Florida resident bitten by a bat dies of rabies.

Florida resident bitten by a bat dies of rabies.Health officials say a Florida resident who was bitten by a bat has died of rabies. Florida Department of Health spokeswoman Mara Gambineri tells Orlando TV station WKMG the victim didn’t seek treatment. She didn’t identify the victim, who lived in Highlands County in southwest Florida, or say when the bite occurred or when the victim died. She says it’s important to avoid direct contact with wildlife. Gambineri says it’s important for bite victims to receive treatment as soon as possible, adding that untreated rabies can cause a nearly 100 percent fatal illness in humans. Health officials say the main wildlife sources of rabies in Florida are raccoons and bats. Outside cats are by far the most common domestic animal found to have rabies in the state of Florida because they are often not kept up to date on vaccinations.

How to reduce noise, stress during broiler harvesting.

How to reduce noise, stress during broiler harvesting.Adopting gentler, yet efficient method for chicken capture can reduce birds’ stress levels, giving a higher-quality processed bird. The standard methods for capture and caging of broilers pre-slaughter, and the loading and unloading of the chickens at the farm and the slaughterhouse are noisy. This results in chickens experiencing stress, which can affect the final quality of the processed bird. #poultry Among factors contributing to this stress is the use of motorized equipment, such as forklift trucks. Forklift trucks raise noise levels, and this is particularly the case when used in closed poultry houses. The harmful effects on broilers of raised noise levels are an increase in blood flow to the thighs which is a physiological response designed to help chickens escape from the source of stress. While the birds may relax on the way to the processing plant, on arrival they are usually unloaded by forklift trucks, with a consequent increase in noise, and so the “flight” response reoccurs, and blood is pumped to the wings and legs.#poultry If there is a delay pre-slaughter, blood will be pumped away from the extremities, alleviating this problem. However, when birds leave the plucker, there may still be a slight pink color to the thighs and wings. While in many plants, this is considered unimportant, in others it is deemed a quality issue and birds cannot be classified as Grade A. #Poultry There is, however, an alternative to the traditional method of harvesting birds that does not rely on the use of forklift trucks with their associated noise, and results in less stress for the broilers. A quieter harvesting method The alternative approach to harvesting has three main elements: A retractable hydraulic arm ending in a fork, similar to that of a forklift truck. A track system of metal pipes with connections that do not impede the movement of cages or pallets that will move over them. Two winches, one used to deliver cages at the start of the track system and the other at its end.

How to reduce bacteria during poultry processing.

How to reduce bacteria during poultry processing.Key points from harvesting to chilling can minimize bacterial contamination of processed chickens. #poultry. Processed chicken must be produced in hygienic conditions, and microbial contamination kept to a minimum in order for it to be safe for consumers to eat and also have a good shelf life.Various operations, starting with pre-slaughter, need to be closely monitored in real time to ensure that birds are kept clean. It is worth remembering that pre-slaughter and processing are highly linked, meaning that broilers must be as clean as possible on arrival at the processing plant if hygiene standards are to be maintained throughout processing. These operations include feed withdrawal,(poultry) capture and caging, transport and lairage, scalding, plucking and evisceration. During withdrawal, feeders should be kept at their normal height until the capture team arrives. The house temperature also needs to be closely monitored during feed withdrawal, especially in open houses.#poultry. Many companies operating in hot countries spray birds with water after they are loaded onto the trucks, prior to leaving the farm. This has the double benefit of not only removing fecal matter from them and the cages, but also of refreshing the birds prior to travel to the processing plant. #poultry.

During transport, birds will again defecate, and so the process of contamination continues. As at the farm, some processing plants wash the birds with water and disinfectant once trucks have been weighed to remove the organic load and bacteria.

Kissing your puppy could send you to the hospital; CDC says virus is spreading.

