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Tag Archives livestock diseases

Saskatchewan cow tests positive for bovine tuberculosis
A cow raised in Saskatchewan has tested positive for bovine tuberculosis the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced late Tuesday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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