RHINOS AND TB.

Researchers at a wildlife conservation preserve in Nepal's Chitwan National Park, have announced the first confirmed case of tuberculosis (TB) in a young female Asian One-horned rhino. This discovery is the first infectious disease discovered in the rhino population and a crucial step in the fight for rhino conservation. The discovery has been published in a paper in Emerging Infectious Disease and is the result of research that began in 2012. The research called on experts and organizations that included the Veterinary Initiative for Endangered Wildlife (VIEW), the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC). Although poaching has been eliminated altogether since 2013, Chitwan National Park still saw 31 rhino deaths due to unknown circumstances over the past five years. Until recently, the inability to pinpoint the cause of these deaths was due to a lack of having proper systems in place to investigate the culprit. Researchers discovered that the organism responsible for causing TB in the rhino is part of the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Complex (MTBC) group. It is a close relative of organisms that cause TB in humans and cattle. They also noted that in 2014, the World Health Organization reported 9.6 million new TB cases each year in the world’s human population. Deborah McCauley, founder and executive director of VIEW, told FoxNews.coml that the discovery of TB in rhinos will fuel debate about how to best serve the human and animal populations that could potentially be affected. In the case of the rhinos, poaching and habitat encroachment are often at the top of the intervention lists, but disease, the third issue, has the potential to be the greatest threat, she said. "We have suspected for several years now that disease was the missing piece to the conservation puzzle,” explained McCauley, via email. “Now that we have firm evidence of TB, we can help the parks to understand the risk of TB and other diseases threatening precious, endangered species in order to help prevent further spread." Culled from Foxnews

FACTS ON ANTIBIOTIC-FREE PRODUCTION IN POULTRY.

Discussion @ the International production and processing expo at Atlanta,Jan 17/2016. There’s no one, perfect solution for antibiotic-free poultry production, according to veterinarians at leading companies in the industry. Dr. Bruce Stewart-Brown, vice president of food safety and quality at Perdue Farms, and Dr. Jeff Courtney, director of veterinarian services at Pilgrim's Pride, and Dr. Brian Wooming, senior staff veterinarian at Cargill Turkey Products, shared their views on antibiotic-free production (ABF) issues ranging from training growers on antibiotic-free practices to using curative antibiotics in an ABF environment. They offered these advice at a workshop on judicious use of antibiotics ; read more @ wattagnet.com

STEPS TO ENSURE ANTIBIOTIC FREE POULTRY PRODUCTION.

Taste and health concerns has made clamor for antibiotic free production in the poultry sector a global issue,hence various methods and strategies have been employed to faze out antibiotic use.The following steps are some of the measures; Diets to promote growth and positive microflora. What a bird eats plays a large role in the success of an antibiotic-free (ABF) operation. To combat negative microflora in digestive tracts, growers need to pick feed and additives that promote the right kind of gut environment. They also need a diet that can replicate the effects of antibiotic growth promoters. A strictly vegetarian diet when switching to ABF is recommended. Growers should try and get as close to all-vegetarian diets as possible and find out the animal by-product content of the product. looking for feed with more high-quality fats and less indigestible protein is essential for antibiotic free production. Reducing the presence of bacteria in feed and water is essential as well. The issues with bacteria can be solved through good feed mill management and ensuring the feed is heated to at least 185 degrees Fahrenheit to kill bacteria. Keeping a clean water supply prevents the spread of disease and is essential because birds drink twice as much as they eat. Antibiotic alternatives There’s a variety of feed additives being marketed as alternatives for growth-promoting antibiotics such as organic acids, phytogenics, probiotics, prebiotics and short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids. These products look at one major goal: establishing a healthy gut microflora and preventing the growth of harmful microbes. Using a combination of probiotics and prebiotics has shown promises in doing exactly that, but they are not a silver bullet. The use of a combination of probiotics, prebiotics and other feed additives will help promote a healthy gut in broiler flocks. The importance of starting a feeding program that will promote healthy gut in chicks and pullets as soon as possible cannot be overemphasized. Getting the right microbes in place early can prevent unwanted bacteria and other microbes taking up residence inside the gut.

ANTIBIOTIC-FREE POULTRY PRODUCTION.

