ANIMALNET JULY 16, 1999 Satellites help predict disease outbreaks Climate and satellite indicators to forecast Rift Valley Fever epidemics-Kenya First raccoon Rabies case found in Maynard area Chancellor shuns hunting hue and cry in by-election We need national cattle identification Cutting phosphorus in dairy cattle feed will save money, help environment Second ADSA discover conference on food animal agriculture Hot days can melt away milk production Conservation biology: Lynx and biologists try to recover after disastrous start Newcastle disease - Taiwan Rabies statistics - USA (Texas): May 1999 Prosecution bulletin for Amrul Mohammed of Montreal Hantavirus warning PETA-targeted Vet convicted of animal abuse PETA'S hard luck Firebombing illuminates ugly side of primate freedom tour Two research workshops scheduled for fall Dog flea powder can be bad for cats AnimalNet is produced by researchers at the Agri-Food Risk Management and Communication Project at the University of Guelph, is edited by Wendy Powell (wpowell@uoguelph.ca) and Douglas Powell (dpowell@uoguelph.ca), and is supported by the Ontario Cattlemen's Association, the U.S. National Pork Producers, U.S. National Food Processors Association, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited (Canada), Canadian Animal Health Institute, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Meat & Livestock Australia, Canadian Pork Council, Ontario Farm Animal Council, the U.S. National Cattlemens Beef Association, the Rutgers University Food Safety Extension Program, Ag-West Biotech, Capital Health, the Ontario Soybean Growers Marketing Board, Food Indsutry Environmental Network, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors, Chicken Farmers of Canada, MDS Nordion, American Meat Institute, and the Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt Program). archived at: http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/courses/ansc481/animal_net.html SATELLITES HELP PREDICT DISEASE OUTBREAKS - REPORT July 16 /99 Reuters Maggie Fox WASHINGTON -- Researchers were cited as saying on Friday that outbreaks of disease can be predicted months in advance using satellite images and other climate data. By analyzing information collected by a U.S. government weather satellite, a team of scientists studied the density of green vegetation in Africa to predict outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever, which can kill livestock and humans. Kenneth Linthicum of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and colleagues was cited as finding that the amount of green vegetation was a reliable indicator of rainfall, which in turn, predicted the rise and fall of mosquito populations. This story explained that in Africa, rainfall encourages mosquitoes, which carry Rift Valley Fever, a hemorrhagic disease spread from livestock to humans by mosquitoes or by contact with infected animals. In 1998 the disease killed more than 600 people in Kenya. Examining the weather and climate data could, the story says, be used to warn about a range of diseases and could improve efforts to warn of drought, flood and other disasters, the researchers said. They was quoted as writing in their report, published in Friday's issue of the journal Science, "Several climate indices can be used to predict outbreaks up to 5 months in advance." Compton Tucker of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, who worked on the study, was quoted in a telephone interview as saying, "For the first time we now have 18 or 19 years of data. We have satellite data and ground-based data and the actual documentation of the presence of the disease from traditional medical sources. So all these things have sort of come together." This story further explained that the team compared measurements of sea temperatures, including the El Nino-southern oscillation weather patternsQwhich increase rain in some regions of East Africa and result in droughts in southern AfricaQto their satellite data and information about past outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever. The associations were clear and will be easy to predict in the future, the researchers said. Paul Epstein of Harvard Medical School, who wrote a commentary on the study, was cited as saying that the findings will greatly help efforts to predict outbreaks not only of Rift Valley Fever, but of other insect-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, adding, "You can distribute bed nets and pesticides and medicines and make a dramatic decrease in the amount of expected malaria." In South America it is drought that allows mosquitoes to breed. Epstein was quoted as saying, "In Colombia, El Nino is usually associated with drought, which in mountainous areas dries up streams and makes breeding sites for malaria and dengue fever," adding that In the United States the data could be used to predict a rise in hantavirus, an untreatable and deadly virus carried by rodents whose victims' fluid-filled lungs often drown them. "In the southwest we had a tremendous drought in Arizona, Nevada, all through the spring. Right now there is flooding in the Grand Canyon and flooding in Las Vegas. This drought punctuated by rain is a perfect situation for an explosion in the mouse population. We should be getting our vigilance up for mice and hantavirus in the southwest," Epstein was quoted as saying. Satellite measurements could even be used to predict cholera outbreaks, Epstein said. Data from instruments that measure temperature and algae concentrations could show where conditions are right for cholera, which is often spread in polluted seawater. CLIMATE AND SATELLITE INDICATORS TO FORECAST RIFT VALLEY FEVER EPIDEMICS IN KENYA July 16 /99 Science 285: 397 - 400 Kenneth J. Linthicum, 1* Assaf Anyamba, 2* Compton J. Tucker, 2 Patrick W. Kelley, 1 Monica F. Myers, 2 Clarence J. Peters 3 This story explained that all known Rift Valley fever virus outbreaks in East Africa from 1950 to May 1998, and probably earlier, followed periods of abnormally high rainfall. Analysis of this record and Pacific and Indian Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies, coupled with satellite normalized difference vegetation index data, shows that prediction of Rift Valley fever outbreaks may be made up to 5 months in advance of outbreaks in East Africa. Concurrent near-real-time monitoring with satellite normalized difference vegetation data may identify actual affected areas. 