AnimalNet Oct. 7/05
Bird flu in
Russia dying out, but may return
Meeting aims
for coordinated bird flu response
Canada balks
at developing bird flu shot
A polite rap
on the knuckles?
Judge orders
release of animal-rights activist
ADNS :
animal disease notification system
Food and
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Food and
Veterinary Office - Inspection reports
Food and
Veterinary Office - Inspection reports
Food and
Veterinary Office - Inspection reports
Communication
from Member States concerning identification of bovine animals
Food and
Veterinary Office - Inspection reports
Food and
Veterinary Office - Inspection reports
Food and
Veterinary Office - Inspection reports NA Namibia
Food and
Veterinary Office - Inspection reports ZA South Africa
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Bird
flu in Russia dying out, but may return
October 7, 2005
Reuters
MOSCOW - Ivan Rozhdestvensky, Russia's deputy chief veterinarian, was cited as
telling a news conference Friday that an outbreak in Russia of avian flu, a
disease potentially fatal to humans, is dying out but could make a comeback next
spring, adding, "The outbreak is petering out, as migrant fowl leave the
country. However, we will have to see what happens when... birds return next
spring."
An agriculture ministry statement was cited as saying strict quarantine was
being kept at only seven localities in five regions in Siberia and the Urals,
out of 50 where the presence of the virus had been confirmed. Another 19
localities remained under suspicion.
Rozhdestvensky was further cited as saying that until recently bird flu cases
had been limited to small private households, but the virus recently penetrated
a large industrial chicken farm in the Southern Urals, killing 100,000 birds out
of its population of 460,000, adding, "This was the first case involving a
large farm, and I hope it will be the last."
Meeting
aims for coordinated bird flu response
October 6, 2005
Reuters
Maggie Fox
WASHINGTON - Delegates from 80 nations and international agencies began,
according to this story, a meeting on Thursday to formulate the best way to
fight the growing outbreak of avian influenza before it can cause a human
pandemic that could kill millions.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt was quoted as telling the
meeting that, "The world is clearly unprepared, or inadequately prepared,
for a pandemic of H5N1 influenza."
The story notes that everyone at the meeting, sponsored by the U.S. State
Department, has agreed in principle to share information quickly to allow health
experts to contain the virus if it makes the jump to easily infect people.
Now, said officials, it is critical to make sure they actually do so.
Klaus Stohr the WHO's top official for influenza coordination, was quoted as
telling the Infectious Disease Society of America in San Francisco that,
"We're certainly overdue," adding a bleak assessment of governments'
ability to tackle an influenza epidemic, noting stockpiles of drugs are meager,
production capacity is limited and the means to track infections spotty.
Canada
balks at developing bird flu shot
October 7, 2005
Toronto Star
Jessica Leeder
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1128635426839&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724&DPL=IvsNDS%2f7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes
Canadian health officials stood firmly by their decision not to begin
development and stockpiling of a bird flu vaccine yesterday as the U.S.
government began urging countries to organize and guard against a potential
outbreak.
Dr. Paul Gully, the Public Health Agency of Canada's deputy chief public health
officer, was quoted as saying, "We cannot in fact guarantee that if we
develop a vaccine beforehand the vaccine is going to be effective."
Gully was further cited as saying Canada now has the capacity to vaccinate 8
million people per month against the deadly avian flu virus, meaning it would
only take four months to shield the entire country once a vaccine is developed,
provided individuals only require one dose.
Vaccine development will likely take between two and four months and is slated
to begin once the virus hits Canada, Gully said. Only then will researchers have
a chance to sample the virus and discern its makeup.
Researchers say the strain North America will experience is unlikely to be an
exact replica of the H5N1 virus that has killed or forced the destruction of
tens of millions of birds and infected more than 100 people, killing at least 60
in four Asian nations since late 2003.
A
polite rap on the knuckles?
October 3, 2005
Corner Post #401
Elbert van Donkersgoed
A watchdog organization that reports to Parliament has tabled a polite rap on
the knuckles to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Environment Canada in a new
report. The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development audited
commitments made by these two federal departments to reduce the environmental
impacts of hog farming – and found them wanting.
In Environment Canada’s case, the Commissioner found that this department
could not demonstrate that its compliance promotion and enforcement efforts at
hog farms are effective. They have no evidence of an increase in farmers'
compliance with the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Act.
In Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s case, the Commissioner concluded that it
was not clear if Department initiatives would generate the strategic,
well-co-ordinated effort needed to assist farmers. Further, the department has
developed BMPs or beneficial management practices and mitigation technologies to
deal with the impacts of hog farming, but cannot report on the effectiveness of
these practices. The department is criticized for not effectively communicating
BMPs, not monitoring the uptake of these BMPs and not knowing if these BMPs are
cost-effective.
