ANIMALNET OCTOBER 24, 2002
Antibacterial soap a waste of time, experts say
Deadly poultry disease spreads in Calif. flocks
Brazilian poultry imports to be tested for nitrofurans
Riparian buffer zones help clean Chesapeake bcay
Livestock producers encouraged to consider animal welfare auditing
Final test for disease on Aitkin County, Minn., elk herd proves negative
DNR hunting deer that escaped from farm now under quarantine
Deforest, Wis., cloning technology firm to work on producing research pigs
Biotherapeutics and Merrimack Pharmaceuticals to begin RHAFP clinical
production
New odour control technologies for livestock producers
U of M study examines odor measurement, quantification and control
Veterinary inspections
AnimalNet is produced by the Food Safety Network at the University of
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Federation, Alberta Agriculture (Livestock Development Division), Ontario
Farm Animal Council, Adculture Group, Inc., Canadian Turkey Marketing
Agency, Eli Lilly Canada, Inc., National Food Processors Association,
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ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP A WASTE OF TIME, EXPERTS SAY
October 24, 2002
Reuters
WASHINGTON - Researchers were cited as telling a meeting of the Infectious
Diseases Society of America that it may be virtually impossible to buy soap
in the United States that is not "antibacterial," but such products are a
waste of time, and their heavy use could contribute to a whole new breed of
hard-to-kill superbugs.
Elaine Larson, associate dean for research at the Columbia University School
of Nursing in New York, was quoted as saying in a statement, "It makes you
wonder why they call it antibacterial, because according to our research, it
isn't any more so than plain soaps. We found antimicrobial or antibacterial
soaps provide no added value over plain soap."
Soap and water works by literally washing away germs, although soap itself
can kill bacteria and viruses.
Larson noted that several studies suggest that alcohol-based gels are better
ways to kill germs instead of washing them away and may be a good
alternative for health care workers whose hands are damaged by repeated
washings, adding, "If you've got a newborn or a preschooler with a cold, you
might consider using an alcohol-based waterless product for a little extra
protection against germs. But for daily hygiene, hand-washing with regular
soap is fine. Just be sure to wash all of the surfaces on your hands, the
backs, between the fingers, and so on. It's not the amount of time that's
important, but covering all the surfaces, as well as applying friction."
For their study Larson's team followed primary caretakers in 222 New York
City households. Half got an antimicrobial soap for daily hand washing and
half were given plain soap. Neither was labeled.
The two groups were tested after washing one time and after one year of
regular use of the assigned soap.
After a year, both groups had fewer germs on their hands, with no
differences between the antibacterial soap group and the plain soap group,
Larson said.
DEADLY POULTRY DISEASE SPREADS IN CALIF. FLOCKS
October 24, 2002
Reuters
Gina Keating
LOS ANGELES - State agriculture official were cited as saying Wednesday
that a deadly poultry disease that decimated California's commercial flocks
in 1971 was again stalking the $2.5 billion industry, but so far was
confined to chickens kept in backyard coops.
Leticia Rico, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Food and
Agriculture, was cited as saying that state veterinarians were cited as
confirming outbreaks of Exotic Newcastle Disease, a respiratory illness,
among chickens in two L.A. neighborhoods on Oct. 1, adding, "We are doing
everything we can to identify the infected birds and to euthanize those
birds ... and to prevent (the disease) from entering the commercial
industry."
Rico added that about 125 federal and state agriculture inspectors
immediately began house-to-house inspections in Los Angeles, Riverside and
San Bernardino counties, destroying more than 6,500 birds and quarantining
63 premises.
They warned bird owners to keep their pets inside and to avoid exposing
themselves to birds at shows or shores.
The disease, named after the English city where it was discovered, does not
pose a serious health threat to humans but can kill an entire flock in days,
veterinarians said.
The 1971 Newcastle outbreak took two years and $56 million to stamp out and
ended with the destruction of 12 million birds, Rico said.
The cause of that outbreak was never determined but agriculture officials
suspected smuggled birds from Latin America as the probable source, Rico
said.
Bill Mattos, president of the California Poultry Federation, was cited as
saying this time, commercial poultry farms have been spared but most are
closed to visitors -- both human and avian, adding, "We are very aware of
what we have to do to keep it from spreading into commercial flocks."
Most of California's poultry ranches are located in the agriculture-rich
Central Valley
between Bakersfield and Sacramento. They house 24 million laying birds, 235
million broilers and 18.7 million turkeys, Mattos said.