1 Department of Defense, Global Emerging Infections System, Division of Preventive Medicine, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, DC 20307-5100, USA. 2 Earth Sciences Directorate, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA. 3 Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. * To whom correspondence should be addressed. FIRST RACCOON RABIES CASE FOUND IN MAYNARD AREA July 16 /99 Ontario Farmer Daily The Ministry of Natural Resources is implementing a rabies protection plan in the Maynard area following confirmation of the first case of the raccoon strain of rabies there. "Tests have confirmed that a dead raccoon found in the Prescott-Maynard area carried the raccoon strain of rabies virus" said Natural Resources Minister John Snobelen. "Ministry of Natural Resources staff are implementing a full protection plan to ensure that the virus does not spread, and to ensure the safety of people and pets in the area." MNR is asking people in the Maynard-Prescott area to report any sighting of a raccoon behaving in an unusual manner to the ministry's Rabies Research Unit at 1-888-574-6656. The Animal Disease Research Institute, of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in Nepean, Ontario, confirmed that the dead raccoon has the Mid-Atlantic Raccoon Rabies Strain of the rabies virus. Testing was conducted Wednesday July 14. Teams from MNR's Rabies Research Unit are working in the immediate area of the incident to contain any potential spread of the virus to local wildlife. MNR is undertaking protection measures in the Prescott-Maynard area, both immediately around the spot where the rabid raccoon was found, and in a wide area further out from this site. Through a Point Control Plan, MNR will destroy raccoons and skunks in the immediate area because they may be infected. These animals will be tested for rabies. MNR will also vaccinate raccoons and skunks in the wider area so that the virus cannot spread. The raccoon strain of the rabies virus has been spreading in the northeastern United States over the past few years. It was only a matter of time before a raccoon crossed into Ontario with this strain of rabies. MNR has been conducting trap-vaccinate-release programs for several years at major border crossings in the St. Lawrence area, including the Prescott area, and in the Niagara area to build a defensive zone of immunized native raccoons to minimize the spread of the virus should an incident occur. Raccoons have relatively high populations in southern Ontario and tend to interact with pets thus the potential for the spread of this disease to humans is always a public health concern. Pet owners are advised to ensure that their dogs or cats are not allowed to run at large and to have the animals vaccinated annually with a local veterinarian. "We want to remind people that raccoon rabies is rabies and, like other strains of the virus, there are precautions that people can and should take to protect themselves, their children and their pets from the possibility of exposure, Mr. Snobelen said. " We suggest people ensure that they and their pets leave wild animals alone, especially raccoons." The Medical Officer of Health for the Leeds Grenville and Lanark Health Unit recommends that any individual who comes into direct contact with a raccoon call the unit's Brockville office at (613) 345-5685 or 1-800-660-5853. The health unit can also provide more information on rabies. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says that all strains of rabies are reportable under the Federal Health of Animals Act. Any animal suspected of having rabies should be reported to the agency's office in Brockville at (613) 342-3682. MNR also has information about rabies at http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/rabies of its rabies web site. CHANCELLOR SHUNS HUNTING HUE AND CRY IN BY-ELECTION July 16 /99 PA NEWS Michael Clarke and Mark Benattar This story explained that Chancellor Gordon Brown today moved to try to stop the Eddisbury by-election becoming a referendum on fox-hunting. The run-up to next week's poll in the rural Cheshire seatQthe base of a long-established huntQhas been dominated by Tony Blair's pledge to ban the blood sport. But Mr Brown, touring the constituency today, insisted the poll should be fought on the Government's record. He was quoted as telling reporters, "There are many issues in this by-election. People appreciate economic stability over Conservative boom and bust." But the Labour candidate, Margaret Hanson, and her "minder", local MP Phil Woolas, continued to emphasise the plan to end hunting. Mr Brown's efforts to focus on other issues may fuel rumours that several Cabinet ministers are unimpressed by Mr Blair's surprise decision to put the issue back on the political agenda. The Chancellor was cited as insisting that the central issues in Eddisbury were the same as anywhereQinterest rates, employment, health and education, adding, "Since 1997, Labour has been steering a course of economic stability in a time of global uncertainty, delivering higher living standards for people here in Eddisbury." Mr Woolas, MP for Oldham