AnimalNet June
13/07
Myanmar reports new bird flu outbreak in private
farm north of Yangon
Relief as bird flu fears end
Indonesia facing massive hurdles against bird flu
Poultry industry dispute TV organic claims
Japanese inspectors found no problems at US
meatpacking facilities
Association calls for overhaul of beef import
regulations
Pat
on the back for poultry industry
Organic farm cruelty claims
Prevalence and risk factors for Salmonella and
Campylobacter spp. carcass contamination in turkeys
slaughtered in Quebec, Canada
Distribution of Escherichia coli O157 and Salmonella
on hide surfaces, the oral cavity, and in feces of
feedlot cattle
Genotypes, serotypes, and antibiotic resistance
profiles of Salmonella isolated from commercial
North Carolina turkey farms
Antibiotic resistance and virulence genes in
commensal Escherichia coli and Salmonella isolates
from commercial broiler chicken farms
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Myanmar reports new bird flu outbreak in private
farm north of Yangon
13.jun.07
Canadian Press/ Associated Press
YANGON, Myanmar -- Myanmar has, according to this
story, detected the H5N1 bird flu virus among
chickens on a private farm, marking country's first
outbreak of the deadly virus since April.
Than Hla, an official at the Livestock Breeding and
Veterinary Department was cited as saying the virus
was detected in a small farm in Bago, 80 kilometres
north of Yangon, early this month. Than Hla was
further cited as saying "About 28 chickens died at a
private poultry farm in the outskirts of Bago
starting June 3."About 1,000 birds from the farm
have been killed as a precaution.
The stories go on to say the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization has said Myanmar has achieved
substantial progress in the fight against bird flu
though the country still needs more international
support to fight the disease in the long run.
Relief as bird flu fears end
13.jun.07
This West Country (UK)
Matthew Colledge
http://www.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk/display.var.1462105.0.relief_as_bird_flu_fears_end.php
FEARS of a bird flu outbreak near Chard ended,
according to this story on Friday when tests on a
dozen chickens were returned negative.
Blood, faeces and saliva samples taken from the
animals at Stony Knaps, Winsham, on May 30, showed
neither bird flu nor Newcastle Disease, a highly
contagious poultry killer.
Restrictions on the movement of people and poultry
have been lifted and none of her brood of 200
chickens will have to be destroyed.
The tests did not reveal what had affected the
chickens but Mrs Miller was cited as saying she
thought it could have been a strong cold.
Indonesia facing massive hurdles against bird flu
13.jun.07
Agence France Presse English
KUALA LUMPUR -- A top United Nations official was
cited on wednesday as saying that Indonesia is among
countries in the world facing the biggest
difficulties in fighting deadly bird flu.
Hassan El Bushra was cited as saying economic
reasons made the virus especially difficult to
contain in Indonesia. Culling thousands of chickens
to stop an outbreak from spreading means big losses
for poultry farmers and backyard chicken rearers.
"It is quite an economic loss, especially when
(paying) compensation is a problem," El Bushra was
further cited as telling reporters as OIC health
officials met ahead of a ministerial gathering
Thursday.
"People there cannot understand why you should cull
all the poultry in the whole village when only one
person is found sick."
Better disease prevention among farmers is also
necessary to fight bird flu.
Poultry industry dispute TV organic claims
13.jun.07
Farmers Weekly Interactive (UK)
Richard Allison
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2007/06/13/104338/poultry-industry-dispute-tv-organic-claims.html
The British Poultry Council was cited as strongly
defended the poultry sector disputing the claims
made in a TV programme earlier this week that
organic chicken meat is a major carrier of
campylobacter and that the fat content of chicken
has increased.
The story explains these claims were made in the ITV
programme Tonight with Trevor MacDonald shown on
Monday.
The BPC points out that the fat content claim was
the opposite of the results of independent studies
carried out over many years by the Royal Society of
Chemistry for published food composition tables,
which actually showed levels had fallen.
The programme claimed that organic chickens were a
major carrier of campylobacter. It added that
campylobacter was the most common cause of food
poisoning in people.
“Although the small number of samples tested in the
programme were not at all representative of UK
organic chicken production, the chicken sector is
very aware of the incidence of campylobacter in
flocks.”
BPC highlighted that campylobacter is a ubiquitous
bacteria in the natural environment and it is
generally acknowledged that birds raised in outdoor
systems are more susceptible to campylobacter, due
to their proximity to sources of infection.
While indoor rearing can help reduce the incidence,
greater scientific understanding is needed of how
the organism gets into flocks.