BRAZILIAN POULTRY IMPORTS TO BE TESTED FOR NITROFURANS
October 23, 2002
Food Standards Agency
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/95293
The European Commission has ruled that all Brazilian poultry meat imports
into the European Union (EU) should be tested after the UK and Germany
detected the presence of nitrofurans - banned veterinary medicine - in
chicken.
The ruling applies to all poultry meat intended for human consumption. Eight
per cent of all UK poultry imports comes from Brazil.
Nitrofurans are veterinary medicines banned from use in food-producing
animals in the EU. This is due to concerns about the possibility of an
increased risk of cancer if people are exposed to them over a long period of
time.
The Food Standards Agency supports the European Commission ruling, which is
being implemented in England as the Products of Animal Origin (Third Country
Imports) (England) (Amendment) (No 3) Regulations 2002.
Similar regulations will also be implemented in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland.
The Agency has advised Border Inspection Post officials that all Brazilian
poultry meat consignments should be tested and detained until the results
come back from the labs.
The EC came to its conclusion at a meeting of Members States¹ technical
experts on 20 September 2002.
RIPARIAN BUFFER ZONES HELP CLEAN CHESAPEAKE BAY
October 24, 2002
Agricultural Research News Service
Sharon Durham
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct02/nature1002.htm
For years, riparian buffer zones between farmland and bodies of water were
assumed to be beneficial to waterways. To learn more about how these zones
help the environment, Agricultural Research Service scientists are looking
at riparian zones in the vast Chesapeake Bay watershed.
ARS soil scientist Gregory McCarty and hydrologist Jonathan Angier, at the
ARS Environmental Quality Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., are studying the
design and function of these riparian zones with the goal of improving
Chesapeake Bay water quality and helping restore the bay to an even
healthier state.
Riparian systems consist of grasses, forest vegetation and combinations of
plants that could slow down surface runoff of unwanted substances into the
bay and potentially reduce surface and groundwater contaminants. Vegetation
takes up some of the excess nutrients, and some is trapped in the soils.
The research was conducted in a riparian system approximating Maryland
coastal plain farmland. Typical field-applied agricultural chemicals,
particularly nutrients and pesticides, can lead to contaminated drinking
water and other negative impacts on the bay.
The scientists are studying the impact that water moving through the system
has on the effectiveness of the buffer. Water is known to not only move
across the land surface, but also to move vertically between the surface and
the roundwater table.
In the hydrology study, five sampling stations were constructed along a
stream to monitor stream lengths individually and allow comparison with one
another.
The researchers found that stream flow characteristics vary in different
sections of the stream. Some areas have more groundwater rising to the
surface than others, and stream flow varies greatly, depending upon the
season and location along the stream. These variations impact how much of
the excess nutrients and chemicals ultimately make it to larger surface
waters.
LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS ENCOURAGED TO CONSIDER ANIMAL WELFARE AUDITING
October 24, 2002
Farmscape (Episode 1099)
Bruce Cochrane
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization suggests Canada's
livestock industry needs to consider including an animal welfare component
in the various on farm food safety programs under development. The US based
Food Marketing Institute and National Council of Chain Restaurants released
their first set of animal welfare guidelines in June and they are now
working to develop a centralized on farm auditing system. Provincial Pork
Development
Specialist Kim Meyer says the animal welfare issue isn't going away and
there's already pressure on Canadian food retailers to do something to
assure consumers that animal welfare protocols are in place.
Clip-Kim Meyer-Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
I think in Canada one of the options that's been brought forward is to
include an animal welfare auditing system into the on farm food safety
aspect of production. Instead of having several different auditors go onto
a farm, it may be just as easy to include a welfare component into the on
farm food safety aspect of it. That way we can have one validator go onto a
farm, verify that the food safety aspect is there, the animal welfare aspect
is there and then the grocery people or the retail people can utilize that
information as they see fit. I think what has to happen, though, is that
the industry should take a lead in this and try to move ahead on the animal
welfare aspect before it gets pushed in through the retailers end of it.
Meyer points out recommended codes of practice for livestock production
already in place Canada are similar to guidelines being introduced in the US
but there is currently no auditing system. She says that means producers
need to find some way to verify those recommended codes are being followed.
For
Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.
FINAL TEST FOR DISEASE ON AITKIN COUNTY, MINN., ELK HERD PROVES NEGATIVE
October 23, 2002
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Dennis Lien, Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Minn.
