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Bird flu spreads to California dairy cows

Cows at three dairy farms in California tested positive for H5N1 bird flu at the end of August, marking an expansion of the virus into the largest dairy producing region of the United States, according to an announcement from the state’s agriculture department. More than 190 herds have been infected across the U.S. since March, […] Read more

Dr. Laura Dalquist, left, and Dr. Deb Murray say PRRS is worse today than earlier generations.

PRRS hog virus now tougher to control

Vets say the virus is more virulent and longer lived

Glacier FarmMedia – Today’s PRRS isn’t yesterday’s PRRS. That means pig producers and veterinarians should mutate their approaches in the same way that Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome is mutating. Why it matters: PRRS has changed, and producers should reassess how they respond to it. “The virus has modified, so we need to do the […] Read more

Newly-infected pigs most likely to yield lab test answers

Post-mortem specialists offer tips on how to sample pigs on-farm to aid diagnostics

Pigs that are only beginning to be affected by pathogenic infections typically yield the most insightful biological samples for laboratory analysis, meaning hog producers may need to euthanize otherwise healthy pigs if they want to get ahead of potential herd-threatening health issues. That was the first message delivered by presenters from the University of Guelph’s […] Read more

Swine diseases that start at the sow farm often spread through nursery and finishing parts of the system.

New, aggressive disease strains challenge hog farmers

New outbreaks of PED in early 2024 and a new influenza strain in 2023 show need for biosecurity attention

Just when Ontario swine farmers and veterinarians think they are gaining the upper hand on disease, nature throws another curveball. Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is making more pigs sick quicker and no longer arrives only in certain seasons. Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) is running through Ontario barns , and a new swine flu […] Read more


The CCA is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Canadian Beef Research Council on a study of the risk of Canadian specified risk materials.

More BSE-era irritants could disappear

CCA continues to work on SRM and U.S. cattle holdback issues

Two more remaining irritants from the BSE case more than 20 years ago could soon go by the wayside. The United States has had to segregate a much smaller list of specified risk materials (SRMs) than Canada and that has resulted in more competitive challenges for small and large beef processors. Why it matters: Lingering […] Read more

Researchers have detected infectious avian influenza virus in wetlands frequented by waterfowl.

Testing wetlands for infectious bird flu — and finding it

Science Notes: Detection of HPAI virus and other strains highlights risk to other animals, even humans

Morning omelettes and holiday dinners have become more expensive. One likely cause is bird flu, outbreaks of which led to the deaths of millions of chickens and turkeys from infection or culling in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and which still demands rigorous monitoring of wild populations. Now, reporting in Environmental Science & […] Read more

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ASF compartmentalization moves a step forward

Plan not an attempt to download responsibilities, CFIA says

Canada is one step closer to a compartmentalizing regime that hog farmers and the rest of the industry hope protects them against market impacts of African swine fever. Practical application can be developed now that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has released its National Standards and National Framework for the Canadian ASF Compartment Program. From […] Read more


Conservative agriculture critic John Barlow speaks Nov. 24, 2021 in the House of Commons. (Screengrab from supplied video)

Anti-activist bill back before Commons committee

Bill adds protections for biosecurity, farmers' mental health, Barlow says

A bill to create harsher penalties for unlawful entry onto farms and biosecure zones is back before the House of Commons after a previous iteration died on the order table in 2021. Conservative MP John Barlow brought forward Bill C-275, “an Act to amend the Health of Animals Act (biosecurity on farms),” as a private […] Read more

The North American cattle industry is concerned with what they feel is Brazil’s non-compliance with the BSE standards developed by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) with respect to atypical cases of the disease.

North American beef leaders urge disease vigilance

President of American industry group sounds alarm over what he says is Brazil’s non-compliance with BSE standards

Glacier FarmMedia – The United States, Canada and Mexico must do more to protect the North American cattle herd from illnesses such as foot-and-mouth disease and BSE that threaten the continent’s multibillion-dollar beef sector, said an American industry leader. Brazil is non-compliant with the BSE standards developed by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) […] Read more