Covid-19: How inspectors in abattoirs caused an outbreak.

Last month, two abattoirs in south-west Victoria were visited by inspectors who later tested positive for COVID-19 and were contagious while on site, but only one of the cases led to a large outbreak.


There have been criticisms leveled over how the state's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) handled both cases, but experts say there are lessons to be learnt in understanding what happened.

 The largest meat producer in the state, Warrnambool's Midfields Meats, has been on high alert as clusters in other abattoirs continue to grow

.When general manager Dean McKenna found out that a meat inspector who had visited the site had tested positive, the company immediately shut the plant down — before it had heard from the health department.

 The company organised testing for nearly 1,000 workers via the local health service, but before the results were known DHHS advised that the meatworks could reopen.Mr McKenna said he ignored that advice and opted to keep the abattoir shut."We still wouldn't go back to work until we had a feel for where the testing was going," he said.


 The company made the inspector wear full personal protective equipment, a measure that is now being made mandatory across all Victorian abattoirs.

 For the Australian Lamb Company (ALC), based in the small town of Colac, it's been a different story.
A meat inspector there tested positive for COVID-19 in the same week.There are now more than 80 cases associated with the cluster, which has also spread into the community along with 11 more infections suspected to have been transmitted through the community.

HOW TO STOP YOUR CAT FROM BITING.

               How to stop your cat from biting.

Depending on why your cat is biting, there are several things that you can do to help curtail this unwanted behavior. However, consistency is key, and you can’t view biting as cute one time, and they reprimand your cat the next time they bite you because you send mixed signals that’ll confuse your cat.

 As with any unwanted behavior from your pets, training your cat to stop biting follows several basic principals. These are the same principals that you follow for any pet that has bad habits that you’re trying to break.

             

 1)Reward wanted or good behavior and punish bad or unwanted behavior. When you reward or punish your cat’s behavior, it should be right after your cat displays the behavior in question. This will help your cat make the connection between the behavior and the reward or punishment.Consistency is key to your success or failure during the training process. Keeping these basic but essential principals in mind, you’ll have to know the specific ways to approach your cat’s biting behavior. The approaches depend on the root cause of your cat’s biting problem, so you want an idea of why your cat is biting so you can use the correct approach.

  2)For dominance biting: You have to show your cat that you are in charge and that you are the dominant one. To do this, get loud when your cat bites you because they’re responsive to tone and volume. If it’s a male cat that isn’t neutered, you may want to consider neutering them. Male cats tend to calm down after they have this procedure, and they may stop biting.

 3)Start using a dominance item to curb their behavior. An example would be a rolled newspaper, and all you have to do is lightly tap them on the head when they bite you because they’ll eventually respond to just the site of it.

Cats love attention and some just want to get attention by biting, if this is the case then follow these steps.
1) Be very cautious and selective with your negative reinforcement. Too much negative reinforcement will make your cat afraid to try and tell you when they need something.

2)Try to establish a less painful form of communication with your cat. Do whatever your cat wants you to do when they purr or rub against your leg, and don’t do it if they bite. Don’t be afraid to ignore your cat after the bite you. Cats love to play, and they’ll quickly start to reconsider their biting behavior if they find that it leads to getting ignored.

No matter why your cat is biting you, you want to learn their body language as they’re most likely giving you several clues that they’re about to bite you before they actually do it.

 For example, if your cat bites you after 10 minutes of petting them, cut the petting time down to around five or eight minutes and stop.

 When your cat starts using less painful ways to tell you that they need something or when they stop biting altogether, reward them. Praise, treats, and petting is all excellent positive reinforcement tactics that you can use. This training is to be started early,see how...

RESEARCH:Group trains pupils in malaria prevention

RESEARCH:Group trains pupils in malaria prevention. A humanitarian organisation, Mace Club of Nigeria, has trained some secondary school pupils in Ogun State on ways to prevent Malaria, as part of its effort to eradicate deadly diseases in the state. The training, held at the Abeokuta Grammar School, Idi-Aba, had in attendance pupils from the six schools that qualified for the grand finale of the organisation’s debate and quiz competition.

FUNAAB trains extension officers in cassava development.

FUNAAB trains extension officers in cassava development.The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Prof. Felix Salako, has joined the call on the need for the nation to move away from its overdependence on oil resources and embrace agriculture as a sustainable route to national development. The vice-chancellor stated this while declaring open the facilitation and communication skills training programme that was organised in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, by the Cassava, Adding Value for Africa II Nigeria Project, for Agricultural Development Programmes’ extension officers and procurement personnel of the large-scale cassava producers.

When hens can't stand properly..

When hens can't stand properly. If hens are not fully able to stand, it could have one of these causes. The image below was provided by Roodbont Publishers and is part of the Look, Think, Act series that will be published weekly on World Poultry. Hover over the icons within the image for more information

How to set up a broiler farm.

