ANIMALNET MAY 2, 2001 Irish tourism welcomes relaxed foot-mouth controls FMD update: no human cases Foot and mouth disease - Taiwan: present situation Summit on FMD Duck theft responsibility claimed Beef industry support brings new research ideas to Alberta Pfizer collaborates with Alabama drug firm Animals get boost Celebrate "be kind to animals week" all year asks Humane Society of Canada Health, animal rights groups criticize EPA animal testing program Dutch end chimp studies Antibiotic-resistant genes traced from farms to groundwater Stats can figures show continued swine expansion in Manitoba Should Canada proceed with animal-to-human transplants? B.C. residents will have their say Feed control group developing document to guide production of animal feed, feed ingredients Effect of the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals on pathogen load: systematic review of the published literature Approval withdrawn for Abbott Laboratories' poultry fluoroquinolone drugs New animal drugs for use in animal feeds; monensin, sulfadimethoxine, and ormetoprim; technical amendment AnimalNet is produced by the Centre for Safe Food at the University of Guelph, and is supported by the Ontario Cattlemen's Association, the Canadian Food Information Council, the U.S. National Pork Producers, U.S. National Food Processors Association, Pfizer Animal Health Group, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited (Canada), Canadian Animal Health Institute, Meat & Livestock Australia, Canadian Pork Council, Ontario Pork, Tyson Foods, 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 Industry Environmental Network, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors, Chicken Farmers of Canada, MDS Nordion, American Meat Institute, AdCulture, USDA Veterinary Services (Fort Collins) Alberta Farm Animal Council, and the Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt Program). archived at: http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/safefood/archives/animalnet-archives.htm IRISH TOURISM WELCOMES RELAXED FOOT-MOUTH CONTROLS May 2, 2001 Reuters/PA News/The Calgary Herald/AP DUBLIN- Ireland will reopen some of its most famous tourist attractions in the next nine days as the government eases restrictions imposed to combat the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. Dublin City zoo, closed since March, will reopen on Thursday, while rural attractions such as the vistors centre at the Glendalough monastic site outside Dublin will be back in operation from May 11. Hill-walking, pony-trekking, and angling can resume around the country from the same date. Tourism organisations welcomed the decision. Canadian importers can finally say cheese after facing a long ban on bringing in foods from countries ravaged by foot-and-mouth disease. Canadian Food Inspection Agency import specialist Larry Delver said importers may now bring in cheeses, meats and other foods from Britain and Europe, as well as products such as new farm machinery, as long as they meet rigorous tests and safety standards. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency banned all imports of livestock-related products last winter, shortly after foot-and-mouth disease swept Britain and several other European countries. Delver said the ban still applies to individuals hoping to bring in foods for their personal use or as gifts, because it's virtually impossible to ensure the products meet safety standards. UK MPs were today expected to add their backing to a campaign aimed at encouraging people to buy local produce and boost the British farming economy in the wake of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The British Potato Council said it expected up to 70 MPs from all the major parties to back its call as it launched its Vote Potato campaign in London. Organisers said they were also waiting to hear if Agriculture Minister Nick Brown would be able to attend the launch in Whitehall at 11.15am. UK Ministry of Agriculture officials were today bracing themselves for simultaneous mass protests at two controversial burial sites in the north of England. Protesters have vowed to return in force to blockade the site at Widdrington, Northumberland, after efforts to have it closed permanently were refused by Maff. The planned opening of a burial site at Tow Law, in neighbouring County Durham, has already sparked anger among locals who planned to be at the site when the first carcasses arrive. Protesters have demonstrated at the entrance to the former opencast mine in Tow Law since it was announced it was to be used as a mass burial site. The protests were scheduled despite Maff fears that long-term delays could result in backlogs of carcasses building up over long periods. Foreign visitors to the 2002 Winter Olympics will be screened by food-sniffing dogs. Agriculture officials are fearful of visitors bringing foot-and-mouth disease with them. The dogs will be used to detect any undeclared, illegal food imports. On Tuesday, nearly 150 ranchers, dairy farmers, veterinarians, customs officials, postal employees and state wildlife officers discussed efforts to keep the disease out of Utah. The workshop was hosted by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cows, pigs, sheep and other cloven-hoofed animals are susceptible to the highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease, so named for the painful, oozing blisters often found on infected animals' hooves, mouths and teats. Though the disease rarely is fatal, it causes lameness, reduced milk output, weight loss and miscarriages. FMD UPDATE: NO HUMAN CASES May 1, 2001 MeatNews.com http://www.meatnews.