and Saddleworth, was cited as saying that the Tories' campaign was suffering because of their support for the hunt, adding, "The Tory establishment here is wedded to the hunt when the voters are fed up of the arrogant antics of the Tory hunstmen. Everybody here knows that the hunt is the Tory party at play and their campaign is in tatters as a result." Mrs Hanson was cited as saying that the poll was a "golden opportunity to send out a string message on fox hunting, adding, "Everywhere I go in the constituency people come up to me and say how much they appreciate Tony Blair's promise to end hunting with dogs. WE NEED NATIONAL CATTLE IDENTIFICATION 06 Jul 1999 Ontario Farmer Charlie Gracey Some people are not yet convinced that National Cattle ID is a good idea and can't see the need for this initiative. Support appears generally strong among better informed producers, those that attend meetings and offer themselves as industry leaders. But they are not typical of the nearly 50% of herds that account for 12% of the beef cows in this nation. Many of those herds are very small and, while some of those herd owners are quite serious about the cattle industry, most just 'keep a few cows' and don't even consider themselves a part of the industry. The purpose of national individual animal identification is to create the capability to trace every animal and its carcass from any point in the production chain right back to its herd of origin, to permit a search from that herd forward and from the packer back in the event of a serious disease or product defect. Ever since the mid 1940s and during the long struggles to eradicate first Bovine Tuberculosis and later Brucellosis, cattle identification was a key measure in those massive efforts. Your fathers and your grandfathers were very familiar with mandatory identification and some of them paid a higher price than today's cattlemen will ever be asked to pay. Today it is a little harder to convince people who never saw a herd depopulated or who never experienced the abortion storms that struck when Brucellosis was endemic. It is also harder because there is no specific issue like Brucellosis or T.B. to focus our attention and our efforts. So why bother? There are several reasons to believe the situation is more urgent today than it ever was in the past. First of all, while TB and Brucellosis may be under tight control the threat of their recurrence is ever-present. More importantly no one can predict the nature or impact of disease conditions that could arise without warning. I would be greatly surprised if told that anyone anticipated the outbreak of BSE in the UK in the mid 1980s. On the heels of that disaster the UK and indeed all of the EU has embarked upon national ID efforts that are more complex and more costly that anything we propose. Of course ID does not prevent disease, that is obvious. What it does is provide the tools for more rapid containment and elimination. This brings me quickly to my central point. Let us simply be practical. Tagging cattle is a pain in the neck but it is as necessary as the serial number on your car or truck. We live in a new era with better informed consumers with wider choices. Those consumers, both foreign and domestic, increasingly demand assurances that the food products they purchase and consume are safe. They are asking implicitly why they should buy our product if we aren't willing to stand behind it, individually as producers and collectively as an industry. We don't have to respond, but they don't have to buy. Cattle industry leaders have seen the necessity for national ID and the opportunity it provides to boost consumer confidence. The cattle industry has launched its 'Quality Starts Here' program to tie in with in-plant HACCP programs. But until now we haven't asked the individual cattle producer to do very much. Now we are asking that every animal be uniquely identified before it leaves its herd of origin. We need to persuade those not yet convinced that this is a necessity. Some worry about liability. Let me tell you that if the consumer hears you worrying about liability she has double reason to worry about her own vulnerability. Some worry about the loss of their freedom to produce food anonymously. That freedom does not exist and ought not to exist. When we serve the public we become responsible for our actions and our inaction. Any right we may think we have to anonymous production pales beside the right a consumer has to expect safe and wholesome product. The vehicle you drive has a serial number and it is there for your protection. We think that product warranty is a good and necessary thing to protect against shoddy manufacture and workmanship. So now we've decided to put a serial number on our cattle and tell consumers and the world that we are proud of our product and prepared to stand behind it. In our efforts to bring a national identification program into existence the board of the CCIA has gone to great effort to devise the simplest, lowest cost program that still delivers on its mandate. We haven't yet solved all the problems but real progress is being made. Now the biggest challenge is getting the word out and making sure producers are well enough informed far enough in advance to assure 100% compliance. CUTTING PHOSPHORUS IN DAIRY CATTLE FEED WILL SAVE MONEY, HELP ENVIRONMENT July 16 /99 USDA ARS News Service Linda McGraw Feeding dairy cows 20 percent less phosphorus could save U.S. dairy producers $100 million a year and improve water quality, according to an Agricultural Research Service dairy scientist in Madison, Wis. Excess phosphorus in waterQrunoff from fieldsQcan boost algae and aquatic plant growth in streams and lakes. Dairy producers have been overfeeding phosphorus to dairy cows. The National Research Council has