AVIAN MALARIA DETECTED IN NEW ENGLAND LOON.

A New England loon has died from avian malaria, according to researchers who believe this to be the first known case of a loon dying of the tropical disease. Loons can live for decades, so losing any adult loon to a new cause casts a long shadow says John Cooley, a senior biologist for the Loon Preservation Committee. Finding a new cause like this malaria strain, raises a real cause for concern. This indicates a new type of stressor associated with climate change. Avian malaria is carried by certain species of tropical mosquitoes. There is no evidence that avian malaria parasites are harmful to humans, according to Mark Pokras, professor emeritus of wildlife medicine at Tufts University. The world is changing, and the distribution of mosquitoes is changing for a whole variety of reasons,. Tropical mosquitoes that don’t occur here now are going to move farther north, and so are biting flies and ticks and a whole bunch of lovely parasites. The dead loon was spotted by campers at Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge and quickly retrieved by a refuge employee. The bird, specifically a “common loon,” was then put on ice and brought to the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Durham for examination. The examination was done by Inga Sidor, a New Hampshire state senior veterinary pathologist and she wasn’t even considering malaria to be the cause of death. Although she previously had detected malaria parasites in captive birds, such as penguins kept in zoos, but she had never seen malaria in a wild bird. At necropsy the spleen was really enlarged and tissue looked wet referred to as edema. Sidor then started to look for avian malaria, a disease that attacks red blood cells, affecting the vascular system. “These are tiny, tiny little parasites,” Sidor said. “They fit into a single cell, so you really have to have a body that’s in good condition to find them — and you have to be looking for them.” Having such a fresh specimen was crucial to the discovery. Sidor found widespread malaria parasites in the bird’s brain and heart, which leads her to believe the bird died either from a heart attack or cerebral paralysis. Furthermore, the degree of the infection leads Sidor to believe the disease was transmitted to the loon in New Hampshire, not when it migrated south to winter off the coast of mid-Atlantic states. After Sidor’s examination, the loon was inspected by Ellen Martinsen of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, who discovered that the bird contained not one but two different malaria parasite species — an unusual find. Read more here;http://bangordailynews.com/2016/04/08/outdoors/loon-dies-of-tropical-disease-stirring-talk-of-climate-change/

Meat turns up the heat as livestock emit greenhouse gases.

Studies by Carnegie institution shows that eating meat contributes to climate change, due to greenhouse gasses emitted by livestock. The research shows that livestock emissions are on the rise and that beef cattle are responsible for far more greenhouse gas emissions than other types of animals. The tasty hamburger has been fingered as a major culprit and It might be better for the environment if meat consumption is cut down. The effect of eating pork or chicken instead of beef has a much positive impact on environment . Carbon dioxide is the most-prevalent gas when it comes to climate change. It is released by vehicles, industry, and forest removal and also comprises the greatest portion of greenhouse gas . The methane and nitrous oxide are also greenhouse gasses and account for approximately 28 percent of global warming activity. Methane and nitrous oxide are released, in part, by livestock. Animals release methane as a result of microorganisms that are involved in their digestive processes and nitrous oxide from decomposing manure. These two gasses are responsible for a quarter of these non-carbon dioxide gas emissions and 9 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions overall. The researchers found a difference between livestock-related emissions in the developing world, which accounts for most of this increase, and that released by developed countries. This is expected to increase further going forward, as demand for meat, dairy products, and eggs is predicted by some scientists to double by 2050. By contrast, developed countries reached maximum livestock emissions in the 1970s and have been in decline since that time. Feeding manipulation and different management methods have demonstrated changes in levels of gas released.Cows fed on hay and pasture burp more due to ruminal activity on the feed thus releasing more methane than other cows on grains and corn where there is less emission.

BIRD FLU VIRUS ,FOOD HANDLING AND FOOD SAFETY.

The bird flu virus is inactivated by heat,hence cooking at high temperature of 70°c will destroy the virus.This fact is of importance when handling and cooking poultry. Several cases of H5N1 in humans have occurred from consumption of improperly cooked or raw poultry products. 

 Freezing,blast-freezing and refrigeration of poultry products does not deactivate the bird flu virus,so ensure that you cook thawed poultry properly at high temperature and make sure the fluid from the poultry does not mix with foods that will be consumed raw. 

 Chicken should be cooked thoroughly with no pink parts, eggs should also be properly cooked. All poultry and poultry products should be thoroughly cooked. Hands should be washed immediately after you handle poultry and poultry products,the bird flu virus can be inactivated in acidic pH ,thus washing with soap is very effective to curb the spread of the virus. 

 Water can be disinfected to ensure its safety,the addition of chlorine to water at normal purification levels >3 is effective to kill the bird flu virus.People in areas where the bird flu virus has been identified should ensure thorough cooking of such products and prevent cross contamination with other foods,utensil and cooking agents should be washed with soap and hot water. 

 The bird flu virus can survive at low temperatures for at least a month,hence common food preservation such as freezing,refrigerating cant inactivate the virus, hence cook poultry properly. In 2007 ;German officials found the H5N1 virus in frozen duck sample at a poultry slaughter house,which confirms that freezing cant inactivate the virus.

 Eggs may contain the virus on the shell and within the eggs,eggs should not be consumed raw,or partially cooked,no runny yolks either.Cooking at high temperature for long periods is a sure way to ensure food safety. In man infection with the H5N1 virus has been linked to home slaughter of poultry,handling and cooking of diseased poultry,hence proper hygiene is essential. 

 The key is thorough washing of hands,cooking utensils and cleaning and disinfecting cooking surfaces.Cross contamination should be prevented by cooking poultry separately. Wash,clean and disinfect.

COMMON CAUSES OF ABSENCE OF HEAT IN DOGS.

Dog owners and pet lovers eagerly await the time they can breed their pets.Breeding of dogs is a serious issue as so many intricacies must be considered. The breeding involves proven pedigrees that are crossed to extend a progeny and perpetuate certain traits. Breeding is time-consuming,expensive and a knowledge about your pets is required.The decision to breed should be based on inherited traits,health and temperament. The breeder must ensure that the litters have loving,caring homes that are ready to absorb them. The bitch have 2 oestrous period in a year, where the bitch responds to a stud and allows mating. The heat signs are 1) swollen vulva 2) bloody discharges 3) restlessness 4) frequent urination.The bitch will allow mating in the estrus phase of the cycle where the discharges are straw colored and there will be flagging of the tail,this is when the eggs are released and pregnancy is possible. There are cases where the owners will not observe heat signs, because the bitch is experiencing silent heat.In this situation ,the progesterone level will be a pointer that heat has actually occurred. Some other bitches are clever, and groom themselves continuously,thus making it difficult to note any discharges. Bitches can fail to come on heat if they have underlying conditions such as 1) diabetes 2)cancer 3)hypothyroidism 4) hyperadrenocorticism. When bitches have been observed to have heat problems, may be there has been no history of heat,or may be the bitch have come on heat before ,or there has been absence of heat after a whelp then a thorough examination must be carried out to ascertain status and proffer solution.