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Article&artNum=1065 The spread of FMD slows in Europe and fears of human cases have been put to rest. Some of the hype surrounding foot and mouth disease in Europe has died down as fears of human FMD cases appear unfounded, and the spread of the disease slows significantly. Other parts of the world, however, are just beginning the nightmare. Several people employed to slaughter infected animals in the United Kingdom feared they had been inflicted with the disease. Paul Stamper, a farm worker who told international media that he thought he caught the disease when a bloated carcass exploded in his face, has tested negative. The U.K. Public Health Laboratory Service has tested a total of 13 people for the human form of the disease. Eight of the cases have proved negative, and the PHLS said it is unlikely that any of the remaining tests will prove positive. The health service has moved swiftly to quell fears about the disease spreading to humans, saying human FMD is "incredibly rare," the symptoms are mild, and there is no known case of a human catching the virus from another human. Only one person has been diagnosed with the disease in Britain - a farm machinery salesman named Bobby Brewis in 1966. Meanwhile, the outbreak of foot and mouth disease plaguing Argentina has apparently spread as agriculture officials in Uruguay confirm the disease in at least two places in that country. The Uruguayan cases confirmed were found in Palmitas, a city in the major livestock and agriculture center Soriano, which is located on the Argentinean border. The Uruguayan Ministry of Animal Production has ordered the slaughter of all susceptible animals at the two locations, and has placed a ban on animal movements. FMD panic in the United Kingdom has lessened over the last few weeks. While the total number of cases United Kingdom reached 1,515 on Monday, only three new cases were reported on Sunday. All three new cases were in Cumbria, the area that has been most devastated by the disease. Last week the U.K. government changed its policy of slaughtering all animals on farms next to those where an FMD case had been discovered. While all pigs, sheep, and goats will still have to be slaughtered, cattle could be reprieved if veterinarians believe there is not risk of contamination. "These refinements can be expected to provide some relief from automatic slaughter of cattle," U.K. Agriculture Minister Nick Brown told Parliament. "They will not lead to change in policy of culling pigs and sheep on contiguous premises. Pigs pose a high disease risk and can spread the virus. Sheep can carry the disease without showing symptoms, thereby causing further undetected spread." Brown said the government is still considering a vaccination program in the worst affected areas of Cumbria and Devon, because there has not be sufficient support for the scheme among the farming community. He added that as the number of incidence of the disease diminishes, the need for a vaccination program also falls. FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE - TAIWAN: PRESENT SITUATION May 1, 2001 A ProMED-mail post http://www.promedmail.org From: Eric Croddy [edited] [Eric has recently returned from Taiwan, where he met with various informed persons both in the equivalent of the Taiwanese ministry of agriculture and at the Taiwan Pig Research Institute, soon to be renamed Animal Technology Institute of Taiwan, with regard to the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Taiwan. Because Eric's contacts travel to and from the People's Republic of China (PRC) and run the risk of being imprisoned, their identities have been deleted. With permission, this is Eric's report of his conversations. - Mod.MHJ] In a nutshell: it would appear that the 1997 foot and mouth disease outbreak in Taiwan (1997) was a natural outbreak. The amount of smuggling, especially of meat products from the PRC to Taiwan, is such that it is surprising that it did not happen earlier. It is somewhat distressing that animal diseases are apparently out of control in the PRC, although mainland officials put a different public face on the situation. In 1999, the Taiwanese authorities seized some 1000 tons of meat products smuggled into Taiwan from the PRC, including pig stomachs, intestines, pork, beef tripe, etc., and this may represent only 10% of the total amount actually reaching its destination. These meat products also include live animals. The DNA sequencing by Pirbright of the Taiwan FMD isolate matched very closely an FMDV strain found in the Philippines, and was found to be very virulent, with a 12-24 hour incubation period. The original isolate from the Taiwan FMD outbreak in 1997 was sent to the Pirbright collection in Hong Kong before the July 1997 takeover by the PRC; the strain closely matched a Hong Kong reference laboratory strain. Nucleotide sequence data was then brought to the Lanzhou FMD research laboratory, where