ANIMALNET MAY 23, 2000 Optimum feeding strategies for lean growth of Pigs evaluated Copper linked to Sheep disease scourge Sea Trout successfully farmed Bear mauling Clues to Mad Cow Disease emerge in study of mutant proteins Rare virus afflicts girl Insecticide blamed in Rock Creek fish kill A mouse made for heavy drinking Is it a plane? No, it's a bird. And a very rare bird indeed Fighting infections with glass Animal activists firebomb British meat plant; could U.S. be next? NMA submits comments opposing proposed PFF rule National Meat & Poultry advisory committee 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, Pfizer Animal Health Group, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited (Canada), Canadian Animal Health Institute, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Meat & Livestock Australia, Canadian Pork Council, Ontario Egg Producers, Ontario Farm Animal Council, U.S. National Cattlemens Beef Association, the Rutgers Food Risk Analysis Initiative, Ag-West Biotech, Land O' Lakes Feed, Capital Health, Animal Industry Foundation, American Feed Industry Assn., the Ontario Soybean Growers Marketing Board, Food Indsutry Environmental Network, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors, Chicken Farmers of Canada, MDS Nordion, American Meat Institute, USDA Veterinary Services (Fort Collins) Alberta Farm Animal Council, and the Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt Program). archived at: http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/riskcomm/archives/animalnet-archives.htm OPTIMUM FEEDING STRATEGIES FOR LEAN GROWTH OF PIGS EVALUATED May 22, 2000 FeedStuffs J.E. PETTIGREW Dr. James Pettigrew is president of Pettigrew Consulting International LLC, Louisiana, Mo., a company that provides consulting services for swine nutrition to organizations associated with pork or feed productiton. This story explained that as the lean growth rate of pigs has increased, their amino acid requirements have also increased. Quantitative requirements vary with everything that influences the level of production, including genetics, health, temperature, which need to be considered when determining amino acid requirements. The most important progress made in pig nutrition during Pettigrew's career, in his view, is the acceptance that different pigs should be fed differently. As the lean growth rate of pigs has increased, their daily amino acid requirements have also increased substantially, making it a difficult balance not to produce fat. Estimating the different quantitative requirements in each situation can be difficult. Quantitative requirements vary not only with each genotype, but with everything that influences the level of production, such as: genetics, health, ambient temperature and stocking density. The focus in finishing pigs is on amino acid requirements, because dietary amino acid levels have major effects on cost of diet, the amount of nitrogen in the waste and increases odor production. If the amino acid levels are too low, feed efficiency, growth rate and carcass leanness will be poor. The approach offered here is, this story says, generally that described in the National Research Council's (NRC) Nutrient Requirements of Swine (1998). The daily lysine requirement of the growing pig consists of the requirement for maintenance, based on research, and the requirement to support protein accretion, which is estimated. The amount of accretion is rarely available directly, but can be estimated from another number that often can be obtained by estimate of carcass lean growth. There is, this story explained, a close relationship between the amount of protein in the pig's empty body (whole body minus contents of the digestive tract and urinary bladder) and the amount of lean tissue in the carcass. With the estimate of the empty-body protein accretion rate, it can simply be multiplied by the factor mentioned above to determine the amount of lysine needed each day. to support that level of protein accretion. This story further detailed how to calculate similar amino acid requirements in sows and piglets. COPPER LINKED TO SHEEP DISEASE SCOURGE May 23, 2000 The Age GAYLE TIMMS http://www.theage.com.au/news/20000523/A12051-2000May22.html A Victorian parliamentary committee, investigating the government's response to Johne's disease, has been told that copper deficiency may cause the devastating Johne's disease in sheep. During public hearings across rural Victoria last week, farmers were cited as giving evidence in East Gippsland of how they had been financially ruined and socially stigmatised because of the government's ovine Johne's disease eradication program. The program, this story explained, requires farmers to kill all their sheep, not just those infected, and not to have any sheep on their land for two years. But Stephen Blennerhassett, a farmer from Bengworden, was cited as arguing that ovine Johne's disease might be caused by a diet deficient in copper. When the animal was stressed, by natural situations such as drought, the