recommended that dairy cows be fed about 3.8 grams of phosphorus per kilogram of feed dry matter. An average cow eats about 20 kilograms of dry matter per day. About a year ago, ARS dairy scientist Larry D. Satter conducted a telephone survey of more than 30 dairy nutritionists, extension specialists, feed industry representatives and nutrition consultants. He concluded that, in practice, dairy producers were feeding an average of 4.8 grams of phosphorus per kilogram of dry matter. That's 20 percent more than the typical dairy cow needs. Over the last 20 years, ARS and other research institutions have conducted 13 studies of nearly 800 milk-producing cows eating both high- and low-phosphorus diets. From these studies, Satter concludes, contrary to common belief, that cows fed high amounts of phosphorous had no enhanced reproductive performance compared to animals fed low phosphorus. Satter, based at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center in Madison will present these findings at the 1999 Four-State Applied Nutrition and Management Conference in LaCrosse, Wis., August 2-4. Conference attendees include dairy producers and representatives of the feed industry from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. California, Wisconsin, New York, Minnesota and Pennsylvania are among the top dairy producing states. ARS is the chief scientific research agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. SECOND ADSA DISCOVER CONFERENCE ON FOOD ANIMAL AGRICULTURE July 16 /99 American Dairy Science Association From: Bill Baumgardt The Transition Cow with opportunities for interaction & discussion in a relaxed environment Sunday evening August 29 to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday September 1, 1999 Abe Martin Lodge Brown County State Park Nashville, Indiana (50 miles south of Indianapolis) Sponsored by the American Dairy Science Association Web: www.adsa.uiuc.edu Coordinator: Bill Baumgardt bbaum@gte.net 765-463-4249 (See Registration form at end) ------------------------- Sunday, August 29 7:15 - 9:00 p.m. Welcoming reception and get-acquainted opportunity Monday, August 30 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. Breakfast Morning Session: Digestion and Absorption I Moderator: John E. Shirley, Kansas State University 8:15 a.m. Welcome and announcements - Bill Baumgardt 8:25 Speaker Introductions 8:30 Biological changes in rumen papillae during the periparturent period. Role in acidosis, displaced abomasal disorders and nutrient absorption from the rumen. Speaker: Mike Allen, Michigan State University 9:00 Questions and discussion. 9:15 Changes in the population of rumen microfloro/fauna - effects on nutrient delivery. Speaker: T.G. Nagaraja, Kansas State University 9:45 Questions and discussion. 10:00 Break 10:30 Digestive tract size/capacity - effects on nutrient delivery. - Cow: Ken McGuffey, Elanco Animal Health - Sow: Don Mahan, Ohio State University 11:15 General discussion: Questions and comments from registrants. 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. Lunch Afternoon free for further discussion and/or recreation. 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. Dinner on your own. Evening Session: Digestion and Absorption II Moderator: James Drackley, University of Illinois 7:00 p.m. Speaker Introductions 7:10 Nutrient supply from the digestive system during the first 14 days post partum. Speaker: Chris Reynolds, University of Reading 7:40 Questions and discussion. 7:50 Factors influencing dry matter intake during the periparturent period. Speaker: Ric Grummer, University of Wisconsin, Madison 8:20 Questions and discussion 8:30 General discussion: Questions and comments from registrants. Tuesday, August 31 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. Breakfast Morning Session: Post absorptive changes during the periparturent period I Moderator: Ric Grummer, University of Wisconsin, Madison 8:05 a.m. Speaker Introductions 8:10 Amino acid metabolism: fetus, muscle and mammary. Speaker: Alan Bell, Cornell University 8:40 Questions and discussion. 8:50 Role of glucagon in regul. metabolism. Speaker: A. R. Hippen, S. D. State Univ. 9:20 Questions and Discussion 9:30 Biology of acid-base balance relative to hypocalcemia Speaker: Ron Horst, USDA, ARS, NADC, Ames, Iowa 10:00 Questions and discussion. 10:10 Break 10:25 Reconvene and announcements. 10:30 Gluconeogenesis Speakers: Gene regulations: Shawn Donkin, Purdue University Metabolism: Tom Overton, Cornell University 11:15 Questions and discussion. 11:30 General discussion: Questions and comments from registrants. 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. Lunch Afternoon Session: Industry Perspective - Basic research needed to address practical problems. Moderator: Jim Lauderdale, Pharmacia-Upjohn, retired, Delton, MI 1:30 p.m. Speaker Introductions 1:45 Paul Chandler, Chandler & Associates, Dresden, TN 2:00 Robert Dobson, Land-O-Lakes, Seattle, WA 2:15 Robert Patton, Nittany Dairy Nutrition, Mifflinburg, PA 2:30 Dana Putnam, Monsanto Dairy Business, Gilbert, AZ 2:45 General discussion 3:30 Free time for further discussion and recreation. Dinner on your own Evening Session: Post absorptive changes during the periparturent period II. Moderator: Shawn Donkin, Purdue University 7:00 p.m. Speaker Introductions 7:05 Regulation and impact of hepatic _-oxidation Speaker: James Drackley, University of Illinois 7:35 Questions and discussion 7:45 Regulation of hepatic lipoprotein synthesis. Speaker: Dominique Bauchart, INRA, Centre de Recherches, France 8:15 Questions and discussion 8:25 General discussion: Questions and comments from registrants. Wednesday, September 1 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. Breakfast Morning Session: Biological bases for nutrient requirements of pregnancy, mammary, digestive tract growth and function, and immune system function. Moderator: Richard Patton, Galisteo, NM 8:15 a.m. Speaker Introductions 8:30 Energy Speaker: Henry Tyrrell, USDA CSREES, Washington, DC 9:00 Questions and discussion. 