the same (97-98%) degree of homology was found. The strain is very stable, and after 2 years has remained essentially unchanged. The FMD research laboratory at Lanzhou, PRC, has fairly good facilities with competent workers. [Informant AA] had met with government vets and officials from the Chinese central government. FMD is classified information in the PRC, coded "disease #5" (wu hao bing) in official discourse. The PRC has claimed to be FMD-free since 1999, with previous reports of FMD being found in Fujian and Yunnan provinces. However, when Taiwanese pig producers visited the PRC more recently, FMD seemed to be everywhere; in Guangdong, Shanghai, and Fujian provinces. When AA visited the PRC recently he was asked in private by vets on the mainland if he wanted to see cases of FMD in the local area. No meteorological data have been used to plot a source of airborne FMD virus. AA considers the airborne spread of FMD in Taiwan to be less likely, due to higher temperatures and lower relative humidity. [We had discussed whether the recent outbreak could have occurred through virus being blown from the PRC to Taiwan. - Mod.MHJ] AA has given up hope of determining an index case for the 1997 FMD outbreak. The initial misdiagnosis was caused by having relied upon EM of a picornavirus conflated to represent Swine Vesicular Disease (SVD). Taiwan had at one time the highest pig density in the world, even higher than that of the Netherlands, with about 400 pigs per square km. The supply of meat is different in Taiwan. "Fresh pork" or special butcher cuts are preferred, and pigs are routinely brought close to the distribution channel, then slaughtered. Most production of live pigs are shipped across country, especially from South to North. Why did the FMD outbreak occur in 1997? Why not in prior years if accidentally spread? Since martial law lifted in 1987, smuggling of products from the PRC to Taiwan has steadily increased. Before 1987, smuggling could result in the death penalty; no such Draconian laws exist anymore, except perhaps for drugs and illegal weapons. OIE directs that only inactivated FMD vaccine be produced in the PRC. In February in Guangzhou farmers were complaining of the poor effectiveness of the PRC-made FMD vaccines. At the same seminar, the director of the Lanzhou FMD laboratory promised the audience that the quality of the PRC-made FMD vaccine would be improved. The normal government vaccine is inactivated and should not be implicated in the spread of the disease. But veterinarians in Guangzhou recommended the use of live vaccines, especially during outbreaks. The question of who makes live FMD vaccines was met by silence. The PRC book titled "Control of FMD" (or some such) has a chapter on how to make attenuated FMD vaccines. Government vets in Shanghai and Guangzhou have the impression that the effective control of animal disease is being lost in the PRC, with bigger farms, etc. It is suspected that the presence of animal disease in China is one reason, among others, why the PRC has been reluctant to push entry into WTO any faster. However, this information will have to be provided at some point. The PRC is a member of OIE, but does not participate in regular meetings. The pig industry in Taiwan will not recover. There was serious debate in Taiwan during the week of 4 Apr 2001. Complete eradication efforts for FMD in Taiwan would be very difficult if attempted. Reasons: The disease could easily return. Once vaccination is stopped following eradication and pigs are found to be infected, the government will have to bail out the farmers again. Smuggling of meat products is proving to be difficult to control. The cost of pork production is relatively high in Taiwan, as they must import most of the feed, including corn and soy beans from the US. Lastly, Japan is on its way to being free of hog cholera/CSF. So even if Taiwan rids itself of FMD, Japan can use the hog cholera issue to put up a trade barrier against future Taiwanese pork imports. The current pig industry in Taiwan continues to shrink every year, with current inventory at 7 million head, and will probably fall to 5 million. SUMMIT ON FMD May 1, 2001 MeatNews.com http://www.meatnews.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Article&artNum=1067 Foot and Mouth Disease experts from around the globe will gather in Chicago for the Summit on FMD, sponsored by MeatNews.com parent company Watt Publishing Co. and Vance Food Systems Group. Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe: Over the past three years, the latest strain of foot-and-mouth disease has marched across the globe, devastating food and animal industries. Now FMD threatens North America with the probability of an outbreak estimated by some experts to be as high as 80 percent. What are the real threats to animal and food production in the USA? What is being done? What more should be done? What can individuals do to protect their businesses? To address these important questions, MeatNews.com parent company Watt Publishing Co. and Vance Food Systems Group will bring together an international panel of experts to advise top animal producers, practicing veterinarians, animal industry suppliers, and other professionals involved in pork, beef and dairy production. The Summit on FMD on June 4 in