disease surfaced. Mr Blennerhassett was quoted as saying, "Considering that Johne's contamination usually occurs in a lamb within 30 days of its life, a higher level of copper in its mother's milk could inoculate the lamb against the disease." This story explained that Johne's disease is a gut infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium paratubercluosis, which interferes with the animal's digestion and absorption of nutrients, in particular protein, from food leading to malnutrition. Speaking after the hearing, Mr Blennerhassett was cited as saying that from his investigations into Johne's disease, it appeared the disease occurred all over the world, adding, "It is considered harmless to humans and is something that farmers put up with. They have a few sheep losses but nothing huge. Mass slaughter being conducted by the Victorian Government is a dreadful waste," adding that one farmer was forced to kill 14,000 sheep after just one in the flock tested positive to the disease. The East Gippsland Organic Agriculture Association was cited as supporting Mr Blennerhassett's copper deficiency theory. Association secretary Robyn Grant was cited as telling the hearing that Johne's disease could be contained and perhaps eradicated by limiting the factors in the environment that contributed to the growth of the bacterium, adding, "Soil quality and its contents are of extreme importance to the health of anything that either grows in it or eats what is produced from it. The treatment of ovine Johne's disease should include a study of the soil's content to ascertain what nutrients that animal ultimately derives from it." East Gippsland MP Craig Ingram was cited as saying yesterday that the Victorian Government should investigate Mr Blennerhassett's copper theory. SEA TROUT SUCCESSFULLY FARMED May 22, 2000 The British Times http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/tim/2000/05/22/timconcon01001.html The silvery salmo trutta, or sea trout, beloved by seafood gourmets, is, according to this story, to have its image transformed (Alastair Robertson writes). Shetland Sea Trout, a business run by two former salmon farmers, has become the first to farm successfully sea trout - which has, this story says, suffered beside the more prestigious salmon - in commercial quantities. Shetland Sea Trout has, this story explained, mastered the technique of rearing the fish from the egg stage in fresh water and growing them in sea cages on the Atlantic west coast and will make the fish available all year round to a wider public. This story explained that the company already supplies Harrods, Waitrose, the Savoy Hotel and the Hilton hotels group, as well as independent fishmongers. BEAR MAULING May 22, 2000 The Associated Press DUNCAN MANSFIELD GATLINBURG, Tenn. -- Glenda Ann Bradley, 50, of Cosby, a woman waiting for her ex-husband on a trail at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was killed by a black bear, becoming the first person killed by a black bear in a federal park or reserve in the Southeast, park officials said. Phil Francis, the park's acting superintendent, was quoted as saying on Monday, "This was simply an unprovoked attack." This story explained that Bradley, an experienced hiker, and Ralph Hill, 52, entered the park about noon. The couple, who had been reconciling, hiked about 10 miles from Gatlinburg when Hill left Bradley on the trail to go fishing. He returned about an hour later to find her backpack on the trail and two black bears -- an adult female, about 111-pounds, and a yearling -- at her body about 50 yards away. The bear apparently killed the woman. Two rangers shot and killed the animals. The bears were to be tested to determine whether a disease or physical condition prompted the attack.--or something that he put in her backpack --w.p. This story explained that about 1,800 bears live in the Smokies. No other attacks have been reported this year. Park officials have, this story says, closed some campsites through Saturday as a precaution. CLUES TO MAD COW DISEASE EMERGE IN STUDY OF MUTANT PROTEINS May 23, 2000 The New York Times Sandra Blakeslee http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/health/052300hth-madcow-dise ase.html Now, six years after young people in Britain started dying from a human strain of mad cow disease, scientists are, this story explained, still struggling to understand how the disease spreads to humans, how many more will die from it and if a similar epidemic could start in the United States spread by infected deer and elk. While there are no firm answers, clues are, according to this story, being discovered on an almost weekly basis as scientists explore the nature of a mysterious infectious agent called the prion. This story explained that two weeks ago many of the world's leading prion researchers went to Miami to meet with the families of American victims of sporadic C.J.D. and to tell them everything that was known about prion diseases. Cecile Sardo, secretary of