Whoa! That last criticism deserves more than a polite rap on the knuckles. The
Department was unable to provide information on what it would actually cost a
farmer to implement BMPs – beneficial management practices. How can the
Department “support” a practice and cajole farmers to implement these
innovations without cost information? Perhaps the lack-lustre adoption of BMPs
by some farm sectors has a simple explanation: lack of economic feasibility.
The Environment Commissioner has an audit mandate to determine whether action
has been taken. Environment Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada set
themselves up for this latest wrap on the knuckles when they promised action in
response to petitions from citizens. The environmental petition process allows
Canadians to formally present their concerns about the environment to federal
ministers and expect a formal response. The impacts of hog farming have become a
target for petitions. In response, the departments have promised to develop BMPs
that can be adopted by farmers.
Hog farming in Canada has become a target for petitions and thus for audits for
three reasons:
The sector is growing – almost 50% increase since 1981;
Most of the growth is for export – half of our pork leaves the country; and
Hog farm size has changed from a few hundred to thousands at one site and too
often without enough land close by for stewardly manure management.
Both departments have made new commitments in response to the latest
recommendations from the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable
Development including increased implementation of BMPs by all producers by March
2008.
Judge
orders release of animal-rights activist
October 7, 2005
The L.A Times
A federal judge Thursday ordered the release of a 21-year-old animal-rights
activist who had spent 75 days in jail for refusing to testify before a federal
grand jury investigating a 2003 arson.
Danae Kelley was ordered released after federal prosecutors withdrew her grant
of immunity. Two protesters remain in jail for refusing to testify.
Federal prosecutors want the three to testify about a speech, which they
attended, by an Earth Liberation Front member. The group has taken
responsibility for the $50-million fire at a condominium complex under
construction.
ADNS
: animal disease notification system
October 7, 2005
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
The complete document of the following is available for download at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/animal/diseases/adns/index_en.htm
Table 11
Food
and Veterinary Office - Inspection reports
October 6, 2005
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
The complete document of the following is available for download at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/animal/diseases/adns/index_en.htm
SI Slovenia - Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and Animal Nutrition
Food
and Veterinary Office - Inspection reports
October 6, 2005
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
The complete document of the following is available for download at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fvo/ir_search_en.cfm?stype=insp_nbr&showResults=Y&REP_INSPECTION_REF=7698/2005
GR Greece - Residues and contaminants in live animals and animal products,
including controls on veterinary medicinal products
Food
and Veterinary Office - Inspection reports
October 6, 2005
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
The complete document of the following is available for download at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fvo/ir_search_en.cfm?stype=insp_nbr&showResults=Y&REP_INSPECTION_REF=7504/2005
LV Latvia - Animal Welfare
Food
and Veterinary Office - Inspection reports
October 6, 2005
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
The complete document of the following is available for download at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fvo/ir_search_en.cfm?stype=insp_nbr&showResults=Y&REP_INSPECTION_REF=7637/2005
IT Italy - Animal Welfare on farms
Communication
from Member States concerning identification of bovine animals
October 6, 2005
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
The complete document of the following is available for download at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/animal/identification/bovine/id_bovine_animals_en.htm#Greece
Greece : Online documentation
Food
and Veterinary Office - Inspection reports
October 6, 2005
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
The complete document of the following is available for download at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fvo/ir_search_en.cfm?stype=insp_nbr&showResults=Y&REP_INSPECTION_REF=7552/2005
AR Argentina - Fishery Products
Food
and Veterinary Office - Inspection reports
October 6, 2005
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
The complete document of the following is available for download at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fvo/ir_search_en.cfm?stype=insp_nbr&showResults=Y&REP_INSPECTION_REF=7762/2005
RO Romania - Residues and contaminants, including controls on veterinary
medicinal products
Food
and Veterinary Office - Inspection reports NA Namibia
October 6, 2005
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
The complete document of the following is available for download at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fvo/ir_search_en.cfm?stype=insp_nbr&showResults=Y&REP_INSPECTION_REF=7602/2005
AH/PH/FMD/CERTIFICATION
Food
and Veterinary Office - Inspection reports ZA South Africa
October 6, 2005
European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection
The complete document of the following is available for download at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fvo/ir_search_en.cfm?stype=insp_nbr&showResults=Y&REP_INSPECTION_REF=7605/2005
AH/PH/FMD/CERTIFICATION
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