Chicago, Ill., will spotlight: Critical information on FMD; Lessons to be learned from other countries; Prevention and control in the United States; and FMD's economic impacts, including export trade. Foreign animal disease specialist Dr. Simon Kenyon of Purdue University will provide an overview of FMD and moderate the Summit. Experts on FMD scheduled to address the Summit include: Extension veterinarian Dr. Larry Firkin of the University of Illinois; Dr. Keith Baker, advisor to the UK Ministry of Agriculture and Food; Dr. Simon Barteling, advisor to the Dutch and South African governments; a USDA-APHIS representative involved in FMD emergency planning; Dr. Linda Logan, Texas state veterinarian; Dr. Chris Hurt, Purdue University ag economist specializing in FMD economic impacts; and representatives of critically affected animal industry organizations. In a final roundtable wrap up, the expert panel will field questions from the audience. Summit on FMD will take place 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., June 4, at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. Early registration is $260 if payment is received by May 21, 2001. After the 21st, registration will increase to $285. Registration includes a luncheon, two coffee breaks, and the printed proceedings. Groups of three or more registrants are eligible for a 10% discount. Visit www. wattnet.com/fmd/home.cfm for online registration information. For additional information, contact Marcia Riddle at +1.815.734.4171 or riddle@wattmm.c om . For hotel reservations, contact the hotel directly at +1.847.696.1234. Identify yourself as a participant in Summit on FMD to be eligible for the special group rate. DUCK THEFT RESPONSIBILITY CLAIMED May 2, 2001 Associated Press EASTPORT, N.Y. -- The North American Animal Liberation Front was cited as claiming responsibility on Tuesday for stealing some 250 ducklings from a research laboratory, saying it had liberated the birds from "exploitation, abuse and terror," adding that, "all (the) ducks were brought cross-country to a sanctuary where they will live their lives on many acres in peace and serenity." The story says that the ducklings were removed from the Cornell University Duck Laboratory, which conducts research on ways to fight diseases in ducks. The ALF claimed the research is cruel. The ducklings were on a special diet and cannot fly or protect themselves in the wild, said lab director Tirath Sandhu. BEEF INDUSTRY SUPPORT BRINGS NEW RESEARCH IDEAS TO ALBERTA May 2, 2001 Canada Alberta Beef Industry Development Fund release Calgary, Alta.: This spring, special financial support from the Alberta beef industry allowed three leading Canadian researchers to visit the Lethbridge Research Centre. The scientists shared their expertise in several key areas of beef research with the Lethbridge Research Centre's beef program. The resulting research and producer information will ultimately benefit the entire beef industry, says Dr. Brian Freeze, Head of Livestock Sciences at the Lethbridge Research Centre. The beef research team at Lethbridge is focused on innovation and sustainability, says Freeze. "Alberta is fortunate to have a strong base of research in beef, but to help Alberta's producers remain globally competitive we need to make sure we're constantly tapping the best scientists minds across Canada and around the world." Dr. Peter Stonehouse, Dr. Jim Wilton and Dr. Cecil Forsberg, all from the University of Guelph, visited the Lethbridge Research Centre with financial support from the Canada/Alberta Beef Industry Development Fund (CABIDF). This joint federal and provincial government fund was established to support research projects and intellectual resources specific to the needs of Alberta cattle producers. Dr. Stonehouse is well known in Eastern Canada for innovative work on manure management, says Freeze. At Guelph, he led the development of a computerized decision support system, called MCLONE, that helps Ontario dairy and swine operators to better manage their manure systems from the technical, economic and environmental points of view. MCLONE is an acronym for manure, costs, labour, odour, nutrients and environment. At Lethbridge, Stonehouse is heading up an effort to develop a similar system for Prairie beef feedlot operators. The system's success at Lethbridge depends on a team approach to manure management, Stonehouse says. "It is essential that each scientist consider how their research fits in with the other perspectives, so that we can develop a manure management approach that integrates all aspects, from manure handling to economics. "Ultimately what we're after is the development of a national model that can help livestock operators anywhere in Canada to minimize the cost of manure handling, while at the same time reducing environmental impact." Another visiting scientist, Dr. Jim Wilton, is an internationally recognized authority in genetic improvement programs for beef cattle. Wilton's objectives while in Lethbridge are to fine tune the Centre's procedures for analyzing individual feed intake data using the electronic feed bunk monitoring system at the Centre. The long-term goal of Wilton's work is to select for efficient cows that are good mothers, says Freeze. "We're looking at several aspects, including how their calves