9:15 Protein Speaker: Mike Vandehaar, Michigan State University 9:45 Question and discussion. 10:00 Break 10:20 Reconvene and announcements. 10:25 Immune System Speaker: Jesse Goff, USDA, ARS, NADC, Ames, Iowa 10:55 Questions and discussion. 11:05 General discussion: Questions and comments from registrants. 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. Lunch 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. Wrap-up & feedback -------------------------------------------- Registration Form MAIL EARLY to assure your participation! Acceptance dependent on space available. Housing information will be sent with your confirmation and is available on the DISCOVER Web site. (www.adsa.uiuc.edu) Second DISCOVER Conference on Food Animal Agriculture: The Transition Cow August 29 to September 1, 1999 Abe Martin Lodge, Nashville, Indiana Name: Company/Institution: Address: City: State: Zip: Country: Phone: FAX E-mail: Your position (CIRCLE): Grad Student; Post-Doc; Research Scientist; Faculty Member; Consultant; Research Director; Program Manager; Veterinarian; Extension Agent; Other: Attach brief summary if you wish to present data or other observations during General Discussion. REGISTRATION FEE: $350.00 U.S. Check: ; MC: ; Visa: ___; AmEx ___ Card# Exp. Date: Signature: RETURN REGISTRATION WITH REMITTANCE TO: ADSA Germplasm Discover Conference 1111 North Dunlap Avenue Savoy, IL 61874 Ph: 217-356-3182 Fax: 217-398-4119 E-mail: adsa@assochq.org (Coordinator: Bill Baumgardt bbaum@gte.net 765-463-4249) HOT DAYS CAN MELT AWAY MILK PRODUCTION July 16 /99 AgAnswers Amy H. Raley The summer heat is no day at the beach for dairy cows whose milk production can drop by up to 10 percent when it's hot, according to Ohio State Extension dairy nutrition specialist Maurice Eastridge. Dairy cows begin to adjust their metabolism to cope with heat when temperatures rise above 70 degrees, so mercury in the 90s really can cause problems, Eastridge says. Cows can experience mild heat stress at 75 degrees and 75 percent humidity. Moderate stress can occur at 85 degrees and 75 percent humidity. At 95 degrees and 75 percent humidity, most cows will suffer from severe heat stress if not managed properly. Temperatures above 100 degrees with high humidity levels can be fatal. Cows under heat stress eat less and produce less milk, he says. Dairy nutritionists estimate that 1 pound of dry feed intake will supply enough nutrients for 2 pounds of milk. If temperatures rise 15 degrees, from 70 to 85, an average cow eats about 3 pounds less daily. That would mean a loss of 6-pounds of milk per dayQor 10 percent. The highest milk-producing cows are the most vulnerable to heat stress because they have the highest metabolic rate, Eastridge says. Cows are more likely to get sick when it's hot, too. Bacteria that cause udder infections thrive in high heat, Eastridge says. Too much heat also can impair fertility by harming follicles on cows' ovaries. This can render eggs infertile. "Producers should use any economically feasible means to keep their cows as comfortable as possible," Eastridge says. Other signs of heat stress in cows include labored breathing, excessive salivating and tongues hanging out. Cows eat less when they are hot because the more they eat the more internal heat they produce during digestion, Eastridge says. The blood flow to their extremities also increases, allowing more heat to transfer into the environment. Some things producers can do: * Provide adequate shade, either under trees or with housing. * Ventilate housing well; side walls should be open to breezes, and the ridge at the top of the barn should be open so heat can escape. * If natural wind doesn't keep facilities cool, use fans. Help is available from Extension offices on how many and what sizes to use. * Provide plenty of clean water and keep it out of direct sunlight. * Minimize the time cows spend bunched together in the holding pen before they are milked, because that raises their temperatures. Ventilate the holding pen, too. * Provide encouragement for eating, such as fans or water misters over feed bunks. Cattle sweat only 10 percent as much as humans, so mist helps. Be sure the water is sprayed in the right amounts, however. Too little will just raise humidity, and too much can roll down to udders and increase disease risk. * Provide feed two or more times per day to keep it fresh and stimulate consumption. In fenceline feeding systems, push feed up to the manger often. * Provide most of the feed ration during cooler periods of the day to minimize heat production when temperatures are higher. * More heat is generated to digest forage than grain, so adjust the diet to feed more nutrient-dense feeds, such as concentrates. Also, feeding supplemental fat can increase energy density of diets while minimizing heat produced. * Reduce walking distances to the milk parlor, feed bunks, water and shade. Less walking means the cow has more energy to cool down and to produce milk. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY: LYNX AND BIOLOGISTS TRY TO RECOVER AFTER DISASTROUS START July 16 /99 Science 285:320 - 321 Keith Kloor* An effort to bring lynx back to Colorado is, according to this story, mired in controversy after five animals starved to death earlier this year The distress call grew louder as Tanya Shenk snowshoed across drifts high in the Rocky Mountains last February. Shenk, a wildlife biologist for the state of Colorado, was in no hurry: The signal from the radio collar meant the victim was dead, perhaps killed by a predator. But when Shenk finally found the lynx curled under a spruce in Rio Grande National Forest, she realized to her horror that the emaciated beast, its telltale tufts of black hair shooting from the tips of its ears, had starved to death. This story explained that similar scenes have played out four more times, including once last month, unleashing a torrent of criticism over a $1.4 million program to bring the dwindling Canada lynx back to Colorado. News of the starved animals has, the story says, outraged critics, some of whom maintain the effort was doomed from the start: Even before the first lynx were flown in from Canada late last year, analyses had suggested that the animal's main winter prey, the snowshoe hare, was in perilously short supply. And some wildlife biologists worry that the furor over the Colorado program will provide ammunition to critics of other wildlife reintroduction programs around the country. Scientists at the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW)were cited as regreting the starvation deaths but defend the reintroduction, which they claim may be their best shot at bringing the lynx back to Colorado. CDOW biologists cite a biological imperative to their timetable: Lynx in Canada are booming, so the populationQthis year, at leastQcould stand to lose the few dozen individuals shipped stateside. Some observers applaud the effort. The U.S. Forest Service's Bill Ruediger, endangered species program leader for the Northern Rockies, was cited as saying that bringing back species like the lynx "is going to take a level of risk that none of us are really comfortable with. I give them credit for doing it." Other experts were cited as disagreeing, contending that individual animals should not suffer to such a degree for the sake of a species. Death and the struggle for survival in unfamiliar terrain go hand in hand: Managers expect up to half the animals in any given carnivore reintroduction program to die, felled by other predators or hit by cars after ranging far from release points. Richard Reading, co-chair of Colorado's Lynx and Wolverine Advisory Team (LWAT) and director of conservation biology at the Denver Zoological Foundation, was quoted as saying, "We certainly expect them to have a high mortality rate. But what you don't expect is starvation." Scott Mills, a lynx researcher at the University of Montana, Missoula, was quoted as saying, "Without the right habitat and enough food source," "reintroduction just becomes a death sentence." This story explained that the lynx as a species managed to stave off one death sentence a quarter-century ago, when fur trappers hunted the animal nearly to extinction in the lower 48 states. A furtive creature about twice the size of a housecat, the lynx once ranged from northern Canada and Alaska to southern Colorado, but now only about 500 remain south of the Canadian border. Only once before have wildlife biologists attempted to bolster lynx numbers in North America, when 83 cats from the Yukon Territory were released in New York's Adirondack mountains in the late 1980s. Carnivore biologist John Weaver of the Wildlife Conservation Society was cited as saying that the program failed miserably: Most lynx were killed by cars, and few if any survivors or their offspring are believed to be around today. NEWCASTLE DISEASE - TAIWAN July 15, 1999 ProMED-mail Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 08:01:28 +0800 From: Chan Yow Cheong ProMED-mail Regional Moderator for Asia Source: Central News Agency, 13 Jul 1999 [edited] A total of 15 Newcastle disease cases have been reported at poultry farms in Taiwan so far this year, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said on Tuesday. The number was far higher than those reported in previous years, COA officials said, adding that local poultry farmers should heighten alert over the contagious disease which mainly infects chickens. In 1998, 23 Newcastle disease cases were reported around the island, while only eight cases were reported in 1997. COA officials said this year's first Newcastle disease case was reported in Taitung in eastern Taiwan. Similar cases were then reported in the neighbouring Hualien county, the central county of Changhua and also Taipei county. The latest case was reported in Taipei county's Shuanhsi township, according to COA official. On June 17, the operator of a poultry farm in Shuanhsi found that 300 chickens raised in his ranch died of unknown reason. A few days later, another 4,300 chickens at his farm also died. Taipei county animal disease control officials then conducted a careful examination of the deceased chickens. Initial examinations showed that the chickens were infected with Newcastle disease virus. On June 23, the Taipei County Government ordered the poultry farm operator to slaughter all surviving chickens to prevent further spread of the deadly virus. [Byline: Sofia Wu] RABIES STATISTICS - USA (TEXAS): MAY 1999 July 15, 1999 A ProMED-mail post Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 13:29:27 -0600 (CST) From: Pam Wilson During May, there were no cases of canine rabies in South Texas. To date, no cases of canine rabies have been reported north of the South Texas Oral Rabies Vaccination Program (ORVP) drop-zone for coyotes. In West-Central Texas, there were 7 cases of gray fox rabies in the following counties: Kerr (1 fox), Kimble (1 bobcat), Menard (1 fox), Sutton (1 fox, 1 goat), Tom Green (1 cat), and Val Verde (1 fox). To date, no cases of gray fox rabies have been reported beyond the boundaries of the original ORVP drop-zone for gray foxes. There were 30 cases of rabies in animals reported statewide, including: 11 skunks 4 bats 4 cats 4 foxes 3 horses 1 bobcat 1 dog 1 goat 1 raccoon PROSECUTION BULLETIN FOR AMRUL MOHAMMED OF MONTREAL Julky 