Kissing your puppy could send you to the hospital; CDC says virus is spreading. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that 16 more Americans have been diagnosed with Campylobacter, an infection commonly found in puppies. The bacteria strain can be transmitted through close contact such as cuddling and kissing. According to the CDC, the latest report further marks a sweeping outbreak across the country, which has now affected 55 people in 12 states. Thirteen of these cases have required hospitalization due to severe diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, fever and cramping, the CDC adds. "Outbreaks of Campylobacter have most often been associated with unpasteurized dairy products, contaminated water, poultry, and produce. Most people who become ill with campylobacteriosis get diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever within two to five days after exposure to the organism. The diarrhea may be bloody and can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The illness typically lasts about one week. Some infected persons do not have any symptoms. In persons with compromised immune systems, Campylobacter occasionally spreads to the bloodstream and causes a serious life-threatening infection,” the CDC stated in a Miami Herald report. According to the CDC, 35 people have reported purchasing a puppy from a Petland store prior to getting sick. The were also found to have either visited a Petland chain or lived in a home with a Petland puppy. The federal agency has also reported that 14 infected people are Petland employees. The federal agency has admitted to difficulties in containing the outbreak and has urged the general public to report any cases of infection. Likewise, the CDC has issued safety guidelines for dog owners. “Talk to your doctor if you think you have a Campylobacter infection and let them know if you recently purchased a puppy at a pet store, visited a pet store, or visited or live in a home with a puppy sold through a pet store before illness began.

Study on how eggs prevent cancer shows vast healing power of foods.

Study on how eggs prevent cancer shows vast healing power of foods. It is well known that eggs contain a powerful amount of protein and essential lipids, but new research has found that they also contain antioxidant properties that are known to prevent cardiovascular disease as well as cancer. Researchers from the University of Alberta determined that egg yolks in their raw state contain almost twice as many antioxidant properties as an apple and about the same as half a serving of cranberries. When fried or boiled, however, antioxidant properties were reduced by about half. The reduction in antioxidant properties was even more severe when heated in a microwave, which destroys many of the nutrients in any given food. Another important factor is that the egg yolk is consumed along with the egg white. Researchers at the U of A Department of Agricultural Food and Nutritional Science examined egg yolks produced by hens fed diets of either primarily wheat or corn. In their examination, they found that the yolks contained tryptophan and tyrosine, two amino acids with high antioxidant properties. Organically raised hens, which are fed high quality diets rich in vitamins and minerals, will also produce higher quality eggs, which will subsequently be loaded with more essential nutrients. "Ultimately, we're trying to map antioxidants in egg yolks so we have to look at all of the properties in the yolks that could contain antioxidants, as well as how the eggs are ingested," said Jianping Wu, a member of the research team.

Eggs as new source for cancer drugs.

Eggs as new source for cancer drugs.Scientists in Japan have genetically modified chickens to lay eggs containing drugs that have the potential to significantly reduce the cost of cancer treatments. Few would dispute that there is a need for cheap and plentiful cancer drugs. Our feathered friends are probably not among the primary candidates to satisfy that need, but laying hens may, one day, play a significant role in helping to treat cancer if work being carried out in Japan proves to be a success. Eggs may already have cemented their position as a good source of nutrition, and have an established history in vaccine production, but modified eggs being developed in Japan may prove to be a source of interferon beta protein, which can be used to treat a variety of illnesses, including cancer and multiple sclerosis. Research using genetically-modified hens has been carried out jointly by country’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), the National Agricultural and Food Research Organization and life sciences company Cosmo Bio.

UK study suggests pet owners bully veterinarians.

UK study suggests pet owners bully veterinarians. Nearly 90 percent of British veterinarians and team members say they’ve felt harassed by a client—often over cost of care. Here are the statistics and some tips on dealing with it.The statistic makes for sad reading, according to the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA). A full 89 percent of small-animal and mixed-animal veterinarians surveyed by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) say they or their team have felt intimidated by a client's language or behavior. The survey also revealed that pet owners' intimidating language and behavior is often related to the cost of treatment. No surprise—98 percent of all veterinarians said they've felt pressure to waive fees or accept late payments. The survey results inspired the two UK associations together to jointly publish shared "Advice to deal with intimidating clients" online at bva.co.uk. Some of the tips include: In the heat of the moment ... • Try to remain calm, at all times. Be confident but never aggressive. • If you feel intimidated by a client, try to not be alone with them. If you are concerned about your safety, politely ask the client to leave. If you see other team members facing difficult clients, do not leave them alone; remain within sight so you can go get help or step in and support your colleague.