ANIMALNET JUNE 7, 2002

Argentina probing suspected foot-and-mouth outbreak
Bovine TB cases in Man. give farmers trade jitters
Cattle to be destroyed after TB infection revealed
Russian team returns to U.S. for talks concerning poultry trade
Canada finds another deer with chronic wasting disease
Massive deer hunt set to begin Saturday in southwestern Wisconsin
DNR to use crematory for deer carcasses
Legal bills can grow in a hurry while fighting over hog barns
Manitoba livestock producers on edge over manure rules
Functional genomics to sheep
Maine salmon farmer settles lawsuit over environmental impact
Horse meat case verdict delayed
Perspective is vital when it comes to food


AnimalNet is produced by the Food Safety Network at the University of
Guelph, and is supported by OMAFRA, AgCare, Council for Biotechnology
Information, Health Canada, ConAgra Foods Inc., National Pork Board,
Canadian Animal Health Institute, Ontario Pork, National Cattlemen's Beef
Association, McDonald's, National Turkey Federation, Alberta Agriculture
(Livestock Development Division), Ontario Farm Animal Council, Adculture
Group, Inc., Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency, National Food Processors
Association, Canadian Livestock Genetics Association, Saskatchewan
Nutraceutical Network, Heifer International, Urbana Veterinary Clinic,
Saugeen River Farm and the Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt
Program).

archived at:
http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/safefood/archives/animalnet-archives.htm


ARGENTINA PROBING SUSPECTED FOOT-AND-MOUTH OUTBREAK
June 6, 2002
Reuters
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - The Argentine government was cited as saying on
Thursday it was investigating a suspected outbreak of the highly contagious
foot-and-mouth virus in a cattle herd in central Argentina, but said initial
tests had come back negative.
Food and animal health inspection service Senasa was cited as saying in a
statement animals from a herd in Buenos Aires Province, around 900 km south
of the capital, had shown symptoms like those of the virus that hammered
Argentina's beef industry last year.
Argentina, South America's No. 2 beef exporter, can ill afford another
foot-and-mouth scourge as the crisis-wracked nation struggles to pull out of
its worst ever economic crisis that is crushing industries across the board.
With its roughly 52 million head of cattle, Argentina is the world's fifth
largest beef producer and the seventh largest beef exporter, according to
data from the Agriculture Department, which measures the EU countries as a
group.



BOVINE TB CASES IN MAN. GIVE FARMERS TRADE JITTERS
June 7, 2002
Western Producer
Barry Wilson
http://www.producer.com/articles/20020606/news/20020606news04.html
The United States continues to consider Canada and Manitoba free of
trade-disrupting bovine tuberculosis even though the Canadian government has
downgraded Manitoba to TB accredited from TB-free status.
Blaine Thompson with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency animal health
program in Winnipeg was cited as saying this means Canadian cattle can
continue to be traded into the U.S. without the controls, testing and costly
delays that would ensue if Canada loses its TB-free status, adding, "For
trade purposes, the important thing is how the Americans see us, and they
see us as TB-free."
However, because of the controversial presence of tuberculosis in the elk
herd in Manitoba's Riding Mountain National Park, as well as a recent
outbreak of TB on a farm near Peterborough, Ont., Americans have Canada on a
TB watch.
Thompson was quoted as saying, "I think that's fair to say. We're very
transparent with the Americans. We have nothing to hide. More outbreaks
could be a problem."
For the cattle industry, any loss of TB-free status would be a trading
catastrophe. While the CFIA said it is open with the Americans, there were
accusations last week in Canada that there has been less transparency with
the Canadian industry.
As recently as March, agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief said in the House
of Commons that Canada is tuberculosis free.
So it came as a shock to the Manitoba cattle industry May 22 when it was
told that five years ago, CFIA had downgraded Manitoba from TB free to TB
accredited. It followed a case in a Manitoba cattle herd in 1997.