16, 1999 From: Gordon Wood FINE FOR IMPORTING BIRDS INTO CANADA WITHOUT THE REQUIRED PERMITS July 15, 1999 Prosecution Bulletin For Immediate Release Amrul Mohammed, of Montreal, Que., pleaded guilty in provincial court in Brampton, Ont., July 9, 1999 to one count of violating the Health of Animals Act. Mr. Mohammed was fined $200 and given 90 days to pay. In November 1998 at Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto, a Revenue Canada Customs officer conducting a routine inspection of a flight arriving from Trinidad discovered that Mr. Mohammed, who was a passenger on the flight, was carrying three birds in his on-flight baggage. A Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspector confirmed that Mr. Mohammed had not declared the birds on his declaration card and that he did not have the required import permits. This action was contrary to Section 16(1) and violated Section 65(1)(a) of the Health of Animals Act. The Health of Animals Act and Regulations enable the Government of Canada to safeguard the health of animals and prevent the outbreak and spread of diseases among livestock in Canada. HANTAVIRUS WARNING July 16, 1999 The Associated Press LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer WASHINGTON -- Scientists were cited as saying that this could be a bad year for a rare but often fatal viral infection spread by rural rodents. Doctors already are, according to this story, recording slightly higher than usual hantavirus infections in some Western states, including Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Rangers have been cited as warning visitors to national parks not to feed or handle rodents, after a 7-year-old boy played with a possibly infected deer mouse he caught on California's remote Channel Islands. And experts were cited as saying that anyone in rural areas--but particularly in parts of the West where hantavirus is most prevalent--should take certain precautions. Hantavirus-carrying mice can slip into a house, barn or vacation cabin through a crack just a quarter-inch wide, so knowing how to safely deal with rodents is important. This story explained that "Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome" is a severe respiratory infection spread by rodent urine, feces or saliva. You don't actually have to touch a rodent. People typically become sick about two weeks after breathing virus particles stirred up in a rodent-infested space, such as when sweeping a mouse nest out of a barn or cabin. Dr.. James Mills of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was cited as warning, "All it takes is one infected rodent," adding that a Wisconsin man who volunteered to clean a mouse nest out of a relative's car, but used a high-pressure air hose that blasted enough hantavirus into the air to make him sick. Hantavirus infection kills 43 per cent of its victims--but fortunately it's fairly rare. Only 217 U.S. cases have been confirmed since the first U.S. hantavirus strain was discovered in 1993, during a mysterious outbreak in the "Four Corners" region of the Southwest that killed at least 26 people. The risk of hantavirus seems to fluctuate with climate. The CDC was cited as saying that parts of country are poised for a bad year, so it is urging rural residents and vacationers to take some simple precautions. http://www.cdc.gov on the Internet. PETA-TARGETED VET CONVICTED OF ANIMAL ABUSE July 15, 1999 AMP News Americans for Medical Progress http://www.amprogress.org Private practice veterinarian Dr. Howard Baker of Old Bridge N.J. was found guilty on 14 counts of animal cruelty this week. The charges revolve around a secret videotape made by then PETA staffer Michelle Rokke, who worked as Baker's assistant for nine months in 1996-97. Rokke later became prominent for her role in secretly videotaping procedures and stealing documents for PETA from the contract research firm Huntingdon Life Sciences. In both cases, Rokke misrepresented her background to gain employment and hid the fact that she worked for PETA. Dr. Baker was fined $3,500, given 90 days of community service and ordered to undergo anger management counseling. "I know I am innocent," Baker said as he left the courtroom. His lawyer indicated that the verdict would be appealed. There are also charges pending with the state Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. PETA'S HARD LUCK July 15, 1999 AMP News Americans for Medical Progress http://www.amprogress.org PETA is not having much luck with its materials these days. PETA had opened its offices in Manchester New Hampshire the first week in July with great fanfare. It was from here that the organization would coordinate its campaign against Vice President Al Gore during the early months of the Presidential campaign. Huge posters attacking Gore covered the windows. In just one day, the posters were taken down by the property's management, because PETA violated the terms of its lease by putting them up in the first place. PETA is convinced its loss is due to politics. "We smell a rat and we are going to get to the bottom of it," said PETA's Tracy Reiman. -- This week, after putting out a tasteless news release announcing that a "mad cow" was going to attack a federal building in Oklahoma, PETA's demonstration about mad cow disease was thwarted when an important prop got lost in shipping. The protest called for a person in a cow suit to hit a six foot foam rubber brain with a baseball bat. Only half the brain arrived in Tulsa. No doubt AMP News readers will come up with a fitting closing line to this tale.... FIREBOMBING ILLUMINATES UGLY SIDE OF PRIMATE FREEDOM TOUR July 15, 1999 AMP News Americans for Medical Progress http://www.amprogress.org The Animal Liberation Front Press Office this week announced it had received a communique from an ALF cell