AnimalNet Dec. 18/03
South Korea
mobilizes troops against bird flu
Thai
officials move to contain chicken disease
Wasting
ailment in four more deer
Animal
disease control: Byrne welcomes council adoption of eartagging for sheep and
goats
Feed
additives to boost cattle performance, human health benefits of beef
how to subscribe
South
Korea mobilizes troops against bird flu
December 18, 2003
Agence France Presse
SEOUL - South Korean Prime Minister Goh Kun on Thursday was cited as mobilizing
hundreds of troops in a bid to contain the spread of a bird flu virus that is
potentially fatal to humans.
The story says that Goh called an emergency cabinet meeting and mobilized the
military to combat the outbreak in an agricultural zone southeast of Seoul where
mass slaughter of chickens and ducks and the destruction of eggs is under way.
An official at Goh's office was quoted as saying, "The government is
mobilizing troops, likely between 500 and 600, to establish more check points
and also help slaughter and bury the poultry in the area."
Before the deployment, troops would be vaccinated against the influenza virus
and receive basic training in prevention of infection.
Thai
officials move to contain chicken disease
December 18, 2003
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Phusadee Arunmas, Bangkok Post, Thailand
The Livestock Development Department maintains that a disease outbreak that
killed many chickens in two provinces was not, according to this story, the
highly infectious bird flu.
Yukol Limlamthong, the department's director-general, was cited as issuing the
clarification yesterday after Japan, Poland and Malaysia expressed concerns
about the safety of Thai chicken shipments.
He said the department had already submitted a clarification letter enclosed
with scientific investigation results to the three countries.
The three countries are significant buyers, especially Japan, the largest
importer of Thai chicken with 260,000 tonnes purchased in 2002, about 57 percent
of the country's total exports.
According to Mr Yukol, several chicken were initially found to have succumbed to
a bacteria named pastuerella multocida Type A in Nong Bua district in Nakhon
Sawan, part of which borders Phichit province.
The department promptly took comprehensive measures in compliance with the
agreement on public safety of livestock products under the Office International
des Epizooties (OIE) to control the affected areas that covered six farms.
The department ordered the slaughter of 108,299 chickens on Nov 13, and banned
the movement of the dead chicken out of affected farming areas in a radius of 60
kilometres.
Wasting
ailment in four more deer
December 18, 2003
The Edmonton Sun
76
CP
Four new cases of chronic wasting disease in Saskatchewan have, according to
this story, been confirmed in wild mule deer shot in November.
The Environment Department says the positive test results bring to 11 the number
of cases this fall for a total of 23 since testing began.
Joe Warbeck, an environment department business manager, was cited as saying
three of the deer were shot in Stewart Valley north of Swift Current, part of a
wild herd already identified as having cases of the disease, so special permits
are available for increased hunting.
The fourth deer was shot near Main Centre, which is about 20 km away from the
specially designated wild herd.
Animal
disease control: Byrne welcomes council adoption of eartagging for sheep and
goats
December 17, 2003
The European Commission
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/index_en.html
The complete document of the following can be viewed at:
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/1761|0|RAPID&lg=EN&display=
The Council of Ministers has adopted a Regulation on the identification and
registration of sheep and goats as part of its ongoing efforts to prevent the
spread of animal diseases. Stopping animal disease epidemics requires quick
action. To do this it must be possible to quickly determine an animal's place of
origin and its movements throughout the EU. The Regulation will reinforce
current measures, specifically by gradually introducing in all Member States an
identification system to mark each animal, making it possible to trace the
individual movements of sheep and goats.
Feed
additives to boost cattle performance, human health benefits of beef
December 18, 2003
Canada Alberta Beef Industry Development Fund Media Release
Calgary, Alberta,: Sunflower oil and other feed additives can significantly
increase performance and enhance carcass quality in beef cattle, say
researchers. They also hold potential to improve the health benefits of meat for
consumers.
"We have identified a number of additives that can improve average daily
gain, feed conversion efficiency and carcass grade in feedlot steers," says
Dr. Tim McAllister, a ruminant nutritionist at Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada's Lethbridge Research Centre, who led a three-year study of feed
additives, which was supported in part by the Canada Alberta Beef Industry
Development Fund (CABIDF).
"The results are likely to benefit producers who are willing to try a new
approach to enhance the productivity of their operations," says McAllister.
"Feed efficiency in ruminant animals is generally low because of the
indigestible nature of many of the feeds they consume. It is the complexity of
the rumen environment that enables ruminants to derive energy from feeds that
many other livestock species cannot utilize. Unfortunately, the balance between
various rumen microbes is not always the most beneficial for feed nutrient
utilization. In our study, we used feed additives to alter the rumen microbial
populations, with the aim of enabling higher feed efficiency."
While some microbes contribute to fibre digestion, others are predators of
beneficial rumen bacteria. Because rumen bacteria represent the main source of
protein for the animal, protozoa that prey on bacteria inhibit protein
availability and therefore decrease feed metabolism efficiency.
Past research has demonstrated that the protozoa, Entodinium spp., is the
species predominantly responsible for consuming rumen bacteria in cattle fed
barley-based diets. McAllister worked alongside Dr. John Baah, also of AAFC
Lethbridge, Dr. Alexander Hristov, University of Idaho, and Dr. Mike Ivan, AAFC
Lethbridge. The research team focused their work on finding additives that
reduce the population of this group, while preserving other beneficial protozoa
species.
Throughout the three-year study, various feed additives were evaluated for their
potential to reduce protozoan or bacteria populations in the rumen. Compounds
evaluated included plant extracts, bentonite, free fatty acids (vegetable oils)
and bioactive agents. The effects of the additives on other metabolic processes
were also recorded, to ensure any negative effects did not outweigh positive
effects.
"We found that long-chain unsaturated fatty acids, in particular linoleic
acid, had a distinct inhibitory effect on protozoa without negatively affecting
ruminal fermentation or bacterial activities," says McAllister. "When
applied at proper rates, some of the bioactive agents - such quillaja extract,
tannic acid, ionophore antibiotics and lecithin - also showed potential."
Sunflower oil, which is high in linoleic acid, was selected as an additive for
final evaluation in a growth study with feedlot cattle. Replacing six percent
dry matter of a barley-based feedlot finishing diet with sunflower oil improved
average daily gain in steers by about 13 percent and feed efficiency by seven
percent, in addition to improving overall carcass grade.
"Carcass grade improved because the linoleic acid inhibited buildup of
excessive body fat and increased the lean mass in the cattle," says
McAllister. The results indicate that producers can improve the overall cattle
performance by supplementing their feed with oil that contains linoleic acid
whenever it is economical to do so.
Linoleic acid has also shown potential human health benefits, he adds. In its
conjugated form, linoleic acid has demonstrated properties associated with
reducing cholesterol and lowering the risk of cancer. Ultimately, beef with an
increased conjugated linoleic acid content could provide a health advantage to
consumers. Research in this area is ongoing at the AAFC Lethbridge Research
Centre.
CABIDF is a joint $16.4 million fund of Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural
Development and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The Fund is administered by
Alberta Beef Producers and has supported more than 50 projects in five major
categories identified to benefit the Alberta beef industry.
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