The British poultry sector is working with the Food
Standards Agency, DEFRA, and researchers to identify
effective ways to prevent flock infection.
The BPC echoes the advice of the FSA, that proper
kitchen hygiene and normal cooking of poultry meat
completely remove the risk of campylobacter.
Japanese inspectors found no problems at US
meatpacking facilities
13.jun.07
Pravada Online (Russia)
Associated Press
http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/13-06-2007/93257-japan_beef-0
Japan will, according to this story, no longer check
all American beef shipments for it has found no
safety problems at the dozens of U.S. meatpacking
facilities last month.
The government was cited as saying in a report
released Wednesday that Japanese officials found no
problems while inspecting 28 meatpacking plants in
14 U.S. states in May, and that given the clean
results, inspectors will no longer check all boxes
of U.S. beef as they arrive in Japan.
The inspectors were making sure that the plants all
complied with restrictions imposed by Japan because
of mad cow disease fears.
Association calls for overhaul of beef import
regulations
13.jun.07
ABC News Online (Australia)
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2006/s1950130.htm
The Australian Beef Association wants beef import
regulations overhauled after, according to this
story, the discovery of canned beef products from
the US on local supermarket shelves. Under current
quarantine laws, Australia cannot import beef from a
country with a known history of mad cow disease.
The ABA's John Carter was cited as saying current
labelling regulations are not tough enough. "Who is
supervising the fact that the beef that's going in
to these cans is coming from Australia or New
Zealand or anywhere else?"
Pat
on the back for poultry industry
12.jun.07
Farming UK
http://www.farminguk.com/index.asp?show=newsArticle&id=3951&country=
The UK broiler industry was, according to this
story, given a resounding pat on the back by an
international poultry expert recently. Speaking at a
gathering of leading broiler-breeders and broiler
producers in Shropshire, Matthias Mangels, Lohmann
Animal Health's Head of Vaccine Sales in Europe was
cited as saying that in terms of salmonella control,
the UK has the healthiest flocks in Europe.
At 0.0 per cent for Salmonella Enteritidis and 0.1
per cent for Salmonella Typhimurium the UK had the
lowest level of these salmonellas of all the major
European poultry-producing countries.
Mangels was further cited as saying "I detect a
growing concern for traceabilty within the UK, along
with animal welfare, of course. Many supermarkets
make an issue of this and there are meat products
featuring the very farm they have come from on the
packaging. "
Organic farm cruelty claims
13.jun.07
Evening News 24 (UK)
Katie Cooper
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/News/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=enonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED13%20Jun%202007%2008%3A50%3A20%3A717
Concerns have been raised about the alleged cramped
and dirty conditions on an organic free range
poultry farm in Norfolk.
Activists at the Hillside Animal Sanctuary claim to
have shot footage of chickens at the Traditional
Norfolk Poultry (TNP) farm, in Stow Bedon, living in
cramped and rat-infested sheds.
They claim to have even filmed footage of dead baby
chick left laying on the ground and being eaten by
the vermin.
The film raises concerns about the whole ethos of
organic farming, in which customers pay above the
normal rates for poultry in the belief they have led
a healthier life.
Wendy Valentine, who runs the sanctuary, claimed it
was not out of the ordinary for organic, free-range
chickens to be treated in such a way.
She said: “We see this all the time at these organic
poultry farms. Because there is such a growing
organic market farms want to maximise their profits.
“The only way for farmers to make money out of this
is to take on more birds with less staff and that is
where the problem lies. For some reason the
organisations who should be policing this are
reluctant to do so.
“In the footage we can see rats eating baby chickens
and feed bins which are infested with rats.”
Customers pay up to £7 for an organic chicken
believing it will be healthier for them and that the
chicken has had a happier, less stressful life.
But fears have been raised that many organic birds
live in worse conditions than those that are factory
farmed and are often fattier and potentially
carriers of a variety of bugs which cause sickness
in humans.
Research this week showed that out of 46 supermarket
organic chickens checked, 89pc had campylobacter, a
food poisoning more widespread in Britain than
salmonella or listeria.
Of the factory birds, just 70pc were shown to carry
the virus.
When challenged over the images, TNP declined to
comment other than to deny there was a rat problem
and insist that its birds were regularly monitored
by vets.
It is not the first time bosses at the sanctuary
have complaint about the treatment of animals in
Norfolk. Earlier this year secretly obtained footage
showed a worker at a duck farm punching one of the
birds in the face.
