
Agribusiness, Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, Cassava, Garri, food security, Agritech and the Red Meat Value Chain.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Friday, December 4, 2015
HENDRA VIRUS, HORSES AND HORSE OWNERS.
The Hendra virus is a virus that mainly infects fruit bats also called flying foxes which can be passed on to horses, people and other animals. The virus is a deadly zoonoses. Hendra virus is very fragile. It is easily killed by heat, soap or detergents and by desiccation (drying out). It may survive in the environment from several hours to several days depending on environmental conditions. Survival is longer in cool moist conditions where the pH is close to neutral.
Horses can shed Hendra virus before they show any sign of illness. All horse handlers should protect themselves by routinely using good hygiene practices whenever handling horses.Always cover any cuts exposed skin before handling your horse. Always wash your hands with soap and water, particularly after handling your horse's mouth or nose. Do not smoke, eat or touch your eyes, nose or mouth until you have washed your hands, every time you put a bridle on or take it off you are likely to contact the horse's saliva.
The Hendra virus should be suspected whenever a horse's health deteriorates rapidly. The symptoms in horses include a sudden fever with a respiratory or neurological illness and rapid death, laboured breathing ,frothy and/or blood stained nasal discharge ,a temperature above 40 degreesC. The neurological changes are tilting of the head, loss of vision, abnormal muscle twitching, weakness and loss of balance. Some horses show colic symptoms.
What to do when horses have been confirmed to have the virus; 1)quarantine. 2) protective clothing .Everyone handling a sick horse must wear full protective clothing. Protective clothing must be fitted correctly. Put on protective clothing before approaching the horse.After handling the horse, remove and dispose of protective clothing
carefully into waste bags, making sure there is no contact with your face, particularly your eyes, mouth and nose.Carefully remove any clothing contaminated with the horse's body fluids.
Wash your hands thoroughly after removing the protective clothing and horse owners should always have a protective clothing for safety.
Vaccination of horses is very important.

SIGNS OF BIRD FLU IN MAN.
The bird flu virus has been know to affect man and causing death in some of those affected.The major means of infection is close contact with affected poultry such as handling and processing .The issue of bio security on farms can not be over emphasized, the use of foot dips,tyre dips and hand washing with stipulated disinfectants are essential for safety.The procurement of healthy birds from reliable sources is also vital in the biosecurity protocol.
The incubation period is usually 3-7 days after contact with infected poultry.
Signs include;A sudden high temperature of 38C or above,a dry, chesty cough, headache, tiredness,inappetence, sore throat, runny nose, muscle and joint pain, stomach upset, diarrhoea and sore throat.
The other signs include pneumonia, respiratory distress which is followed by multiple organ failure resulting in death.
Prevention; 1) wash hands after handling poultry.
2) avoid contact with wild birds.
read more
JAPAN BANS POULTRY IMPORTS FROM FRANCE.


CAT FITTED WITH TITANIUM LEGS.

CATERPILLAR-INDUCED ABORTIONS IN MARES.
New research is underway in the Hunter Valley to try to reduce the number of abortions in horses caused by a species of caterpillar.University of Queensland researcher Julianne Farrell is carrying out field studies at several Upper Hunter studs, focussing on the hairs from the processionary caterpillar.
Studs have addressed the problem by keeping mares away from the caterpillar and its nest.Ms Farrell said the racing industry is hoping the three-year study sheds light on the issue."That's why the racing industry has funded this project," she said.
When service to a highly prized stallion is so expensive, you don't want to lose a foal halfway through the pregnancy."So it's in everyone's best interests that we sort out how we can possibly keep the mares and the caterpillars apart."Ms Farrell said controlling the caterpillar is proving challenging."What we'd like to provide is someway of keeping these caterpillars and the pregnant mares apart," she said."To keep the breeders and the stud owners in the Hunter Valley, and elsewhere where there are lots of thoroughbreds studs, happy.
But it's not just the thoroughbreds affected - it's all sporting and performance horses that can also be affected."Scone vet Cameron Collins said the caterpillar has wreaked havoc during breeding seasons."We believe that processionary caterpillar related abortions may be responsible for up to 20 to 25 per cent of the abortions we see," he said.
"What we find is the caterpillars live in nests in the trees," he said."The nest grows as the caterpillars grow, and shed their skin, full of caterpillar excretions."If that nest is disturbed, all of that exoskeleton material is distributed across the paddock, then the horses can be exposed to the contents of those nests, and that's when we think the problem occurs."It's a matter of identifying those nests and then disposing of them safely.
Story courtesy; http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-29/research-at-hunter-horse-studs-to-prevent-caterpillar-induced-a/6505708

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