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health was cited as saying Tuesday that the
final nine elk on an Aitkin County farm where a bull elk died of chronic
wasting disease in August have tested negative for the disease.
The story says that the findings mean all 48 elk on the Clayton Lueck farm
have tested negative for the disease, a brain and neurological disorder
fatal to deer and elk. In addition, 17 more wild deer near the farm have
been found free of the disease, pushing the total number of negative deer
tests to 64.
The elk herd had been under quarantine since Aug. 30, when the disease was
discovered for the first time in Minnesota. In an attempt to determine
whether it has spread, authorities killed and tested the remaining elk there
and more than 100 wild deer surrounding the farm.
Bill Hartmann, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health,
was cited as saying investigators would now turn their attention to two
other quarantined farms where the bull elk had been kept.
DNR HUNTING DEER THAT ESCAPED FROM FARM NOW UNDER QUARANTINE
October 24, 2002
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Lee Bergquist
http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/oct02/90201.asp
State officials were cited as saying Wednesday they recently learned that
several deer escaped in March from a northern Walworth County deer farm that
is known to have harbored at least one deer with chronic wasting disease.
The story says that DNR has dispatched wardens to a game farm owned by James
Hirschboeck of the Town of Troy in the hope of finding and killing the deer,
which are believed to be roaming in the wild.
Hirschboeck is also under investigation, accused of trying to sell deer that
had been quarantined and could not be moved, an affidavit filed for a search
warrant in Dane County says.
The affidavit also says Hirschboeck is suspected in the past four weeks of
trying to entice another deer farm operator with whom he had done business
to falsify records.
In an interview, Hirschboeck denied any wrongdoing. "None of that is true,"
he said.
Warden Karl Brooks said the escapes of "several" deer took place in March -
shortly after the fatal deer disease was first reported in the wild deer
population near Mount Horeb in Dane County.
This is the first admission by state officials that deer have escaped from a
game farm tainted by the disease.
The escaped deer are believed to have tags in their ears. Neighbors have
reported seeing deer with ear tags near Hirschboeck's 80-acre farm, Brooks
said.
In addition to efforts to kill the tagged deer, Brooks said, an estimated
500 deer that will be killed and tested this hunting season in Walworth
County will help determine whether the fatal brain disease has moved to a
new part of the state.
Officials monitor farm
Hirschboeck's farm came under scrutiny by the DNR after it was discovered
that he bought deer from another Walworth County deer farm that is suspected
to have sold a deer to a third farm in Portage County that later tested
positive for the disease. That buck, sold to deer farmer Stan Hall, tested
positive for the disease in September.
The buck was the first of two captive deer in Wisconsin to have tested
positive. So far, 40 wild deer from a 411-square-mile region of Dane, Iowa
and Sauk counties have been found with the disease.
The first finding in captive deer last month prompted the state agriculture
department to quarantine the two farms in Walworth County and a third farm
in Portage County. A fourth game farm in Dane County has been quarantined,
as well.
DEFOREST, WIS., CLONING TECHNOLOGY FIRM TO WORK ON PRODUCING RESEARCH PIGS
October 24, 2002
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Paul Johnson, The Wisconsin State Journal
Infigen, the DeForest cloning technology company, will, according to this
story, work with a team of scientists to produce pigs to be used for
research in treating a rare and fatal genetic disease.
Infigen's role will be to clone pigs in which a specific change is made to
one gene, said Erik Forsberg, vice president of development at Infigen. The
modification of the gene, usually in cells from a pig's ear, will make the
gene similar to one in humans that when mutated triggers the disease. The
cloned pigs will then be used to study ways to treat ataxia-telangiectasia,
which usually hits children between the ages of 1 and 3, resulting in
progressive loss of muscle control, problems with the immune system, and
increased susceptibility to cancer.
BIOTHERAPEUTICS AND MERRIMACK PHARMACEUTICALS TO BEGIN RHAFP CLINICAL
PRODUCTION
October 23, 2002
>From a press release
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- GTC Biotherapeutics, Inc. ("GTC")
(Nasdaq: GTCB) and Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Merrimack") signed a
letter of intent to begin production of Merrimack's ABI.001, a recombinant
human alpha-fetoprotein (rhAFP), to be used in human clinical studies. GTC
has developed goats that produce ABI.001 in their milk. GTC is expanding
the production herd from these founder animals and will deliver clarified
bulk product suitable for final purification for use in human clinical
studies by Merrimack. GTC will receive compensation primarily in 2003 upon
the delivery of clarified bulk product to Merrimack.
