US had 5 rabies deaths last year, highest total in a decade.

 

Five Americans died of rabies last year — the largest number in a decade — and health officials said Thursday that some of the people didn't realize they had been infected or refused life-saving shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on three of the deaths, all stemming from contact with bats. 

CDC officials said the deaths were tragic and could have been prevented. One, an 80-year-old Illinois man, refused to take life-saving shots because of a longstanding fear of vaccines. An Idaho man and a Texas boy did not get shots because of a belief that no bat bite or scratch broke their skin. In all three cases, people “either trivialized the exposure (to bats) or they didn't recognize the severity of rabies,” said Ryan Wallace, a CDC rabies expert who co-authored the report. 

 Two other deaths occurred earlier in 2021. One was a Minnesota man bitten by a bat. He got the shots, but an undiagnosed immune system problem hampered their effectiveness, CDC officials said. The other victim was bitten by a rabid dog while traveling in the Philippines and died in New York after returning to the U.S.

 Rabies is caused by a virus that invades the central nervous system and is usually fatal in animals and humans. It’s most commonly spread through a bite from an infected animal, with most U.S. infections in recent years traced to bat encounters.

RABIES IN A HORSE IN SANTA CRUZ.

The Arizona Department of Agriculture said a horse in Santa Cruz County has become the state's first case of rabies in a domesticated animal in nearly seven years. The horse, whose owner lives in the Nogales area, was hospitalized but did not respond to treatment, according to a news release. The horse was later euthanized, state agriculture officials said. Rabies among domestic animals is extremely rare, with this being the first case in almost seven years, we are reminded of the importance of keeping our animals' vaccinations current," said Dr. Susan Gale, the acting state veterinarian. Rabies is a virus that attacks the nervous system of mammals, causing erratic behavior and eventually death, according to the Centers for Disease Control . Rabies is most often found in wild animals, including bats, skunks and foxes. The state Department of Agriculture urges livestock, horse and pet owners to speak with their veterinarian about how to protect their animals. Read more http://www.abc15.com/news/state/santa-cruz-horse-is-first-arizona-domestic-animal-rabies-case-in-nearly-seven-years

NEWCASTLE DISEASE RESURFACES IN ROMANIA.

Romanian broiler flock tests positive for Newcastle disease one week after veterinary officials deemed the Newcastle situation resolved .One week after Romanian animal health officials reported that the Newcastle disease situation has been resolved in the country, the virus was confirmed in a broiler farm there. Romania’s National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority reported to the World Organsiation for Animal Health (OIE) that a broiler farm of 70,000 chickens in Prahova County had been infected. More than 13,300 32-week-old chickens were affected by Newcastle disease, with 4,455 fatal cases. According to the OIE, the birds were vaccinated against Newcastle disease on March 3, March 17 and April 3, but the organization added that the probably procedure of vaccination has not been respected. Control measures applied included disinfection, quarantine, stamping out, surveillance, zoning and control of wildlife reservoirs. The OIE stated it will submit weekly follow-up reports on the Newcastle disease situation until it is resolved. Read more @wattag.net

RABIES IN HORSES.

Equine rabies is a feared and fatal disease, but there are ways horse owners can reduce the risk of their animals becoming infected.Rabies is fatal to all mammals. Rabies--caused by a lyssa virus that affects mammals' nervous system and salivary glands. It has six genotypes, all of which have different host ranges and pathogenicities. Rabies is everywhere,but more prevalent in underdeveloped countries than others.There are some countries reported free of the virus include Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, Scandinavia, and Switzerland. ROUTES OF INFECTION IN HORSES. 1)Horses contract rabies from other infected animals. The horse will contract the rabies virus, when bitten by another rabid animal or have a wound contaminated with saliva or blood from an infected animal. 2) Wildlife exposure and interaction. The sylvatic cycle of the rabies virus is maintained by the wildlife community,thus when there is an interaction especially through fights,bites or consumption of infected carcass,the virus spreads. The animals that usually harbour the virus are skunks,foxes,bats,wild dogs and livestock. SIGNS OF RABIES.The signs at onset are nonspecific and include ;depression,inappetence, and Ataxia.The signs become more pronounced as the infection progresses and these are 1) hypersensitivity tu sound and touch. 2) pruritis 3) increased libido 4)twitching. Rabies is rapidly progressive and uniformly fatal with death from cardio-respiratory failure or misadventure within 10 days .People exposed to blood or saliva from a rabid horse has a risk of contracting and therefore dying of rabies,although the chances of infection from a horse to a human are small ;all prevention protocols should be observed. BIOSECURITY IN CASES OF RABIES.1) If any animal is suspected,there must be isolation of subject and restriction of handlers to the box. 2)The use of gloves,face mask and protective clothing. Vaccination is still the best means of protection.Vaccinate all horses.

PSEUDO-RABIES!!!