the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation in Miami, which organized the meeting on May 7 and 8, was quoted as saying, "It was a unique medical conference. When scientists get together they talk technically. They rarely talk in person to families." Of the 125 people attending, half were family members and half were medical professionals. RARE VIRUS AFFLICTS GIRL May 23, 2000 The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/health/052300hth-hanta-virus .html DENVER -- This story explained that a 12-year-old girl was in critical condition today at Children's Hospital with the rare but often deadly hantavirus. Health officials have been cited as saying that the girl may have contracted the disease while visiting a ranch in Arizona in late April. Dr. John Pape, an epidemiologist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, was cited as saying on Sunday that she was on intensive life support at one point but her condition has improved. Hantavirus is usually contracted by breathing dust from the feces, urine or saliva of contaminated deer mice. Hantavirus cases have, this story says, been documented across the country but are concentrated in the West, especially the Four Corners area of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. INSECTICIDE BLAMED IN ROCK CREEK FISH KILL May 23, 2000 Washington Post B03 Manuel Perez-Rivas, Staff Writer Bobbye Pratt contributed to this report. http://washingtonpost.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=w pni/print&articleid=A53866-2000May23 Maryland environmental officials were cited as saying yesterday that they believe an insecticide was responsible for the death of tens of thousands of fish in Rock Creek last week. Preliminary results from laboratory tests on water samples taken at three locations along the creek were cited as finding concentrations of the insecticide cypermethrin, a chemical that a state official said is fatal to fish but is not considered toxic to humans. Richard McIntire, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of the Environment, was cited as saying that levels as high as 50 parts per billion of the pesticide were found in the samples, all of which were taken from Montgomery County. He was cited as saying that levels of just 0.7 parts per billion are considered harmful to aquatic life. McIntire was cited as saying that cypermethrin is a controlled substance in that there are laws regulating its use. He was further cited as saying that investigators will check to see who has access to the pesticide in that area to try to determine the origin of the spill and that they are looking at a nearby industrial park as a possible source. He was cited as saying that as of yesterday evening officials still did not know who was responsible, and the investigation into the spill was continuing, adding, "We know what we're dealing with now." Environmental officials were cited as estimating the number of dead fish at 150,000 and said fish from just about every one of the three dozen freshwater species that live in the creek, such as shiners, minnows, sunfish and darters, were seen floating dead in the water. A MOUSE MADE FOR HEAVY DRINKING May 23, 2000 The New York Times Eric Nagourney http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/health/052300hth-vital-tests .html First it was, this story says, mice that could eat to their hearts' content without getting fat. Now it is mice that can hold their alcohol better and recover from it faster. His and her's mice--w.p. Scientists at the University of Washington were cited as reporting that they have created a mouse that drinks much more alcohol than it would ordinarily. The goal here is, this story argues, more insight into alcoholism. The researchers were cited as saying that they have bred mice missing a gene that bears instructions for making an important brain protein. The mice, they were cited as saying, drink twice as much alcohol as do mice with the protein. Given injections of alcohol raising blood-alcohol level to almost three times the driving limit, the mice recovered in about 65 minutes. (Ordinary mice needed about 90.) The findings were reported in a recent issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. IS IT A PLANE? NO, IT'S A BIRD. AND A VERY RARE BIRD INDEED May 23, 2000 The New York Times E. Vernon Laux http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/052300sci-animal-albatross.h tml PENIKESE ISLAND, Mass. -- The researchers, Gina Reppucci of North Chelmsford, Mass., and Carolyn Mostello of West Kingston, R.I., were, according to this story, on the island to study terns and gulls for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. The last thing they expected to see was an albatross in Buzzard's Bay. Both had prior experience with albatrosses in the Pacific Ocean and had spent time observing these birds on Midway Island, a major breeding area for laysan (Phoebastria immutabilis) and black-footed (Phoebastria nigripes) albatrosses, two widespread Pacific Ocean species. Ms. Mostello has even seen the rarest