CATTLE TO BE DESTROYED AFTER TB INFECTION REVEALED
June 7, 2002
The Toronto Star
A04
John Driscoll
The owner of a dairy farm near here has, according to this story, been
ordered to destroy his herd of 71 cattle that tested positive for
tuberculosis.
Dr. Jim Clark, a veterinarian with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, was
cited as saying yesterday that also to be destroyed are about 90 cattle from
the herd sold to 15 other farms in the province, as well as to farms in the
United States and Mexico, over the past three years, adding, "We know where
all the animals are and have notified authorities in the U.S. and Mexico
about the situation. If any of the herds those cattle have entered have been
infected, they will be subject to destruction as well."
It is the first outbreak of TB in cattle in Ontario since 1992, he said.
Clark added that while bovine TB can be transmitted to humans, there is no
danger to the public from this outbreak, and that those in close contact
with infected animals are at risk since the animals shed the bacteria
through mucous.
The pasteurization of milk eliminates any danger of infection from drinking
it, he said.
The Peterborough health unit was notified of the outbreak and have
instituted testing of people who have been in daily contact with the cattle,
Clark said.



RUSSIAN TEAM RETURNS TO U.S. FOR TALKS CONCERNING POULTRY TRADE
June 5, 2002
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Cristal Cody, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
WASHINGTON--A Russian team of veterinarians will, according to this story,
return to the United States this week to begin negotiations that should lead
to resumption of normal poultry trade between the two countries.
The story explains that Russia, the largest importer of U.S. poultry, lifted
a ban on American birds in April, but shipments are only a fraction of what
they were before the ban was imposed in March.
David Hegwood, special adviser to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman,
was cited as confirming the trip.
Sergei Strokov, agricultural counselor at the Russian Embassy in Washington,
was cited as saying the team of seven veterinarians will arrive Friday in
Washington for a one-week visit.
The delegation will meet with several U.S. government agencies, including
the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. trade representative's
office, to discuss in part a new veterinarian certificate that must
accompany all poultry shipments into Russia.



CANADA FINDS ANOTHER DEER WITH CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
June 6, 2002
Reuters/ StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - The third case of chronic wasting disease, a disorder
similar to mad cow disease, has, according to these stories, been found in a
wild deer in Saskatchewan, wildlife authorities reported Thursday.
This latest positive test, in a three-year-old wild mule deer, emerged after
analysis of 185 deer culled by wildlife officials in the spring.
Kevin Omoth, the disease manager for the prairie province, was quoted as
saying, "It just again confirms that we've got a problem in that particular
local herd. Obviously, we will continue to be pretty aggressive in that
area, trying to reduce the deer herd in an effort to control or maybe even
eradicate it."
The stories say that all three of the animals infected with the fatal
neurological disorder have come from the Manito Sandhills, an area in
southwestern Saskatchewan, near the Alberta border.
The brain-wasting illness belongs to the same family of diseases as
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or TSEs.
The first two cases of chronic wasting disease in wild deer in Saskatchewan
were discovered in 2001.
In March of this year, wildlife officials in the province said they were
guardedly optimistic after no new cases were discovered out of 4,000 tests.
The province's game farm industry has been reeling since 1996 when the first
case of the disease was detected in a ranch elk.
Since then, about 227 game-farm animals have tested positive among 42 herds.
Food safety officials say that 7,700 animals have been destroyed in efforts
to stamp out the troubling disease.
Elk are raised for meat and antler velvet to be used in homeopathic remedies
and as aphrodisiacs, popular in Asia.



MASSIVE DEER HUNT SET TO BEGIN SATURDAY IN SOUTHWESTERN WISCONSIN
June 5, 2002
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Lee Bergquist, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin's plan to wipe out the deer population in a portion of
southwestern Wisconsin, according to this story, begins on Saturday, and
officials say that 575 landowners have thus far received special permits to
kill deer.
The Department of Natural Resources is doling out 20 permits or more to
every landowner who wants to participate in an unprecedented attempt to kill
15,000 deer in a 361-square mile area in portions of Dane, Iowa and Sauk
counties.
The shoot is part of the state's efforts to control the spread of chronic
wasting disease in deer. The fatal disease is related to mad cow disease,
and its discovery in Wisconsin, which was announced on Feb. 28, represents
the first time it has been found east of the
Mississippi River.



