AnimalNet Dec. 16/03
Survey shows
stable antibiotic use in animals
New
Megamectin (ivermectin) Pour-On now available for Canadiancattle producers
Poultry
industry pioneer Henry Saglio dies at age 92
AAAS
application deadline nears
Organics
might get checkoff exemption
Parasite
found in North Carolina waters may have killed Asian oysters
Pet turtles
pose risk of salmonella infection for infants and small children
Dept. of
Homeland Security proposes agroterror research centers
Homeland
Security concerned about ag
how to subscribe
Survey
shows stable antibiotic use in animals
December 15, 2003
Animal Health Institute Press Release
Washington, D.C. ć New data from a survey of animal health companies show that
the volume of antibiotics used in animals in the U.S. was virtually unchanged in
2002 compared to 2001, after two consecutive years of declines.
In 2002, 22 million pounds of antibiotics were sold for use in both farm and
companion animals. While that is a slight increase in the 21.8 million pounds
reported in 2001, AHI’s membership base for the 2002 survey was larger than in
2001. When factoring out the different membership base, use in 2002 would have
declined slightly from 2001. The data were collected from a survey of members of
the Animal Health Institute (AHI), consisting of companies that make medicines
for pets and farm animals.
“Careful and judicious use of antibiotics to keep animals healthy contributes
to the safety of our food supply and the health and well-being of our pets,”
said Alexander S. Mathews, AHI President and CEO. “This annual data continues
to demonstrate that antibiotics are used prudently and with increasing
efficiency.”
Notable in this year’s survey is the dramatic drop in the small portion of
antibiotics used for health maintenance. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) approves antibiotics for use in animal husbandry for four basic purposes:
disease treatment, disease control, disease prevention, and health maintenance,
as measured by improved growth rates or more efficient feed use. Health
maintenance claims have commonly been called “growth promotion.” The
American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) considers treatment, control and
prevention of disease to be therapeutic uses. Therapeutic use of antibiotics to
treat, control and prevent disease rose to more than 90 percent of total use,
despite erroneous claims by some that a majority of antibiotics are fed
unnecessarily to healthy animals.
AHI survey respondents provide an assessment each year of the amount of
veterinary antibiotics sold for therapeutic use and health maintenance purposes.
The percentage of veterinary antibiotics use reported as “therapeutic” was
88 percent in 2000, 83 percent in 2001 and 91 percent in 2002.
2000 - 2002 AHI SURVEY
Active Antibacterial Ingredients Sold by AHI Members
2000 2001 2002
Antibiotic Class Pounds Pounds Pounds
Ionophores/Arsenicals* 9,165,043 7,758,492 9,050,782
Tetracyclines 6,693,834 7,144,523 6,649,567
Cephalosporins, macrolides, 4,857,896 4,268,658 5,056,515
lincosamides, polypeptides,
streptogramins, and other
minor classes of antibiotics**
Sulfonamides and 2,363,151 2,406,072 815,298
Penicillins
Aminoglycosides 337,819 257,252 415,219
Fluoroquinolones 38,082 36,204 33,602
Total 23,725,824 21,871,202 22,020,983
*Unique drug products developed for animal production and not related to
traditional antibiotics.
**Grouping necessary to abide by disclosure agreements.
New
Megamectin (ivermectin) Pour-On now available for Canadiancattle producers
December 15, 2003
Novartis Press Release
Toronto, ON - Canadian cattle producers have a new choice when it comes to
endectocides with the launch today of Megamectin (ivermectin) Pour-On for
cattle.
New Megamectin - available exclusively through veterinarians from Novartis
Animal Health Canada Inc.- offers protection against a wide range of internal
parasites, lice, mites, grubs and horn flies in cattle. With the same active
ingredient (ivermectin) as the leading brand, Megamectin arms cow/calf and
feedlot operators with a competitive choice in the ivermectin market -
delivering the same performance and protection at a better price.
"We appreciate the challenges the cattle industry is facing, and believe
that new Megamectin can help producers maintain an effective endectocide program
for a lower cost," says Jim McAllister, product manager for Novartis Animal
Health's Food Animal Business. "And Megamectin is offered only through
veterinarians because we recognize their key role as the experts in animal
health and productivity."
Megamectin has been approved to the same exacting standards of Health Canada's
Veterinary Drugs Directorate as other endectocides. When used in feedlots and
cow/calf operations, Megamectin helps prevent production losses from internal
parasites, lice, mites, grubs and flies. And Megamectin comes with a 100 per
cent lice control guarantee.
Megamectin is available as a pour-on formulation in three ready-to-use sizes:
2.5 L and 5 L collapsible packs, and a 20 L container. A durable,
easy-to-operate application gun is available with the purchase of the 5 L and 20
L sizes.