A large number of swine-producing 
countries have eradicated the presence of pseudorabies, also known as Aujeszky’s Disease. Aujeszky’s Disease can be found throughout the world, especially in regions with dense swine populations including South America, Asia and Europe. Countries such as Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and the United States have eradicated the disease from their domestic swine populations in the late nineties. China on the other hand has experienced an unprecedented outbreak since 2011. Vaccination proves to be an important tool to control PRV. Pseudo rabies virus (PRV), the causing agent of Aujeszky’s Disease, is an extremely contagious herpes virus that causes respiratory disease and reproductive problems, including abortions and stillbirths in breeding swine. In piglets, PRV can cause coughing, sneezing, fever, constipation, depression, seizures, ataxia, circling and excess salivation, with mortality in piglets less than one month of age being close to 100%. Occasional death losses in breeding and finishing pigs can also occur. The virus is transmitted through nasal and oral secretions, food, water, and the environment. It can also be carried on vehicle wheels, including tyres or buggy wheels, boots and clothing. The incubation period is commonly two to five days, with nasal and oral excretion and, in adult swine, vaginal, preputial, and/or milk secretion coincident or just preceding any primary symptoms. Additionally, adult Aujeszky positive swine may harbour the virus without showing clear signs. The virus can live in humid air and non-chlorinated water for up to seven hours; and in the soil, on clothing, and faeces for up to two days. Dogs, cats, and racoons can physically transmit the virus between farms, but usually the virus causes death in these animals. PR viruses comprise a single serogroup. However, both vaccine and wild-type viruses can be differentiated into groups by using combinations of physical and biological markers. Vaccination with modified live marker vaccines is a useful tool in controlling the disease and PRV has been eradicated in many countries by the use of modified live vaccines.

HENDRA VIRUS IN HORSES.

Horses that came into contact with urine from black flying foxes were most likely to catch the virus, It has long been known that bats are the natural hosts of the Hendra virus and could pass it to horses, but exactly how that happens has been difficult to prove. Dr Hume Field is a science and policy advisor with US conservation group EcoHealth Alliance, and the former principal scientist with the Queensland Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases. He said a recent study of 3,000 bats from Charters Towers in north Queensland, to Sydney in New South Wales, indicated urine was the most likely link."The study took samples from urine, faeces, saliva, and nasal discharge and the clear evidence was that urine, by far, was the most common source in which the virus was found," Dr Field said."Faeces was further down the line and saliva and nasal discharge were very infrequent."But despite urine being the most likely source of contamination, Dr Field said more information was needed to establish how horses come into contact with it. if you had a horse that was resting or grazing under a tree where flying foxes were feeding, and flying foxes urinate a lot when foraging in trees, there is the potential for that horse stranding underneath to get directly contaminated."It can happen through the nose, the mucus membranes of the eyes or as well horses can ingest some urine on grass."Dr Hume said researchers had also identified which species of flying fox were more likely to pass on the disease, and said horse owners in areas where black flying foxes were common should be most wary. Dr Hume said the study explored three species; red flying foxes, black flying foxes, and grey-headed flying foxes.He said various information over the years made scientists think that not all flying foxes were the same when it came to the Hendra virus risk they posed.But this study into 3,000 animals across three species offered a better understanding, he said."It was abundantly clear that all of the positive detections of Hendra viruses came from black flying foxes and none came from little red flying foxes and none came from grey-headed flying foxes," he said."We know there are antibodies in all of those species, so they all get infected at some stage." The Department of Agriculture said vaccination was the best defence, and everyone should make their own choice. vaccination may be enforced in some cases to prevent death in horses. read more here;http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-27/hendra-urine-queensland/6650128

WEST NILE VIRUS IN HORSES.

The west nile virus affects birds,horses and man.Its a mosquito borne illness ;the mosquito acquires the virus by biting and sucking blood of infected horses or birds.The infection is prevalent in horses stabled in swampy regions, barns surrounded with over grown weeds and stables with high population of mosquitoes.The infection is also prevalent in un vaccinated horses, vaccinated horses could be subject to the infection if stabled in mosquito-ridden environment. Signs of infection include; incordination, muscle twitching,fever, weakness, partial paralysis and death. Prevention; vaccination. strict bio security protocol. prevent exposure to mosquitoes. .

EQUINE INFLUENZA UPDATE!!!

Equine influenza: Changing nature of cases!!! Cases are more common even in well-vaccinated horses, so what is the problem? The case of vaccine failure or vaccine break? Data from research on recent equine influenza virus (EIV) outbreaks show a noticeable change in the horses being affected by the virus.While naïve, young horses are still commonly affected, there has been a marked increase in EIV outbreaks among well vaccinated horses. This increase among well vaccinated horses is surprising and means we're seeing a lack of vaccine effectiveness," says Dr. Nicola Pusterla, professor of equine internal medicine at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. "The recommendation here is for vaccines to include the most current influenza strain." To help keep EIV from affecting your horse's health, rely on a vaccine that has been updated to include the most relevant flu strains. Only Vetera® vaccines contain both the Florida Clade I and Clade II equine influenza strains as recommended by the OIE, a global panel that monitors circulating equine influenza strains, to protect against the strains most likely to infect horses today. Vetera is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. ©2015 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. A For more information please visit www.bi-vetmedica.com

BROILERS AND COCCIDIOSIS.

A new technique to manage coccidiosis;http://poultryhealthtoday.com/fine-tuning-rotation-plan-can-improve-coccidiosis-management/