grow and how well they utilize feed. We're hoping to develop a composite Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) that will be an index to help select for efficient, high quality beef cattle." Dr. Cecil Forsberg is a microbiologist with extensive experience in the area of rumen enzymology. Forsberg presented his work at two seminars in February. The information he provided is expected to help set the direction of the new enzymology program at the Lethbridge Research Centre. That program, led by Dr. Doug Inglis, is also supported by the CABIDF. Freeze says the contribution of internationally renowned experts could directly improve efficiency, profitability, competitiveness and the long-term economic sustainability of beef production in Alberta and across Canada. CABIDF is a $16.4 million research fund which has supported more than 50 research projects in five categories: animal health, cow/calf, feedlot, intellectual resources, manure/sustainability and beef marketability. PFIZER COLLABORATES WITH ALABAMA DRUG FIRM May 2, 2001 Knight-Ridder Tribune Karen Kaplan, The Day, New London, Conn. Pfizer Inc. is, according to this story, teaming up with an Alabama drug company to develop vaccines that prevent and treat diseases in pets and livestock by strengthening the animals' immune systems. Galenica Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Birmingham, Ala., was cited as announcing the collaboration Tuesday. The partnership will focus on developing vaccines from Galenica's immune-booster product line, known as GPI-0100. Any new products resulting from the alliance, which will continue for 18 years, will become part of the drug lineup in Pfizer's Animal Health division. Galenica, which was founded in 1996, is a biopharmaceutical company that develops vaccines to treat cancer and infectious diseases. Right now it is developing a vaccine for prostate cancer for which clinical trials are taking place at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The company is also working with the U.S. Navy on a vaccine for malaria, and on another vaccine for herpes simplex. Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will make an immediate up-front payment to Galenica. The agreement also requires Pfizer to make milestone and royalty payments on vaccine products developed under the partnership. In return, Galenica has granted Pfizer an exclusive worldwide license to use GPI-0100 in vaccines developed for the species of animals, including both pets and livestock, covered in the agreement. ANIMALS GET BOOST May 2, 2001 The Calgary Sun Herds of people are, according to this story, roaring for tougher laws against animal cruelty -- and they're being heard loud and clear. More than 3,000 people signed a petition calling for tougher animal cruelty laws over the weekend at Petland stores in Calgary, a number that exceeded expectations by 2,000 names. CELEBRATE "BE KIND TO ANIMALS WEEK" ALL YEAR ASKS HUMANE SOCIETY OF CANADA May 1, 20001 >From a press release VANCOUVER -- May 6 to 12 is Be Kind To Animals Week. And while it is wonderful to designate a week for such an important topic, The Humane Society of Canada (HSC) is asking people to think about the importance of animals in our lives and to show them compassion and respect throughout the year. "In order to make the Earth a gentler, healthier place to live we need to celebrate Be Kind To Animals Week 365 days a year" says Al Hickey, Western Regional Director for The Humane Society of Canada (HSC). "Our very existence depends on diverse populations of wild animals thriving in their natural environment. We need the companionship and joy that companion animals bring," continues Hickey. "We need to protect them for their sake, and for our own." (For more than 17 years, Al Hickey was the Chief Executive of the BC SPCA. Over the past 30 years Michael O'Sullivan has worked here in Canada and in over 80 countries helping, people, animals and nature.) HEALTH, ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUPS CRITICIZE EPA ANIMAL TESTING PROGRAM May 2, 2001 Knight-Ridder Tribune National environmental and health organizations, according to this story, charge that three new animal testing programs mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are cruel and unnecessary. The story says that the controversial testing programs were initiated during the Clinton-Gore administration. The story explains that in a letter to EPA Administrator Christie Todd Whitman, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine charges that the tests are "inhumane and ultimately useless." The committee wrote on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Doris Day Animal League and the Humane Society of the United States. The groups believe that animal testing for the High Production Volume Challenge Program, the Voluntary Children's Chemical Evaluation Program and the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program are not serving the environment or human health and have set alternative, human testing methods back many years. HPV chemicals are chemicals produced in or imported to the United States in amounts over 1 million pounds per year. The EPA says that the programs are intended to protect human health by determining the risk of various chemicals. But PCRM and other