"We look forward to advancing ABI.001 into first-in-man studies during 2003.
We believe that ABI.001 has excellent potential in the treatment of
autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and
myasthenia gravis. Myasthenia gravis, an orphan drug indication with an
underserved patient population, will be our lead indication for ABI.001,"
stated Robert Mulroy, Merrimack's President. Mr. Mulroy continued, "The
ABI.001 produced by GTC enables Merrimack to enter our clinical studies with
a high quality product produced using an economically attractive production
platform."
"We are pleased that Merrimack has chosen GTC's production technology to
move ABI.001 forward into the clinic," stated Mark Adams, GTC's Vice
President of Commercial Development. Mr. Adams continued, "The ABI.001
program is another example of GTC's ability to enable clinical and
commercial development of proteins that are difficult to produce in
conventional bioreactors. Other examples of difficult-to-express products
being developed in our transgenic operating platform include GTC's
recombinant human antithrombin III (rhATIII), recombinant human serum
albumin (rhSA), and malaria vaccine."
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease of the voluntary muscles
which affects more than 84,000 patients in Europe and North America. In MG
the body's immune system attacks acetylcholine receptors at the
neuromuscular junctions, interfering with normal muscular function. MG is
characterized by general muscle weakness and fatigue and can be extremely
debilitating. In severe cases involving the respiratory muscles, the
disease can cause potentially life-threatening respiratory failure. The
current treatments such as anti-cholinesterases, steroids and
immunosuppressants, are limited in their use due to efficacy and toxicity
issues. ABI.001 is believed to act via novel mechanisms to reduce the
severity and inhibit the progression of the disease presenting a new hope
for patients afflicted with MG and other autoimmune disorders.
With Merrimack's ABI.001 product, GTC is advancing one of its external
programs into a commitment for clinical production and testing, joining its
rhATIII program in human clinical studies. The agreement will defer some
cash compensation into 2003 that otherwise had been expected by GTC in 2002.
This compensation structure continues to support the strategic objective of
maintaining GTC's cash resources into 2005. An update to GTC's financial
expectations will be provided in the quarterly financial results and
conference call to be held on October 24, 2002 at 10:00 a.m.
GTC Biotherapeutics develops and produces therapeutic proteins in the milk
of transgenic animals. GTC has more than a dozen programs in development
and one product in clinical trials. These programs are focused on
developing both large-volume protein therapeutics as well as products that
are difficult to produce in significant quantities from conventional
bioreactor systems. GTC's lead program is rhATIII. The rhATIII program
recently completed a pharmacokinetic clinical study. Both antithrombin and
albumin are currently manufactured from the human blood supply for a variety
of pharmaceutical uses. The malaria vaccine program is developing a
recombinant form of a protein expressed in the malaria infection life cycle
as an antigen to potentially provide protection against the disease. Many
of GTC's other programs are developing monoclonal antibodies and
immunoglobulin fusion proteins for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis,
HIV/AIDS and cancer. Additional information is available on the GTC web
site, http://www.gtc-bio.com, including information on listening to the
webcast of the conference call with financial analysts on October 24, 2002.
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a biotechnology company focused on the
discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of immunological and
oncological disorders, many of which have only limited or problematic
therapeutic options. The company's proprietary Network Biology approach to
drug discovery combines next-generation proteomic technologies with an
informed biological perspective to evaluate the complex protein networks and
cellular processes implicated in disease. Merrimack's platform addresses
many of the inefficiencies in current approaches for validating and
identifying drug targets and leads, speeding the development of novel,
effective and safe therapeutics. Merrimack is a privately held company
based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For additional information, please visit
http://www.merrimackpharma.com.
NEW ODOUR CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES FOR LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS
October 24, 2002
AgTech Focus
Lethbridge, Alta.: Advancing technologies will give livestock producers
cost-effective solutions for reducing odour while keeping competitive, say
specialists with Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AAFRD).
"Growing interest from producers and the public are moving technology and
research advances into the fast lane," says Rick Atkins, AgTech Centre
Manager and Branch Head of Engineering for Alberta Agriculture, Food and
Rural Development (AAFRD). "Progress toward science-based tools for both
measuring and controlling odour will help manage expectations for odour
control and lead to practical solutions."