claiming responsibility for the firebombing of a truck belonging to a primate supply company. The action was claimed "in support of the 1999 Primate Freedom Tour." There has been no comment from Tour organizers about the attack as of this writing. The communique, dated June 25, claimed responsibility for the arson in Miami. It said the truck belonged to Worldwide Primates, Inc. and named WWP, Inc. owner Matthew Block and his family. However, the truck actually belonged to another firm, Primate Products. The FBI, ATF and local law enforcement officials are investigating. Meanwhile, since our last report, the Primate Freedom Tour has been through Texas, where it deviated from its public schedule and staged protests at other sites, including M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the home of Texas Governor George W. Bush. It also held several days of demonstrations at New Iberia Research Center on the University of Southwestern Louisiana campus and is today on its last day of scheduled protests at Tulane. The Tour is not generating the favorable publicity the organizers hoped it would. There have been many articles and TV news stories about primate research, but thanks to the advance media work at most of the targeted facilities, those items have presented an accurate picture of the nature and necessity of animal research. An editorial in yesterday's Lafayette LA Daily Advertiser noted of the New Iberia/USL experience: "The open manner in which the animal activists were received here is significant. It verifies the contention of those involved in the work of the research center that there is no pain or suffering among the primate population. The work must go forward." The Tour's next stop is the National Center for Toxicological Research in Arkansas. As late as last week, Tour organizers were on animal rights Internet lists with an urgent appeal for a regional coordinator for that stop. They offered no word as to what happened to the previously recruited coordinator. TWO RESEARCH WORKSHOPS SCHEDULED FOR FALL July 15, 1999 AMP News Americans for Medical Progress http://www.amprogress.org The Massachusetts Society for Medical Research will hold a workshop entitled IACUCS: Rights, Roles and Responsibilities II on September 30 and October 1 1999 in Waltham, Massachusetts. Details may be found on the MSMR website at http://www.msmr.org/meetings.html A workshop entitled "Animal Research: Where Does the Buck Stop?" will be held at Lake Tahoe, California October 2-5, 1999. Sponsors are the UCDavis Center for Animal Welfare, the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University, and NIH's OPRR. information and a registration form may be found online at http://animalwelfare.ucdavis.edu/conference/default.html DOG FLEA POWDER CAN BE BAD FOR CATS July 16, 1999 The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Veterinarian E. Kathryn Meyer, who coordinates the U.S. Pharmacopeia Veterinary Practitioners' Reporting Program, was cited as saying that cats can become extremely sick and even die if their owners treat them with flea products intended for dogs only, adding, "It is critical for owners to be aware of the severe consequences of using flea products incorrectly--particularly when cats are involved--because cats can be very sensitive to certain chemicals." This story explained that the organization, which identifies quality problems with products, medication and chemicals used in veterinary medicine, published a report on the topic in today's issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. While flea products often are packaged similarly, the active ingredients can vary greatly, especially among popular "spot-on" products in which a small amount of liquid is applied directly to the animal's skin. A common chemical in such products is permethrin, which can be toxic to cats. In products made for dogs, permethrin is usually concentrated at levels of 45 per cent to 65 per cent. Flea sprays intended for cats contain much lower--and safer--concentrations, often about 2 per cent. Meyer was cited as advising cat owners to closely follow directions on flea products because even small amounts of permethrin can be bad for cats, adding, "Furthermore, people who own both dogs and cats should be aware that 'dog-only' flea products applied to their dogs can cause illness in cats that are in close contact with the treated dogs." Meyer's organization received 11 reports between August 1997 and September 1998 involving 12 cats that were hospitalized after exposure to a concentrated permethrin flea product. Four of the cats died. The article was further cited as saying that similar cases reported to the Environmental Protection Agency, which received accounts of about 125 cats that got sick or died following incorrect applications of permethrin. About two dozen of the felines became ill or died because of contact with treated dogs. Symptoms of permethrin toxicity in cats include excitability, twitching and seizures. Cat owners noticing signs should quickly bathe their pet in mild dishwashing detergent and seek veterinary care. To subscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca leave subject line blank in the body of the message type: subscribe animalnet-L firstname lastname i.e. subscribe animalnet -L Doug Powell To unsubscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca leave subject line blank in the body of the message type: signoff animalnet-L For more information about the AnimalNet research program, please contact: Dr. Douglas Powell dept. of plant agriculture University of Guelph Guelph, Ont. N1G 2W1 tel: 519-824-4120 x2506 fax: 519-763-8933 dpowell@uoguelph.ca http://www.oac.uoguelph.ca/riskcomm archived at: http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/courses/ansc481/animal_net.html