organizations claim that the programs are deeply flawed because they encourage chemical companies to conduct years of redundant toxicity tests on animals. DUTCH END CHIMP STUDIES May 1, 2001 Science Now Gretchen Vogel http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2001/501/1 The only chimpanzee research facility in Europe is, according to this story, to shut down. The story says that on 27 April, the Dutch government announced it would follow the advice of an expert panel, by ending research on the chimpanzees at the Biomedical Primate Research Center (BPRC) in Rijswijk, the Netherlands. Some of the chimpanzees will go to zoos, but those who carry viruses such as hepatitis C or HIV will need special containment facilities. There is no timetable yet for stopping the few ongoing experiments. Animal welfare groups have criticized the BPRC for its cramped cages and outdated facilities. The center was the target of a recently formed coalition, backed by primatologist Jane Goodall and filmmaker David Attenborough, to end all experiments on chimpanzees in Europe. ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT GENES TRACED FROM FARMS TO GROUNDWATER May 1, 2001 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign http://www.eurekalert.org/releases/uiuc-arg043001.html CHAMPAIGN, Ill. ‹ Genes resistant to tetracycline have been found in groundwater as far as a sixth of a mile downstream from two swine facilities that use antibiotics as growth promoters. The finding is significant in part because it shows the potential for spreading resistance back into the food chain of animals and people, researchers say. U.S. farmers for more than 50 years have used tetracycline and other antibiotics to enhance the growth of livestock. In humans, an overuse of antibiotics is blamed for a growing resistance to many antibiotics, and agricultural use has been suspected in the spread of resistance genes. The European Union is phasing out such agricultural use; Sweden banned it in the 1980s. Researchers from the University of Illinois and Illinois State Geological Survey used a DNA-amplification technique (polymerase chain reaction or PCR) to analyze samples from lagoons, wells and groundwater on and near two Illinois facilities, said Rustam I. Aminov, a visiting professor of animal sciences at the UI. Their research appeared in the April issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Aminov had reported his creation of primers for use with PCR to detect resistance genes in the environment earlier this year in the same journal. In the earlier paper, he also reported the detection of resistance genes in livestock intestines and feces and in commercial feed. ³The use of tetracycline on farms is pushing the evolution of these genes,² he said. ³We found tetracycline resistance genes in soil and groundwater bacteria. The genes are transferred to this type of bacteria, where they can survive and travel long distances in the environment. It has been suggested that there is horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes, but we had only seen it in laboratory experiments, not in in-situ studies. Here, we see such a transfer is occurring in the environment.² The researchers were able to identify the trail taken by the resistance genes. The DNA fingerprints in the samples STATS CAN FIGURES SHOW CONTINUED SWINE EXPANSION IN MANITOBA May 2, 2001 Farmscape (Episode 672) Manitoba Agriculture and Food says, despite the ongoing expansion of Manitoba's swine herd, the need to bring in hogs from other regions to fill the requirements of the province's packers continues. I'm Bruce Cochrane and this is Farmscape...a presentation of Manitoba's pork producers. I'll be back...in a moment. Statistics Canada's estimates of hogs on farms on April 1'st of this year shows Manitoba hog inventory has increased by 5.6 per cent from the year previous while the breeding herd has gone up by 6.7 per cent. Manitoba and Alberta were the only two major hog producing provinces to increase their sow herds over the past year. The two largest producers, Ontario and Quebec, actually had smaller sow herds. Provincial Market Analysis and Statistics Branch Manager Janet Honey says, despite the growth in Manitoba, the province's packers are still faced with accessing hogs from other parts of Canada. At present our processors aren't able to get sufficient hogs to fill their plants to capacity because of the large numbers of hogs going south so, even though we've increased our breeding herd, we'd have to increase it quite significantly for the processors to get sufficient hogs and export the hogs that we are. Of course, if those hogs stayed here, then that wouldn't be a problem but last year we exported 2.4 million hogs of which about 900 thousand were slaughter hogs. The remainder were weanlings. If we could keep all the hogs in Manitoba that are currently going down to the states we would be able to still import hogs from Alberta and Saskatchewan to fill the packers needs so, with total Manitoba production, we'd still need a little bit extra from the other provinces. Honey doubts the size of Manitoba's hog inventory will have any impact on the price the province's producers receive. She points out live hog prices in Manitoba still depend very much on the US market and are a reflection