Novartis Animal Health Canada Inc. is an affiliate of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)
- a world leader in healthcare with core businesses in pharmaceuticals, consumer
health, generics, eye-care and animal health. The word Novartis - derived from
the Latin novae artes ("new skills") reflects the company's commitment
to focus on research and development to bring innovative new products to the
communities we serve. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the Novartis Group
companies employ approximately 73,000 people and operate in more than 140
countries around the world.
Poultry
industry pioneer Henry Saglio dies at age 92
December 15, 2003
National Chicken Council Press Release
www.nationalchickencouncil.com
Henry Saglio, a pioneering poultry breeder whose introduction of genetic
research to the industry led to the rise of chicken as America’s most consumed
meat and whose work in international development made chicken an affordable
source of protein for millions of people in developing countries, died Saturday
after a long illness. He was 92. Beginning in 1948 when he had the leading
purebred entry in the A & P Chicken of Tomorrow Contest with a White Rock
chicken he had bred for extra meat and white feathers, his prowess as a
geneticist grew until he became known as a “father of the poultry industry.”
In 1977, Saglio was inducted into the Poultry Hall of Fame of the American
Poultry Historical Society and was credited with being “the individual most
directly responsible for the direction taken by the broiler industry." The
citation characterized him as "a hard-working, practical poultry man whose
vision earned him worldwide respect and acclaim without sacrificing the common
touch."
Saglio’s work led to tremendous increase in the feed-to-protein ratio and a
savings in the cost of producing chicken that has kept the price of chicken
virtually constant over the past 60 years, thus making it an affordable source
of protein for millions of people.
The son of immigrant farmers, he began his sophisticated operation in the 1930s
with a chicken coop made from the crate in which the family piano had been
delivered. His business, Arbor Acres, based in Glastonbury, Connecticut, grew
into an international firm with operations in 21 nations in South America,
Europe, Africa and Asia. Although he started the foreign activity on his own,
Saglio soon won the backing of International Basic Economy Corporation (IBEC), a
venture created by Nelson Rockefeller that focused on developing the "basic
economies" of developing countries. Arbor Acres was acquired by IBEC in
1964.
Mr. Saglio was a director of Perdue Farms, Inc., and a charter member and
lifetime director of the National Broiler Council (now the National Chicken
Council), as well as a director of the Connecticut Opera Association. In
addition to creating Arbor Acres, he developed Avian Farms International with
his son, Robert. Most recently he was involved in the start-up of Pureline
Genetics, a breeder of antibiotic-free poultry.
Henry Saglio was born in Glastonbury, Connecticut, in 1911, the son of Frank and
Joanna Trosello Saglio. He worked on his father and uncle’s farm on John Tom
Hill in Glastonbury until beginning his own business with his brothers in the
1930s. Although he completed only 6th grade, he ultimately was awarded an
honorary degree from the University of Beijing for his work promoting chicken
breeding and production to serve China’s need for affordable nutrition.
He was married to Florence Miller of Fredonia, New York in 1945; she died in
1971. Their children are Robert Saglio of Watch Hill, Rhode Island, and Janet
Saglio of Newton, Massachusetts. Mr. Saglio had 5 grandchildren. A resident of
Marathon, Florida, he maintained homes in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, and
Glastonbury, Connecticut.
AAAS
application deadline nears
American Association for the Advancement of Science Press Release
www.fellowships.aaas.org
Help shape public policy in Washington, DC.
Scientists and engineers are invited to apply for one-year science and
technology policy fellowships in Washington, DC, beginning September 2004. These
10 programs, administered by the American Association for the Advancement of
Science (AAAS), are designed to provide each Fellow with a unique public policy
learning experience and to bring technical backgrounds and external perspectives
to decision-making in the U.S. government.
Fellows serve in the Congress, the Department of Homeland Security, the National
Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of State,
the Department of Defense, the Agency for International Development, the
Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, the Food and
Drug Administration, and other federal offices.
Applicants must have a PhD or an equivalent doctoral degree by the application
deadline (January 10, 2004) from any physical, biological or social science, any
field of engineering or any relevant interdisciplinary field. Individuals with a
master's degree in engineering and at least three years of post-degree
professional experience also may apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and
federal employees are ineligible. Stipends begin at $60,000.
For application instructions and further information about the AAAS Science and
Technology Policy Fellowship Programs, contact:
1200 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202/326-6700
E-mail: fellowships@aaas.org
Web: www.fellowships.aaas.org.
Underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to
apply.
Organics
might get checkoff exemption
December 15, 2003
Herd On The Hill
Edited by Kiran Kernellu
Pork Alert reported last Tuesday that AMS is working on a proposal to exempt
producers of 100 percent organic livestock from paying commodity-promotion
assessments. The proposal includes 16 different commodities, including pork,
beef and fluid milk. The 2002 Farm Bill directed USDA to issue regulations
exempting any person who produces and markets 100 percent organic products and
who does not produce any conventional or non-organic products from paying
assessments under a commodity-promotion law.