In Alberta, helping to drive these advances is the Odour Control Team, a
group of scientists and engineers from AAFRD - which includes the AgTech
Centre in Lethbridge - the Alberta Research Council and the University of
Alberta. This effort and the broader movement toward improved odour
reduction technology are relatively young, but already there is significant
progress, particularly in evaluating current technology and identifying
areas for improvement.
"Guiding the evaluation work is the principle that, for producers,
cost-effectiveness is key," says Ike Edeogu, AAFRD odour specialist. "In our
various studies, we've identified several technologies at various stages of
development that all look promising for the future."
Key technologies include biofilters, lagoon covers, manure pit additives,
composting, diet manipulation and oil sprinkling.
Biofilters are used as part of a barn's ventilation system to promote
cleaner, fresher air, says Edeogu. "Biofiltration is likely one of the best
options to control livestock odour," says Edeogu. "Biofilters are relatively
cheap to use, maintenance is simple, and odour reduction can be as high as
90 percent."
Lagoon covers trap odour and release it in a controlled way to dramatically
reduce odour's potency, he says. "Today's lagoon covers trap odour, but
further technological improvements are needed to make them more practical
for producers."
Manure pit additives present a number of options - from odour masking and
neutralization to adsorption and chemical oxidization. "Currently, there's a
lot of guesswork for producers in choosing the 'right' additive. Further
research will help us reduce some of that guesswork," says Edeogu.
Composting offers dual benefits, says Edeogu. Composted manure has less
odour than raw manure and producers benefit from its nutrient value. "Not
only does composting help eliminate odour, it improves the manure's value.
The downside is that composting systems require significant space and
capital investment."
Diet manipulation aims for manure production with fewer odorous compounds,
he says. "There's a fair bit of diet manipulation research work around the
world. But, it's still a relatively new research area and more information
is needed."
Oil sprinkling is very effective for controlling barn dust, but researchers
have yet to determine if this translates to odour control. "The idea that
dust traps odour and carries it in the air may be a myth. But if there's
something to it, oil sprinkling may have potential for odour control," says
Edeogu.
Producers can learn more about advancing odour reduction technologies
through the November 2002 AgTech Innovator newsletter, which explores such
technologies in greater detail, by contacting the AgTech Centre, 3000
College Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, T1K 1L6. Phone: (403) 329-1212,
Fax: (403) 328-5562. AgTech Centre is part of AAFRD Agricultural Engineering
Branch and has a mandate to support agricultural sustainability.
U OF M STUDY EXAMINES ODOR MEASUREMENT, QUANTIFICATION AND CONTROL
October 23, 2002
Farmscape (Episode 1098)
A new study conducted by the University of Manitoba study has evaluated a
range of potential strategies for addressing odor in prairie swine
operations. The "Study of Odor Production, Evaluation and Control" was
conducted by the U of M's Biosystems Engineering Department on behalf of the
Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative. Dr. Qiang Zhang says
researchers examined existing scientific literature to determine the status
of odor research around the world and identify odor control strategies with
potential for Manitoba.
Clip-Dr. Qiang Zhang-University of Manitoba
Odor is a complicated issue. Just measuring odor has been a challenge to
researchers and to regulatory agencies so that's one area we looked into.
The second area we looked into is the quantification of odors. People have
been talking about odor as a problem but the questions are how big is the
problem and what scale are we talking about. We looked into odor emission
rates from the buildings, odor emissions from manure storages, odor
emissions from land application and from mortality disposal sites. The
third area, in general, we looked at the control strategies. That action
has quite a few sub headings. We looked at manure handling systems in barn,
different storage systems, different manure treatment facilities and
technologies and the latest developments in these areas.
The 100 page report can be accessed on the Manitoba Livestock Manure
Management Initiative web site at manure.mb.ca. Dr. Zhang says it offers
baseline information on odor emission rates and guidelines on different
strategies and technologies for controlling odor. He says it's fairly broad
but it contains enough detail to allow producers to evaluate particular
strategies and he hopes it will serve as a guideline for those working in
the area of odor. For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.
*Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council
VETERINARY INSPECTIONS
October 23, 2002
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
The complete document of the following can be downloaded from:
[http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/whatsnew/index_en.html]
Final report of a mission carried out in Poland from 1/10/01 to 5/10/01
concerning:
Eggs and egg products
Classical Swine Fever, Milk and milk-based products
Poultry meat
Production of fresh meat, meat preparations and meat products
Residues in live animals & animal products
Game and rabbit meat
Fishery products
Public health issues
Animal welfare during transport 1036/99 (43KB)
Dairy products
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