Broilers are birds raised for meat and have a short production span of 42 days. The uniqueness of the broiler breed in its ability to turn feed to meat at a short time makes it a viable investment opportunity for short term investors. The production must be started with active,alert and normal chicks without any deformity,the quality of the day old chicks will determine outcome of project. Healthy birds must be selected to prevent losses as consumers are interested in well muscled and good quality birds. #poultry The factors to consider when you want to set up a broiler farm are as follows : 1) Land 2) water 3)quality of chicks 4) feed 5) equipment 6) management. Land: the poultry site should be a well drained site,without swamps or waterlogged areas. The land must not be bushy,or surrounded by bushes to limit the risk of rodents,reptiles and other predators. The land should be accessed,topography noted and the environmental impact assessment of project should be documented. Water:there must be on site a functioning source of clean water. The source of water must be readily accessible and it must be treated to ensure safety. Quality of chicks, are very important as the quality will determine outcome. Quality day old chicks must be sourced from reputable hatchery,and chicks must be alert and active. #poultry Feed is important when you are thinking of production,as the quality of feed will determine rate of growth and profit potential. Feed could be sourced locally,purchased from miller or setting up a feed mill to cater for your birds. read #poultry Equipment: the brooder,feeder,drinkers and farm tools are also important in production. The size,spacing and location of feeder and drinkers is vital to success of the production. Management: its important to practice an all in all out system,do not mix different ages and batches of birds. Biosecurity measures must be in place to ensure safety of birds and farm lands. Labor is vital to the success of the farm, skilled and unskilled hands are necessary for overseeing different aspects of operation.Waste management is an environmental issue and as such proper waste disposal techniques should be put in place. Litter type and management is another factor as the success of the project depends on how you use,handle and dispose it. #poultry Vaccinations should be carried out as at when due. read There is a need to engage the services of a veterinarian to assist with animal health and welfare issues. #poultry

FAIRY QUEEN PARK..

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VETERINARIANS AND BIOSECURITY PROTOCOLS.

Veterinarians are often exposed to diseases that could be fatal, and this exposure has also been linked to further spread of infectious agents to other farms.The safety protocol for the vet and animals must be ensured for safety.


Bio security protocols are very important,and to this end training of vets and para-vets on these protocols are necessary.

 Diseases are emerging every time and others evolving, safety is necessary as more and more exposure cases are known and so many unreported and a lot more undiagnosed.


The health status of the vets are important just as that of the animals.Food animals ,companion animals and wildlife all poise a threat; safety is the watch word.

 Training on biosecurity protocols, use of latest disinfectants must be periodical and livestock owners should also know basic safety protocol.

Vets up-skill to prepare for future animal infectious disease emergencies in a bid to better manage future outbreaks of animal disease like avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease and Hendra virus, veterinarians convened in Canberra for a hands-on training exercise.

 "Part of the training is to condition people to what actually happens, so it doesn't take them by surprise," he said. Dr Will Andrew"It gives them assurance of their procedure and that takes the pressure off people.

"Vets were presented with a host of disinfectant and quarantine protocols."If you go and visit a property and you don't carry out some of these procedures you run the risk, particularly as a vet, when you visit the next property of taking that disease with you," Dr Andrew said.

HOW TO TRAIN DOGS TO AVOID SNAKES.

A vet, a dog trainer and a snake wrangler have teamed up for a unique series of training sessions aimed at teaching dogs to avoid potentially deadly snake encounters.Veterinarian Dr Shey Rogers hopes to see fewer clients this year.We had all of our dogs bitten by the same snake. And one of them actually got bitten twice in two weeks, so we were definite that we didn't want to have to go through that again.Dr Shey Rogers, Youngs Siding veterinarian Her Youngs Siding practice on Western Australia's south coast has become a meeting place for local dog owners eager to trial snake avoidance training."Basically my philosophy is prevention is better than cure," Dr Rogers said."I'd rather not see dogs come in here with snake bites and then have to treat them." Dr Rogers engaged Perth-based dog trainer Seth Pywell and snake wrangler Marcus Cosentino to run the sessions after all three of her dogs were bitten by a snake, one of them fatally, on her family property earlier this year. "We had all of our dogs bitten by the same snake. And one of them actually got bitten twice in two weeks, so we were definite that we didn't want to have to go through that again," Dr Rogers said."It was a very emotional process and a very expensive process as well.Venomous and non-venomous species are used in the training, from the placid Tiliqua Rugosa (shingleback lizard) to the deadly Notechis Scutatus (tiger snake) But it is not just dogs that are in need of protection : read more here,http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-25/protecting-pets-and-wildlife-training-teaches-dogs-avoid-snakes/6973094 Snake avoidance training is a relatively uncommon practice in Australia.Over two sessions, dogs are exposed to a range of reptiles and are taught to associate the creatures with a low-level electric shock delivered by a remote training collar.When a dog goes for it, it’s generally the bobtail that will come off worse.Marcus Cosentino, snake wrangler. The theory is that the next time the dog sees or smells the same reptile, it will avoid all contact.During training sessions, dogs are rewarded with treats when they choose the right behaviour."The dog's natural response is that of investigation," Mr Pywell said."We're teaching the dogs that investigation brings consequences and if they avoid it, it brings rewards."

WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY.

Food security can only be achieved if more food is produced and food waste and loss is eliminated from the value chain.


Women make up the bulk of those in the farming business,and the production of their produce can be doubled to increase revenue and feed the nation.

 The women in agriculture started farming and rearing animals because they wanted to feed their family and help in running of the home,but over the years this has evolved to a business where they rear and sell making money for themselves.

 Women in agriculture produce more food that could actually ensure food security but are constrained due to the following:

 1) preservation equipment.
 2) processing technology.
 3)education on proper handling of food.
 4)Transportation.

 Women in agriculture produce their crops,but lack technical strength in terms of preservation methods
  The.women produce grains,that when harvested are stored in sack, or spread on the floor,thus exposing the product to rodents and other pests.
This results in food loss and contamination which reduces revenue of the farmer but also the amount of food available for consumption,thus disrupting the food security chain.

 When women have access to modern storage facilities such as silos, more crops will get to market .The provision of such facilities at community level,divisional level or district zoning,will give more women access.

Organizing the farmers per zone and also providing a platform for marketing will ensure more food will get too the market.

Processing technology :the women in the fishing business and poultry are majorly affected. The fish harvested can be sold live,but because they lack processing equipment they cant process the fish into smoked variety.This  results in reduced income,as the majority of the fish are left unprocessed and marketers will offer to buy it off at ridiculous prices.

When processing technology is available  to these women, such drying stoves/kiln provided at community level,more fish will make it to the market and food security will be a reality.

The education on powered eggs will be an advantage in the poultry industry.When large quantities of eggs  are available,storing methods are very important to the marketability of the eggs.

 Food handling techniques are very important to food processing and packaging.

Women in agriculture should be educated on proper handling to prevent food waste and food loss.

When crops are harvested ,there are proper handling methods to prevent spoilage;like vegetables, these should be handled with care and store in an aerated environment to prevent rottenness.These must also not be lumped on ,but are stacked on platforms to keep them fresh

Modern techniques on handling will ensure more food get to market to prevent food loss and food waste.

 Transportation of these produce is a major key to food security. When roads are accessible more produce get to destination and in record time ensuring fresh foods are available.

The women face a lot of constraints that if addressed in form of training,seminars and provision of infrastructure such as light,electricity,good roads and telecommunication devices,

food security will be a reality. Empower the women!!! feed the nation.

SEIZURE-ALERT DOGS.

Seizure-Alert Dogs seizure-alert dogs can detect an oncoming seizure in people and warn them so they can take precautions. The people with epilepsy or other convulsive disorders use a seizure-alert dog to make a difference between a normal life and isolation. The dogs pick up changes in patients body which could be subtle changes in behavior or odor or it could be something different altogether. Seizure-alert dogs have to be tested for the ability before they can be trained as service dogs. Reports suggest the ability can develop over time in dogs living with people who suffer from seizures. However, some dogs reliably alert to seizures by whining, pawing, pacing, or barking persistently. They can serve as canine early warning systems, giving the seizing person time to take medication or lie down in a safe place. Both seizure-alert dogs and seizure-response dogs (service dogs that don’t alert before a seizure) are trained to do many other helpful things. They might get help, activate an alarm during an episode, or fetch a telephone. The seizure alert dogs are a necessity for seizure patients as their presence draws the line between death and life. Train your dog today.

THE GERMAN SHEPHERD.

The German shepherd has been used as military dogs since the world war,and have played various roles in service to mankind.The various roles played by dogs have increased with new responsibilities been thrown towards the dog to serve man effectively. The German shepherd are strong,intelligent,protective and very lovable,but the trait that makes them so useful is their instinct.The physical and mental traits of intelligence,endurance,size and strength are better harnessed by training.Training the German shepherd has integrated them into everyday living of man and protection of the environment.The usefulness of the German shepherd is evident in the fact that they are the most used breed in our world; they are used in the police section of the force where they are patrol dogs,guard dogs , and service dogs. In the army,naval sections,they are part of the armed forces squad(k9) squad they go on war missions where they work hand in hand with officers .They are used to sniff around for bombs,mine field and attack in the enemy territory. These dogs have also found therapeutic uses, they are used in hospitals especially for children and elderly to calm them and make them respond to treatment and recover early. These dogs also are useful for management of stress and traumatic disorders. The German shepherd are useful in diabetic wards where they work as diabetic alert dogs. The dogs are also used in cancer detection in cancer patients,they also work as blind and hearing dogs for the blind and deaf. The German shepherd were used as herding dogs in the early days,but this instinct has been channeled to train them as rescue dogs useful in cases of disasters such as earthquakes,floods and collapse. The strength,intelligence and loyalty of the German shepherd makes them suitable as guard dogs for homes,banks and personal security,more and more people are shelling out large chunks of money to purchase and train their dogs. Training the German shepherd is essential as the dog has innate traits to work and this energy must be channeled to a specified task to get the very best out of your pet. Train your pet today.