species of albatross in the world, the short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus), at Midway. So they were, according to this story, well aware that these large, soaring birds, whose wingspans reach six or seven feet, were virtual strangers‹accidentals, in the language of ornithology‹in the North Atlantic Ocean. One can scarcely hope to see a member of this family in a lifetime of venturing offshore in this part of the world. As Ms. Reppucci was cited as recalling, they were "hysterical, our eyes popping out of our heads," when this adult yellow-nosed albatross (Thalassarche chlororhyncos) came soaring in off the bay and zoomed by their blind, passing about 15 feet away. They were, this story explained, so awestruck when they realized what it was that they did not even grab their binoculars on the bird's first pass. FIGHTING INFECTIONS WITH GLASS; BIOACTIVE GLASSES ARE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS FOR DELIVERY OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS SUCH AS THE HEAVY METAL SILVER, ACCORDING TO UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI ROLLA RESEARCHERS. May 23, 2000 American Society for Microbiology Primary Author: David Westenberg, University of Missouri - Rolla 573-341-4798 djwesten@umr.edu www.newswise.com/newswise.pp/pparticles/18931.ASM.html Library: MED The following release is a summary of a presentation at the 100th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Additional information on this and other presentations can be found in the General Meeting Press Kit online at http://www.asmusa.org/pcsrc/gm2000/presskit.htm. Fighting Infections with Glass: Evaluation of Glass and Polymers as Delivery Agents for Antibacterials Our research demonstrates that bioactive glasses are an effective means for delivery of antimicrobial agents such as the heavy metal silver. As the bioactive glass dissolves, silver is released to the surrounding medium where it inhibits the growth of several bacterial species. A bioactive glass has the advantage of controlling the release rate of silver and minimizing the exposure of the patient to free silver ions. Silver-releasing glasses could be incorporated into indwelling medical devices, wound dressings, sutures and other topical medical treatments. The biocompatibility of bioglass and silver would also make it an ideal antimicrobial ingredient in cosmetics and other skin treatments. Our research is focused on the medical applications of this material. One of the major concerns in medicine is the increasing number of antibiotic resistant microorganisms. A frequent source of infection by antibiotic resistant microorganisms is the hospital. Such hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections often arise after invasive procedures and insertion of in-dwelling medical devices such as catheters. Such infections can result in systemic diseases requiring treatment with large doses of antibiotics and which may lead to toxic shock. Therefore, it is desirable to prevent disease by inhibiting bacteria from establishing an infection in a compromised patient. One approach has been the treatment of patients with broad-spectrum antibiotics after surgery or implantation of medical devices. Unfortunately, the increasing number of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the hospital setting makes such prophylactic treatment undesirable and sometimes ineffective. An alternative approach is to treat the in-dwelling device with antimicrobial agents that prevent the colonization of microorganisms and minimize the potential for infection. Silver is a powerful, broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent that has been used extensively as a topical treatment for burn patients and as an ingredient in dental amalgam. Despite concern for the potential toxicity of silver ions in the human body there is an increased interest in the use of silver as a coating for in-dwelling medical devices. The benefits from using silver as an antimicrobial agent far outweigh any potential risks. Several studies have shown that treating catheters and prosthetic devices with silver is an effective means of reducing inflammation and infection with minimal toxicity. Typical treatment of medical devices with silver involves coating the surface of the device with silver solutions. An alternative approach that we are developing is the use of silver containing glass that could be incorporated directly into the device during manufacture. Several silver-releasing glass formulations have been synthesized in the laboratory of Dr. Delbert Day of the UM-Rolla Graduate Center for Materials Research. Dr. Day's laboratory has evaluated the silver releasing characteristics for each formulation and has separated these glasses into three categories [fast (glass B-5), intermediate (glass B-13) and slow (glass B-8)]. The laboratory of Dr. Dave Westenberg is testing the antibacterial properties of these formulations against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, frequent causative