Do you have an n issue you want us to investigate?
Call Katie Cooper on 01603 772326 or email
katie.cooper@archant.co.uk
Prevalence and risk factors for Salmonella and
Campylobacter spp. carcass contamination in turkeys
slaughtered in Quebec, Canada
01.jun.07
Journal of Food Protection
Arsenault, Julie; Letellier, Ann; Quessy, Sylvain;
Morin, Jean-Pierre; Boulianne, Martine
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iafp/jfp/2007/00000070/00000006/art00006
Abstract:
An observational study was conducted to estimate
prevalence and risk factors for carcass
contamination by Salmonella and Campylobacter spp.
in 60 lots of turkey slaughtered over 10 months in
the province of Quebec, Canada. Carcass
contamination was evaluated by the carcass rinse
technique for about 30 birds per lot. Exposure to
potential risk factors was evaluated with
questionnaires, meteorological data, and cecal
cultures. Multivariable binomial negative regression
models were used for risk factor analysis.
Prevalence of Salmonella-positive carcasses was
31.2% (95% confidence interval, 22.8 to 39.5%).
Variables positively associated (P ? 0.05) with the
proportion of lot-positive carcasses were ?0.5% of
carcass condemnation due to various pathologies,
cecal samples positive for Salmonella, low wind
speed during transportation, closure of lateral
curtains of truck during transportation, and
slaughtering on a weekday other than Monday. When
only Salmonella-positive cecal culture lots were
considered, the proportion of carcasses positive for
Salmonella was significantly higher in lots exposed
to a >5°C outside temperature variation during
transportation, slaughtered on a weekday other than
Monday, and in which ?4% of carcasses had visible
contamination. Prevalence of Campylobacter-positive
carcasses was 36.9% (95% confidence interval, 27.6
to 46.3%). The proportion of positive carcasses was
significantly higher in lots with
Campylobacter-positive cecal cultures and lots
undergoing ?2 h of transit to slaughterhouse. For
lots with Campylobacter-positive cecal cultures,
variables significantly associated with an increased
incidence of carcass contamination were ?4% of
carcasses with visible contamination, crating for ?8
h before slaughtering, and no antimicrobials used
during rearing.
Distribution of Escherichia coli O157 and Salmonella
on hide surfaces, the oral cavity, and in feces of
feedlot cattle
01.jun.07
Journal of Food Protection
Stephens, T.P.; Loneragan, G.H.; Thompson, T.W.;
Sridhara, A.; Branham, L.A.; Pitchiah, S.;
Brashears, M.M.
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iafp/jfp/2007/00000070/00000006/art00005
Abstract:
To determine the distribution of pathogens on cattle
hides at the feedlot, samples were collected from
six hide surface locations (back, flank, hock, neck,
perineum, and ventrum), the oral cavity, the
rectal-anal junction, and the feces of feedlot
cattle and subjected to Escherichia coli O157
detection via culture methods and to Salmonella
detection via PCR. E. coli O157 was isolated from
one or more of the sampling locations from 31
(42.5%) of the 73 animals sampled. Location-specific
prevalence of E. coli O157 was 5% for back samples,
5% for flank samples, 12% for hock samples, 7% for
neck samples, 12% for perineum samples, 8% for
ventrum samples, 1% for oral cavity samples, 4% for
rectal-anal junction swabs, and 23% for fecal grab
samples. Salmonella was isolated from one or more of
these sample locations from 100% (50 of 50 samples)
of all animals sampled. Location-specific prevalence
of Salmonella was 76% for back samples, 74% for
flank samples, 94% for hock samples, 76% for neck
samples, 88% for perineum samples, 86% for ventrum
samples, 94% for oral cavity samples, 64% for
rectal-anal junction swabs, and 50% for fecal grab
samples. The sampling locations that maximized the
likelihood of finding E. coli O157 and Salmonella
(84 and 96%, respectively) if the animal was
positive at one sampling location or more were the
hock, perineum, and fecal grab. These data suggest
that the use of multiple sample locations is useful
when isolating these pathogens from feedlot cattle.
Focusing on one sampling location may underestimate
the prevalence.
Genotypes, serotypes, and antibiotic resistance
profiles of Salmonella isolated from commercial
North Carolina turkey farms
01.jun.07
Journal of Food Protection
Santos, F.B.O.; D'Souza, D.H.; Jaykus, L.; Ferket,
P.R.; Sheldon, B.W.