Parasite
found in North Carolina waters may have killed Asian oysters
December 16, 2003
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Patricia Smith, The Daily News, Jacksonville, N.C.
MOREHEAD CITY, N.C.-- Experts at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences have,
according to this story, discovered a parasite, a type of Bonamia, not found in
North Carolina waters before, that may have killed Asian oysters being used in a
North Carolina experiment.
Mike Marshall of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries was cited as saying that
Bonamia is an organism that biologists have not encountered on the East Coast
south of Maine, adding, "They suspect that it may be a new species."
Marshall was further cited as saying that Bonamia, like the disease Dermo that
has devastated populations of the native Eastern oyster (crasostrea virginica),
does not affect humans, but infects the lymphatic/circulatory system of an
oyster.
Unlike Dermo, which usually kills oysters when they get bigger, Bonamia usually
causes mortality when the oysters are small, Marshall said.
Pet
turtles pose risk of salmonella infection for infants and small children
December 15, 2003
U.S. FDA Press Release
http://www.fda.gov:80/bbs/topics/NEWS/2003/NEW00997.html
The Houston Office of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging consumers
not to purchase live, baby turtles, with a carapace (shell) of less than 4
inches, as pets. The FDA has been alerted to a resurgence in sales of live, baby
turtles in Houston area malls.
FDA prohibited the distribution and sale of baby turtles with shells 4 inches in
length or less in 1970 after a quarter million infants and small children were
diagnosed with having turtle-associated salmonellosis. The agency believed that
turtles with shells larger than 4 inches do not pose the same threat since
youngsters would not likely try to fit them into their mouths.
Salmonella is the genus name of a number of bacteria commonly associated with
food poisoning from contaminated or undercooked foods, and salmonellosis is the
disease the bacteria can cause. Salmonella can be found on the outer skin and
shell surfaces of the turtles causing salmonellosis for those handling turtles
without properly washing their hands after handling the animals.
In food-related cases, most people suffer from gastroenteritis, often
experiencing vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and cramps. For high-risk individuals,
such as those with weakened immune systems, those taking antibiotics, pregnant
women, the elderly, and children under 5, salmonellosis may be even more
devastating, leading to blood infections, meningitis, abortion, and death.
The FDA-imposed ban allows for some exceptions. Turtles still can be exported to
other countries and sold to experts for bona fide scientific, educational and
exhibition purposes. Selling turtles to pet stores is not considered a bona fide
purpose. More information about this regulation can be found in Title 21, Code
of Federal Regulations, Part 1240.62.
Dept.
of Homeland Security proposes agroterror research centers
December 16, 2003
Meatingplace.com
Eric Hanson
http://www.meatingplace.com/DailyNews/init.asp?clickthrough=true&ID=11604
The Department of Homeland Security announced a $33 million plan that would fund
two university-based "Homeland Security Centers" that would research
ways to combat potential terrorist attacks on America's livestock and food
supply.
One center would likely spend $15 million over three years studying post-harvest
food protection and defense, while the other would spend about $18 million over
three years analyzing ways to keep live animals safe.
The centers would be asked to focus on preventing, detecting, responding to and
recovering from attacks on the food supply, according to the department's
announcement about the centers.
For the post-harvest center, research priorities would focus on the traceability
of food products, detecting contaminated food and methods to rapidly remove any
contaminated product.
The pre-harvest center would focus on understanding and simulating animal
disease outbreaks, increasing the understanding of pathogens and establishing
methods to rapidly detect and respond to potential attacks.
University researchers interested in applying for the grants must send a letter
of intent to the Department of Homeland Security by Jan. 5, and proposals for
the projects are due Feb. 9.
The complete announcement about the proposed centers and how to apply for the
grants is available at DHS.gov.
Homeland
Security concerned about ag
December 15, 2003
Lean Trimmings
Edited by Kiran Kernellu
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last Friday the release
of a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) calling for proposals that will focus on
research efforts to combat agro-terrorism. The notice, which is available on the
DHS web site at: http://www.dhs.gov/ under the "Research &
Technology" tab and at http://www.grants.gov/, invites colleges and
universities to submit letters of intent by January 5, 2004, followed by full
proposals due on February 9, 2004.
The proposal submission is the first step in the review process for academic
institutions wishing to be selected as a Homeland Security Center of
Excellence (HS-Center). Homeland Security will convene a team of expert
external evaluators who will review the submissions based on merit and make
recommendations to a selection committee within the Department. Following
selected site visits, the Department anticipates establishing two HS-Centers by
April 2004; one will focus on combating animal related agro-terrorism and the
other will focus on post-harvest food security. Read more about the HS-Centers
Program at: http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/BAA_Agro1.doc
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