agents of hospital acquired infections. Evaluation of the antibacterial properties of each glass formulation has been performed by three undergraduate students in Dr. Westenberg's laboratory - Ravi Viswanathan, Suzanne Hagan and Dee Scheman. This research has been supported by the UM-Rolla Graduate Center for Materials Research and the UM-Rolla Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience (OURE) program. Each silver/glass formulation was assayed for effectiveness at inhibiting the growth of each organism. Initially we set out to answer three questions: 1) does the silver containing glass inhibit the growth of bacteria and 2) how long does the silver containing glass retain that activity after exposure to liquids 3) what other factors might affect the ability of each silver-glass formulation to kill bacteria. To answer the first question, we used standard zone of inhibition assays on nutrient agar to demonstrate that two of these silver-releasing glasses are very effective at inhibiting the growth of each of the three test organisms. Radius of inhibition test data showed that the B-5 (fast) and B-13 (intermediate) glasses are very effective inhibitors of bacterial growth. The radius of inhibition was greatest for the fastest dissolving glass (B-5). B-8 (slow) glass dissolved but apparently did not release silver quickly enough to demonstrate large zones of inhibition of bacterial growth in our assay system. The small zone if inhibition produced by B-8 glass compared to the other glass formulations is most likely due to the bacteria growing to saturation before the released silver reached a high enough concentration to kill the bacteria. To answer the second question we first had to determine which silver glass formulation would be suitable for long term studies. B-13 (intermediate) was the only glass that dissolved slowly enough to be tested at long time intervals and which demonstrated measurable zones of inhibition. B-13 exposed to solution for several hours remained effective at killing bacteria using our assay system. As we set out to answer our third question we made several interesting observations. For example, one of the factors affecting silver release was exposure to phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). PBS slowed the release of silver from the glass samples, resulting in slightly smaller zones of inhibition but the glass retained the ability to inhibit bacterial growth after longer periods of exposure to solution. Another important factor in the antimicrobial activity of our test glasses is the fact that borate released as the glass dissolves is also effective at inhibiting bacterial growth. Control glass of identical composition to our test glasses except they lacked silver, also produced substantial zones of inhibition, however, the control glass was slightly less effective than the test glass against S. aureus. One potential application of antimicrobial silver-glass is to incorporate the silver-glass into other materials. Therefore, we tested the ability of a polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer laced with silver-glass to inhibit the growth of our three test organisms. Our test polymer was also shown to be an effective delivery agent for silver as an antimicrobial agent. Inhibition of growth for all three test-organisms was demonstrated using polymer containing low percentages of silver containing glass as well as polymer containing low percentages of silver alone whereas polymer containing control glass produced no zone of inhibition. ANIMAL ACTIVISTS FIREBOMB BRITISH MEAT PLANT; COULD U.S. BE NEXT? The MEATing Place Dan Murphy www.meatingplace.com A contingent of animal rights terrorists are ³ramping up the violence² in Great Britain, according to Steve Kopperud, senior vice president for policy directions at the Washington, D.C.-based Animal Industry Foundation. ³Expect the same to follow here in a few months, first from copycats then from pros,² Kopperud added. A bomb disposal squad defused a number of incendiary devices at the Mutchmeats meat processing plant in Oxfordshire, England, on Sunday, according to police reports monitored by AIF. One of the bombs had exploded, starting a fire, according to news coverage reported by AIF. Police and fire-fighters fought the blaze at the plant, where the fire was believed to have been caused by an incendiary device placed under one of the company¹s trucks. Nine similar devices were found under nearby vehicles, and British army bomb disposal experts were called in to secure the area, according to Reuters. AIF said that the Thames Valley Police indicated that animal rights activists associated with the radical the Animal Liberation Front were believed to be responsible. NMA SUBMITS COMMENTS OPPOSING PROPOSED PFF RULE May 22, 2000 Herd on the Hill Edited by Jeremy Russell NMA answered FSIS¹s March 17, 2000 proposed rule to eliminate the requirements for monitoring Protein Fat Free (PFF) compliance so that it can better allocate its resources to address matters involving