer. But he can't sell any of his deer now because of a state quarantine aimed at containing a fast-spreading disease in Texas deer.
He is one of many Texas breeders who say their businesses are suffering due to chronic wasting disease, or CWD. True's deer don't have the disease, but it has infected deer owned by his neighbor, also a deer breeder. Under state rules, that means True can't transport or sell his deer outside of the state-declared containment zone - and he says there are no potential customers inside that zone.
The disease, which is easily transmissible through urine, feces, saliva, and blood, has been detected in Texas deer since 2012. Last year saw 153 positive cases in the state, and the number of cases this year reached 387 in August, most of them from the outbreak at the property next to True's.
Full text: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/09/13/texas-deer-chronic-wasting-disease-quarantine/
3. Mosquitos: An emerging threat to swine health
Because of this year's widespread unusual rainfall during spring and summer, ideal conditions exist for explosive mosquito population growth.
Swine Health Information Center
National Hog Farmer
September 16, 2024
The Swine Health Information Center, in collaboration with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, hosted a webinar on mosquitos and their impact on swine health and production Aug. 26. Goals of the webinar were to understand the role of mosquitos as a vector for disease transmission and to take actions to control mosquito populations near swine farms. The webinar featured four subject matter experts sharing insights on entomology and mosquito life cycles, experience on managing mosquitos in and around swine farms, and best control practices to reduce the impact of insect bites on pork production.
Presenters offering their expertise included Dustin Swanson, USDA-ARS, Bernie Gleeson, SunPork (Australia), Natalee Judson, Pipestone, and Chris Rademacher, Iowa State University. Because of this year's widespread unusual rainfall during spring and summer, ideal conditions exist for explosive mosquito population growth. Mosquitos can transmit many pathogens and pose a risk to swine health and production.
Full text: https://www.nationalhogfarmer.com/livestock-management/mosquitos-an-emerging-threat-to-swine-health
4. Wyoming Livestock Board Partners with GlobalVetLink to Sponsor Digital Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVIs) for Wyoming Veterinarians [edited]
By GlobalVetLink
PRNewswire
Longview News-Journal.com
September 16, 2024
AMES, Iowa -- GlobalVetLink, the leader in digital animal health compliance solutions, is proud to announce its partnership with the Wyoming Livestock Board, which will sponsor digital Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVIs) for veterinarians across the state. This strategic collaboration aims to enhance disease traceability and promote a seamless transition from paper-based to digital CVIs for animal movement documentation.
"We are excited to work with the Wyoming Livestock Board to support their efforts in modernizing animal health documentation," said Dr. Martin Zaluski, Head of Regulatory Affairs at GlobalVetLink. "This partnership underscores our commitment to advancing the veterinary industry through technology.
By encouraging the utilization of digital CVIs, Wyoming sets a progressive example to other states in managing livestock health more effectively and promoting greater animal traceability and welfare. By reducing manual paperwork, veterinary practices can focus more on patient care. At the same time, digital certificates offer the added benefit of improved record accuracy and faster access to essential data during potential disease outbreaks.
Full text: https://tinyurl.com/3j45vacw
5. Taiwan research finds method to reduce methane emissions from cows
Government researchers achieve 4.5% drop without affecting milk output
By Jono Thomson
Taiwan News
September 13, 2024
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - Researchers at Taiwan's agriculture ministry have conducted experiments that reduced greenhouse gas emissions from dairy cows by 4.5% without affecting milk production.
The experiment reduced the cows' protein intake and used agricultural byproducts as feed. The changes resulted in methane output dropping from 6,259 kilograms per cow to 5,975, the Ministry of Agriculture's animal research unit said via press release on Friday (Sept. 13).
The unit's director, surnamed Huang (?), said the experiment found that when cow pastures and other factors are fixed, reducing the protein content in their feed from 18% to 15% caused the reduction in methane production. They said the finding is highly significant for the future of environmentally friendly milk production.
Full text: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5935777
6. Bird flu outbreaks die down, but Colorado keeps monitoring cows and poultry
Surveillance in humans is sparser
By Meg Wingerter
Denver Post
September 16, 2024
Colorado's outbreak of avian flu in poultry and dairy cattle seems to have died down, though the state continues to monitor farms for signs of the virus.
That doesn't include regularly testing farms' workers though - unless they have symptoms and their employers have a known outbreak.
Dairies have to bulk-test their milk at least once a week for H5N1, a flu virus that is particularly lethal to poultry and spilled over to cattle earlier this year. Poultry farms that had to cull their animals because of infections also must test as they introduce new birds, in case they missed something while disinfecting.
Surveillance of people is far less regular, though.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment only monitors workers on farms with known outbreaks, and only tests those who show symptoms, which is in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The department hasn't reported any new human testing since at least the start of September. At that point, 137 people had taken tests and 10 came back positive since 2022.
Full text: https://www.denverpost.com/2024/09/16/colorado-avian-flu-cows-poultry-outbreaks/