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iafp/jfp/2007/00000070/00000006/art00002
Abstract:
This study was designed to determine the serotypes,
genotypes, and antibiotic resistance (AbR) patterns
of 42 Salmonella isolates recovered from either
fecal or litter samples of 12 commercial turkey
farms across two seasons (summer and winter) and two
ages (3 and 19 weeks). Isolates were serotyped on
the basis of the Kauffmann-White scheme. Genotyping
was done by restriction digestion of cDNA (XbaI) and
subsequent pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).
The AbR was determined with Sensititre
susceptibility plates. Serovar Kentucky was the most
prevalent serotype (26%), followed by Senftenberg
(19%), Muenster (17%), Mbandaka (10%), Javiana (7%),
Hadar (5%), Heidelberg (5%), 8,(20):nonmotile (5%),
Agona (2%), Infantis (2%), and 4,12:r:-(2%).
Serovars Kentucky, Heidelberg, Hadar, and
8,(20):nonmotile were isolated only from the
19-week-old bird samples, whereas Senftenberg and
Muenster were isolated only from the young birds (3
weeks old). Isolates within any one serotype showed
minor PFGE banding pattern differences, but
dendogram analysis indicated that sequence
variability between serotypes was more significant
than within serotypes. Isolates were resistant to
tetracycline (86%), sulfisoxazole (71%),
streptomycin (64%), gentamicin (41%), ampicillin
(36%), kanamycin (26%),
sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (7%), nalidixic acid
(5%), cefoxitin (2%), and ceftiofur (2%). One
isolate (Muenster) was resistant to nine antibiotics
(2%), and the others were resistant to six (7%),
five (12%), four (10%), three (21%), two (24%), and
one (10%) antibiotic. Only two isolates (5%) were
susceptible to all antibiotics tested. The AbR
patterns were affected by age; on average, strains
recovered from young birds were resistant to more
than four drugs compared with fewer than three in
older birds (P < 0.05). This study showed that
Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotypes,
genotypes and AbR patterns were affected by bird age
but not by season or farm.
Antibiotic resistance and virulence genes in
commensal Escherichia coli and Salmonella isolates
from commercial broiler chicken farms
01.jun.07
Journal of Food Protection
Diarrassouba, Fatoumata; Diarra, Moussa Sory; Bach,
Susan; Delaquis, Pascal; Pritchard, Jane; Topp,
Edward; Skura, Brent J.
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iafp/jfp/2007/00000070/00000006/art00001
Abstract:
Antibiotic resistance patterns and the presence of
antibiotic and virulence determinants in 74
sorbitol-negative Escherichia coli and 62 Salmonella
isolates from nine different broiler chicken farms
were investigated. Each farm was supplied by one of
three companies that used different antimicrobial
agents in feed for growth promotion. The isolates
were identified by API 20E for E. coli and by
serological tests for Salmonella. The susceptibility
of the isolates to antibiotics was determined by
Sensititre using the Clinical and Laboratory
Standards Institute's breakpoints. Fifty-two E. coli
isolates (70.3%) and nine Salmonella isolates
(14.52%) were multiresistant to at least nine
antibiotics. The multiresistant isolates were
evaluated for the presence of tetracycline
resistance, integron class 1, and blaCMY-2 genes by
PCR. Of the 74 E. coli isolates, 55 were resistant
to amoxicillin and ceftiofur. Among these 55
resistant E. coli isolates, 45 (81.8%) and 22
(40.0%) were positive for blaCMY-2 and qacEÉ¢1-SulI
genes, respectively. Tetracycline resistance was
found in 56 isolates (75.8%) among which 12 (21.4%)
and 24 (42.9%) gave positive results for tetA and
tetB, respectively. Virulence genes (iss, tsh, and
traT), aerobactin operon (iucC), and the eaeA gene
were detected in some E. coli strains. Among the 27
amoxicillin- and ceftiofur-resistant Salmonella
isolates, the blaCMY-2 gene was detected in 22
isolates. The class 1 integron gene (qacEÉ¢1-SulI)
was not detected in any Salmonella isolates, whereas
the invasin (inv) and virulence (spv) genes were
found in 61 (98.4%) and 26 (42%) of the Salmonella
isolates, respectively. This study indicated that
multiple antibiotic-resistant commensal E. coli and
Salmonella strains carrying virulence genes can be
found on commercial broiler chicken farms and may
provide a reservoir for these genes in chicken
production facilities. Except for the presence of
tetB, there was no significant effect of feed
formulations on the phenotypic or genotypic
characteristics of the isolates.
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