DNR TO USE CREMATORY FOR DEER CARCASSES
June 6, 2002
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Lee Bergquist
With hunters poised to begin shooting deer Saturday to control chronic
wasting disease, state officials were cited as saying they will use a pet
crematory in Poynette for disposal because they don't have time to allay
concerns about the safety of dumping carcasses in a landfill.
The Department of Natural Resources was cited as saying Thursday it has
hastily made an arrangement with Midwest Cremation Service of Wisconsin
after encountering questions about using a privately owned landfill in
Jefferson County.
The company has been operating for about 10 years and can burn about 70 deer
at a time in a process that takes about 12 hours.
The last-minute change is another example of the difficulty Wisconsin
officials have faced as they try to control the outbreak of the fatal
disease in deer that, if left unchecked, could decimate the entire deer
population, state officials say.
Wisconsin officials also have encountered questions about the safety of the
upcoming shoot and whether a test will be available by this fall that will
tell hunters if their deer is safe to eat.
The World Health Organization has said there is no scientific evidence that
the disease can infect humans. But the organization has said that no part of
a deer or elk with evidence of the disease should be eaten.



LEGAL BILLS CAN GROW IN A HURRY WHILE FIGHTING OVER HOG BARNS
June 7, 2002
Western Producer
Mary MacArthur
http://www.producer.com/articles/20020606/news/20020606news05.html
When a group of residents in the County of Beaver east of Edmonton decided
to fight two proposed hog barns near Ryley and Holden last year, their
lawyer, according to this story, estimated it would cost about $15,000 to
represent them at the local appeal hearings.
This spring the group mailed a mass circular to all county residents asking
for donations to pay a $24,800 legal bill. A few extra days at the local
hearings and a hydro geological report almost doubled the total.
Ron Yarham of the Beaver Citizen's Protective Group, which was formed to
oppose the hog barns, was quoted as saying, "We didn't expect it to be quite
that much."
Margaret Jones, development officer with the County of Beaver, was cited as
saying she couldn't put an exact price tag on the county's legal bill, but
thought it would be comparable to what the citizen's group paid. Robert
Dueck, the farmer who proposed the hog barn, didn't return phone calls about
his legal bill.



MANITOBA LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS ON EDGE OVER MANURE RULES
June 7, 2002
Western Producer
Ian Bell
http://www.producer.com/articles/20020606/news/20020606news17.html
The Manitoba Pork Council was cited as saying that the provincial
government's efforts to protect the environment are making it tougher for
hog producers to make a living.
The story says that the province plans to put more manure application
regulations in place by the end of the year, adding to the growing list of
regulations for Manitoba's
livestock producers.
Karl Kynoch, a Baldur, Man., hog producer and pork council vice-chair, was
quoted as saying, "Every time we see a new program come to the industry, it
knocks out more of the family farm operations. They're getting fed up with
regulations. It's just getting overwhelming."
The province wants to amend the Pesticides and Fertilizers Control Act to
ensure individuals applying manure from large livestock operations are
trained, certified and licensed by the province. Proposed amendments to the
act were recently introduced in the Manitoba legislature.
If implemented, the regulations would apply to custom manure applicators and
large livestock operations hauling manure to land other than their own.
Agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk was cited as saying the changes would
better regulate the transportation and application of manure and that they
would also help balance the needs of a growing livestock industry with the
need to protect the environment, adding, "I don't see this as a negative. I
see it as a positive."



FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS TO SHEEP
June 6, 2002
Meat and Livestock Australia
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), are set to capitalise on a unique
opportunity for Australian Animal Science by establishing a major sheep gene
function program involving a number of research groups.
In 2001 Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) in conjunction with others
explored the opportunities to cooperatively invest in a science program
involving functional genomics.
The first stage of this process was a detailed review of the capability and
resources in sheep genomics in Australia and New Zealand. This report was
received in February 2002.
There is now enthusiastic support for further development of a genomics
initiative. Though there is significant capability in Australia and New
Zealand, the R&D effort is dispersed: no one research group is currently
capable of delivering the array of enabling technology required to sustain a
program that can undertake highly innovative research leading to outstanding
international and national recognition.
MLA is committed to harnessing the dispersed resources and science that will
create major breakthroughs in sheep gene function of industry and commercial
significance. To this end MLA will establish a major sheep gene function
program involving a number of research groups.
The successful establishment of this major initiative will require
considerable preparation and organisation. MLA proposes:
1. To facilitate the bringing together of leading science groups, at an
intensive workshop on ³Application of Functional Genomics to Create
Opportunities for the Australian Sheep Industry². This will be held in
Sydney on 2nd and 3rd July
2002. The purpose of this workshop is to develop a scientific program
capable of establishing and delivering innovative and imaginative outcomes
in functional genomics to address key commercial targets for the sheep
industry. MLA intend to
explore how the science program developed can be formulated into a proposal
for funding as an Australian Research Council Linkage Priority Centre of
Excellence, involving a number of nodes.
2. Providing an appropriate science program can be formulated, MLA will,
with other potential investors, create the necessary business framework and
appointments to carry forward the program. It is anticipated that the
program will involve a multi-million dollar investment annually over five
years.
It is MLA¹s belief that there is considerable untapped scientific capability
within Australia and overseas that could help establish a world-class,
commercially-focussed sheep functional genomics initiative. Therefore, MLA
is seeking expressions of interest from potential researchers from the broad
field of genomics research to participate in the development of a leading
science strategy and program. MLA encourages those not currently involved in
sheep genomics to participate.
MLA has identified the following as four major areas of investigation
appropriate to a sheep functional genomics approach, leading to critical
industry commercial targets;
Host response to internal parasites, leading to control of internal
parasites;
Host response to bacterial pathogens, leading to control of Johnes Disease;
Biology of the digestive system and muscle, leading to improved efficiency
of utilisation of feed for meat production and quality; and,
Biology of reproduction and maternal ability, leading to improved animal
survival to weaning.
For further information contact Alison McIntosh at Meat and Livestock
Australia by email at amcintosh@mla.com.au no later than 3pm on Thursday
13th June, 2002 for information on the workshop. For general information on
the program contact Andrew Parratt by email at andrew.parratt@bigpond.com.



MAINE SALMON FARMER SETTLES LAWSUIT OVER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
June 6, 2002
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Beth Daley, The Boston Globe
One of Maine's largest salmon farmers has, according to this story, agreed
to a sweeping set of conditions in a court settlement to protect coastal
water quality from salmon waste and to protect wild salmon from
interbreeding with the farm fish.
Heritage Salmon Inc. officials agreed they were operating without a required
federal permit to discharge fish waste and chemicals into Maine's coastal
waters. Two years ago, the National Environmental Law Center filed suit
against the company and two others, charging they were endangering the
health of a dwindling wild salmon population and the ocean quality by their
salmon farming practices.



HORSE MEAT CASE VERDICT DELAYED
June 7, 2002
The Calgary Herald
B16
Emma Poole
A grocery store chain charged with selling horse meat disguised as beef
will, according to this story, have to wait until next week for a verdict.
Provincial court Judge Brian Stevenson was to render his decision on
Thursday, but late submissions by defence lawyers postponed the verdict.
It's alleged Jay's Food Market knowingly sold horse meat for up to seven
years, from 1993 to 2000.
Can-Na Foods Ltd., doing business as Jay's Food Market, has been charged
with deceptive labelling after routine testing was carried out in June 2000
by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.



PERSPECTIVE IS VITAL WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD
June 7, 2002
The Toronto Star
A31
Thomas Khan writes regarding, Eating dog indefensible, Letter, June 6, to
say that as a vegetarian English teacher living in South Korea, he was
amused by the letter written by Rita di Ghent with regard to the practice of
eating dog.
Her comment, "As aware people know, the high-level intellectual and
emotional capacities of dogs make them unarguably taboo as food," could be
applied to a multitude of animals besides dog.
Dog eating in Korea is not that common. Many of my students have tried it at
some point in their lives but, because of expense, it is not eaten daily.
In the neighbourhood where I live, there are a number of Young Yang Tang
restaurants. Although I am not a supporter of these establishments I find it
difficult to condemn them solely on the basis of their menu.
To a vegetarian, meat is meat is meat. The eating of dog is no more cruel or
sickening or unnecessary than the consumption of any other type of flesh.
For further interest, Khan offers the link to this Web site http
//koreananimals.org/dogs.htm, which gives a rather graphic account of the
practice of eating dog.


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