of whatever prices US producers are getting. For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane. SHOULD CANADA PROCEED WITH ANIMAL-TO-HUMAN TRANSPLANTS? B.C. RESIDENTS WILL HAVE THEIR SAY May 2, 2001 >From a press release OTTAWA-- This weekend, Vancouver and area residents will be asked to consider the complex and important issues surrounding development of xenotransplantation, the medical use of living animal organs, cells or tissues in humans. The Canadian Public Health Association is holding a public forum in Vancouver to ask residents if they think Canada should proceed to develop xenotransplantation. The public forum will take place Saturday May 5, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Empire Landmark Hotel and Conference Centre (Gallery 2), 1400 Robson Street, Vancouver. The Vancouver public forum is part of a national consultation the Canadian Public Health Association has been commissioned to conduct by Health Canada. "It's important that Canadians say what they think now. Xenotransplantation could become a reality faster than most people think. Health Canada needs to know if Canadians want to proceed," said Dr. Heather Ross, director of the Cardiac Transplant Program and assistant professor and staff cardiologist at the University Health Network, Toronto General Hospital and co-chair of the consultation Public Advisory Group. The public forum will feature lots of discussion, questions from the public and presentations from a panel of experts: Transplant Expert: Dr. Karim Qayumi is the director of Transplant Biology at the University of British Columbia. Infectious Disease: Dr. William Bowie is a professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia in the Division of Infectious Diseases. Much of his work has been in public health aspects of infections including those arising from, or spread by, animals, travel or sexual activity. Legal: Ms. Gail Poole is a lawyer who teaches Health Law at the University of Victoria in the Faculty of Law and the Department of Health Information Sciences. She has been a teacher and consultant in health care ethics in Victoria, Chicago and throughout Alberta. Ethics: Dr. Paddy Rodney is assistant professor with the University of Victoria School of Nursing. She is also a faculty associate with the UBC Centre for Applied Ethics, a research associate with Providence Health Care Ethics Services, and a member of the Canadian Nurses' Association Advisory Committee on Ethics. Animal Welfare: Dr. Jim Love is the director of the Animal Care Centre at the University of British Columbia, which is closely allied with the Animal Welfare Programme at UBC. He has been involved in many Canadian Council on Animal Care assessment visits across the country. Patient: Mr. Peter Quinn received a new heart in 1998. Because of severe heart problems, he had been on leave from his position as a controller with the Income Tax Department since 1992. He volunteers with the B.C. Transplant Society, speaking on behalf of transplantation and the organ donor registry system. Eighteen B.C. residents have been selected as citizen panelists. After the public forum concludes, the panelists will work with the experts to develop their own opinions and answers to the question: Should Canada proceed? The citizen panelists have been chosen through a blended selection process. First, letters of invitation were sent to 2,500 randomly selected households. Then, a selection committee considered a variety of factors as well as written comments provided by respondents to choose the panelists. Once selected, each panelist has received extensive briefing on the issues. A discussion paper prepared for the public forum - Animal-to-Human Transplantation: Should Canada Proceed? - examines the issue of xenotransplantation and will kick start discussion of questions such as: Is xenotransplantation a viable solution to the growing and unmet demand for organ transplants? Do the benefits of xenotransplants outweigh the potential risks like the spread of animal diseases to humans? Is it ethically acceptable to genetically modify animals for the purpose of harvesting their organs and tissue? If Canadians want to proceed, what government regulations need to be in place? Who should decide Canada's approach to this issue: government, scientists, corporations, the public? "Our message to Canadians is simple: participate. Tell us what you think about these and other important questions. This is not an exercise in selling a particular option. It's a genuine, fair and open process that has the power to influence government decision-making," said Robert Van Tangerloo, co-chair of the consultation Public Advisory Group and Executive Director of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. The consultation includes public forums in five other cities besides Vancouver: Saskatoon March 24 & 25 Halifax April 21 & 22 Toronto May 26 & 27 Québec City June 9 & 10 Yellowknife July 5 & 6 The CPHA's website www.xeno.cpha.ca features detailed information about xenotransplantation and a questionnaire to complete. The questionnaire has been widely distributed to interested organizations and individuals. Information from all of these sources will be assembled and submitted to give Health Canada a detailed portrait of Canadians' answer to the question: Should Canada proceed with xenotransplantation and if so, under what circumstances? The final report will be delivered by the end of the year. "There's no right answer. There are only questions to discuss. We encourage all Canadians to tell us what they think," Van Tangerloo said. FEED CONTROL GROUP DEVELOPING DOCUMENT TO GUIDE PRODUCTION OF ANIMAL FEED, FEED INGREDIENTS May 1, 2001 AgWeb News Kristin Danley-Greiner http://www.agweb.com/news_show_news_article.asp?file=AgNewsArticle_200151162 9_5813&newscat=GN The Feed Manufacturing Committee of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is creating a "'guidance" document for animal feeds and feed ingredients. The purpose is to provide a framework for the manufacturing, packaging or distribution of animal feeds and feed ingredients, stated the AAFCO. The document is to be used as a framework for the development of feed ingredient and/or animal feed-specific programs, where additional guidance is needed. The document is designed to reflect the conditions of manufacturing currently acceptable and generally practiced by the industry. A final draft should be ready for presentation at AAFCO¹s annual meeting in August, the group said EFFECT OF THE USE OF ANTIMICROBIALS IN FOOD-PRODUCING ANIMALS ON PATHOGEN LOAD: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE PUBLISHED LITERATURE October 2000 Prepared for the Center for Veterinary Medicine US Food and Drug Administration Rockville, MD The Following document can be downloaded from: http://www.fda.gov/cvm/antimicrobial/PathRpt.doc APPROVAL WITHDRAWN FOR ABBOTT LABORATORIES' POULTRY FLUOROQUINOLONE DRUGS April 30, 2001 FDA Centre For Veterninary Medicine http://www.fda.gov/cvm/index/updates/saraflox.htm Effective April 30, 2001, FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) withdrew the approvals of two new animal drug applications (NADAs) sponsored by Abbott Laboratories. The NADAs provide for use of sarafloxacin antimicrobial drugs to treat poultry. One is NADA 141-017 for SaraFlox® (sarafloxacin hydrochloride) WSP, a water-soluble powder used in the drinking water of broiler chickens and growing turkeys for control of mortality associated with Escherichia coli. The other is NADA 141-018 for SaraFlox® (sarafloxacin hydrochloride) Injection; an injectable solution used in 18-day embryonated broiler eggs and day-old broiler chickens for control of early chick mortality associated with E. coli. Last year, CVM informed Abbott Laboratories that, on the basis of new data and information before it, there is a question of human food safety -- the potential for the development of resistant organisms -- due to the use of fluoroquinolones such as sarafloxacin in poultry. Specifically, that CVM has determined that: The use of fluoroquinolones in poultry causes the development of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter, a pathogen to humans, in poultry; This fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter is transferred to humans and is a significant cause of the development of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter infections in humans; and Fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter infections are a hazard to human health. Fluoroquinolones also are approved for use in humans, and they are considered to be one of the most valuable antimicrobial drug classes available to treat human infections because of their spectrum of activity, safety, and ease of administration. This class of drugs is effective against a wide range of human diseases and is used both in treatment and prophylaxis of bacterial infections in the community and in hospitals. Fluoroquinolones are used routinely by physicians for the treatment of foodborne disease. These diseases have a major public health consequence in the United States. After being informed by CVM of this human food safety question, Abbott Laboratories requested voluntary withdrawal of approval of NADAs 141-017 and 141-018. Additional information about this withdrawal is available in the April 30, 2001, Federal Register, and from Dr. Mohammad I. Sharar, Center for Veterinary Medicine (HFV-216), Food and Drug Administration, 7500 Standish Place, Rockville, MD 20855, 301-827-0159. Information about CVM's concern about antimicrobial resistance may be found on the CVM Home Page. NEW ANIMAL DRUGS FOR USE IN ANIMAL FEEDS; MONENSIN, SULFADIMETHOXINE, AND ORMETOPRIM; TECHNICAL AMENDMENT May 2, 2001 [Federal Register: (Volume 66, Number 85)] [Page 21861-21862] [DOCID:fr02my01-6] DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR Part 558 AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Final rule; technical amendment. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is updating the animal drug regulations for medicated feeds to correctly reflect previously approved assay limits for Type A medicated articles containing monensin, or sulfadimethoxine and ormetoprim in combination. This action is being taken to improve the accuracy of the agency's regulations. DATES: This rule is effective May 2, 2001. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary G. Leadbetter, Center for Veterinary Medicine (HFV-143), Food and Drug Administration, 7500 Standish Pl., Rockville, MD 20855, 301-827-6964. 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