food safety. With strong opposition. NMA92s predecessor organization, Pacific Coast Meat Association, pursued a remedy to the Agency92s unequal treatment of cured meat products twenty years ago. The Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) requires FSIS to carry out regulatory oversight, including the monitoring and enforcing of the PFF Standards. The Agency has not demonstrated, in its proposed rule, the greater benefit to consumers that would be achieved by redirectingthe costs of this testing program to some other program. The elimination of the requirements for the compliance monitoring system would remove any specific Agency testing and monitoring programs. The result will be another government requirement that is inconsistently inspected and enforced. For a complete copy of NMA92s comments send a self addressed/stamped (33 A2) envelope to Jennie Kempis at NMA. NATIONAL MEAT & POULTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE May 22, 2000 Herd on the Hill Edited by Jeremy Russell Last week¹s meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection had a very full agenda, and was packed with information. The committee chairman, Tom Billy, Administrator of FSIS, appointed three sub-committees to meet on specific issues after briefings and report their recommendations back to the full committee the next day. The first subcommittee worked on proposed changes to the HACCP Final Rule as presented in an Industry Petition sponsored by industry organizations including NMA. The petition was published by FSIS in the Federal Register on May 15 with a 60 day comment period. The committee recommended that the petitioners provide specific examples, supported with data, to back up their requests, that the agency develop a "side-by-side" comparison of FSIS/FDA/NACMCF (Micro committee)/ CODEX regulations and guidelines, that the industry petition be reviewed by NACMCF, and that the comment period be extended to provide adequate time for all of the above. The subcommittee did not reach consensus on the impact on public health protections if 417.2(a) is amendedas petitioned. The subcommittee agreed that FSIS should consider prerequisite programs as outlined by NACMCF and that FSIS conduct a workshop on suchprograms similar to the technical conference held in Omaha last August. The subcommittee recommended that FSIS provide the FDA GMPs and pertinent regulations for discussion at the next advisory committee. They also acknowledged that there will be differences between FSIS and FDA because of differences in the statutory authority. The second subcommittee worked on the continuing policy consideration of extending mandatory inspection to additional species. The subcommittee recommended that at the next meeting, FSIS present a concept paper with an action plan identifying the species to be added, describing the statutory changes needed, and providing budget and staffing estimates. FSIS provided valuable background information about diseases in other species, and there were several people among the public who were greatly interested and supportive of the issue. The third subcommittee recommended that FSIS seek research support from USDA¹s Agricultural Research Service about ways to understand and control Listeria monocytogenes, including the potential of post packaging pasteurization for RTE products, that it extend testing through FSIS92 mandated standard for product testing, that it encourage technical assistance workshops, and educate to prevent or reduce the likelihood of foodborne illness. The subcommittee agreed that E. coli O157:H7 is a hazard that should be addressed in slaughter hazard analysis, but it was noted that the intervention technologies currently available at slaughter will reduce but cannot positively assure elimination. There is no known acceptable level for this microorganism. The subcommittee did not reach consensus that it is a hazard reasonably likely to occur in grinding operations where there are no current intervention technologies other than irradiation. The Committee was provided with a briefing paper on the status of the Retail Exemption, but FSIS officials have no timeline for progress. There was a detailed report to follow up the 1999 concern at the number of repetitive N Rs (non-compliance reports) and the agency92s explanations were found cred ible. There was a briefing on the policy issues and options related to Camp ylobacter performance standards. Questions were raised about the HACCP Systems In-depth Verification reviews, and the recommendations made at the last meeting of the Committee, and it was confirmed that most of the "suggestions" had been incorporated by the agency, including the exit interview by the reviewers before leaving the establishment. To subscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: (subscription is free) 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.plant.uoguelph.ca/riskcomm archived at: http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/riskcomm/archives/animalnet-archives.htm