Pressure from consumers, along with regulatory changes, is rapidly pushing integrators and growers to reduce or totally remove antibiotics from broiler production. The removal of antibiotics from the equation requires growers to keep a cleaner, more bio secure operation as well as promote positive gut microflora. Going antibiotic free means growers need to be more mindful of the cleanliness of their operation and more cognizant of how feed and feed additives can promote the overall health of their birds.This was expressed by Dr. Mahmoud Masa’deh, a poultry technical sales specialist and nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition L.L.C., during his presentation at the Midwest Poultry Federation Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Masa’deh spoke as part of the March 16 Broiler Production workshop. Masa’deh said pressure from consumers, along with regulatory changes, is rapidly pushing integrators and growers to reduce or totally remove antibiotics from broiler production. This change forces growers to be more careful about bio security and farm sanitation; litter management and downtime between flocks; the composition of feed; and which probiotics and other additives are included in feed. The steps to antibiotic free production are outlined as follows: 1) Bio security and strict farm sanitation practices Generally, raising birds without antibiotics requires a back-to-basics approach. Masa’deh said removing disease-preventing and growth-promoting antibiotics requires farmers to reduce the opportunities for birds to get infected at any stage of their life. This means paying close attention to the cleanliness of everything from the breeders to the hatchery to the feed mill to the barn itself. Masa’deh said managing dust -- which can carry dangerous bacteria and mold around barns through the air -- in all stages of production is key. He said special consideration must be paid to dust and the overall cleanliness of the hatchery and pullet housing because exposure to negative microbes early in the lives of the birds can set a flock up for failure. If chicks are vaccinated, it’s important to make sure they receive optimal light to improve their vaccine uptake. There must be a bio security protocol in place and keeping an eye on potential disease vectors can be the difference between success and failure. 2) Litter management and downtime Another key factor in keeping a sanitary operation is the maintenance of litter in the farm and enough interval in between flocks. He recommended establishing a strict downtime program with growers, requiring them to remove the birds and the litter and take at least 14 days before putting new birds in. This must be done to ensure the products applied to combat harmful microbes have enough time to work. When birds are in the house, increasing the stocking density by at least 0.05 square feet of space per bird compared with a regular growing program is essential. He said this leads to better growth because there is less moisture in the litter and less disease shedding. Studies have shown more space per bird can lead to improved body weight, feed conversion, mortality and breast meat yield. Effective management of built-up litter can benefit the birds as well, the litter is essentially a community of microbes which can actually benefit the health of the flock. Maintaining a proper pH can prevent Clostridium, Escherichia coli and other dangerous microbes from growing in the litter. If there is too much moisture in the litter, it can lead parasitic diseases, leg disorders and breast blisters. Excess ammonia from urine can lead to blindness, respiratory disease, reduced feed conversion, foot pad injuries and impairment of a bird’s immune response to disease. Choosing the correct type of drinking system and ensuring proper airflow can help solve these issues. source; wattagnet

AGRIBUSINESS: HOW WATER IMPACTS POULTRY HEALTH.

Water is very essential in the poultry value chain,as its the major medium used for feeding, vaccination and cleaning. Water has also been noted as a source of infection and disease transmission,hence water safety must be part of bio security protocol for poultry health. Broiler growers move further away from using antibiotics, the importance of keeping a clean water system will continue to increase; Dr. Susan Watkins, a professor and extension specialist at the University of Arkansas, said keeping a clean water supply is a major contributor to having a healthy, successful flock. Watkins, who has been studying and speaking on the importance of clean water for years, explained how growers can keep their water supply clean at the Midwest Poultry Federation Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, on March 16. Watkins said the keys to keeping a clean water supply are: 1)knowing the water supply’s challenges and addressing them properly, an inadequate cleaning is a waste of time and effort 2) Using downtime effectively and using that time to clean water systems 3) Using a daily water sanitizer best suited for the operation that is compatible with water, easy to use, ease to monitor and cost effective for the farm. 4) Establishing a program to monitor and verify water quality. Watkins offered up a few promising methods and new products as well as tips on how best to use them to help farmers decide which water cleaning program is best for their farm: A) Chlorine for water sanitation Watkins said chlorine is a good daily water sanitizer, but it is not perfect. The halogen is available in a variety of forms and is an effective water sanitizer, however its effectiveness is affected by numerous factors such as the pH level of the water, the temperature of the water, the cleanliness of the water, the amount of time the chlorine is present in the water, and the age and storage condition of the chlorine product. While it’s an effective antimicrobial, it does not remove all harmful microbes in the water supply. She said chlorine solutions work best in pH 4 to 7. The acidic form of chlorine, which exists in lower pH water, is a better sanitizer overall. As chlorine reacts with organic compounds in the water system, it can give off strong odors of chlorine. Watkins said the smell goes away as the chlorine sanitizes the water. Chlorine is not the best choice for areas where chloride levels are already high. B) Alternatives to chlorine Watkins said there are a few options other than using chlorine to sanitize water: hydrogen peroxide and a newer product that uses ultraviolet light. Hydrogen peroxide can be a good alternative to chlorine and works especially well for sanitizing pond or river water. Like chlorine, hydrogen peroxide can be dangerous to store, and its effectiveness declines over time. Watkins said a newer product, the Silver Bullet, from Colorado-based Silver Bullet Water Treatment L.L.C., is promising. She said the product uses ultraviolet light and continuously infuses electrolyzed air into the water supply -- what the company calls an advanced oxidation process to leave a small amount of hydrogen peroxide in the water.“I love this concept because you can just continuously treat water and not over treat it,” Watkins said. Watkins said environmental factors like mold can reduce the effectiveness of the Silver Bullet – and other sanitizers – and because the product does not leave behind a residual amount of an active compound, the only way to gauge its success is microbial monitoring before and after use. She recommended using the diffuser in a holding tank or wellhead rather than with flowing water. Cleaning considerations are important to achieve aim of sanitized water,these tips are important and helpful:1) Use the right concentration of a cleaner and give it the proper amount of time to work. Improper cleaner concentration or not giving it enough time to work will result in failure. 2) The entire system must be cleaned: the water lines, standpipes, regulators and distribution pipes. If any part of the system is not cleaned of biofilm and other residue, it can undermine all the time and effort spent on cleaning and lead to health problems in a broiler flock. 3) Document which products work best for your operation. Watkins said no two farms are the same, so it is necessary to figure out which products work best and record it for future reference. Swabs of microbial content collected before and after cleaning can help determine which products work best. No matter how well the system was flushed clean: flush it with a sanitizer birds can drink after cleaning. Stabilized products work best because they keep working for days after application. The secondary treatment can kill microbes that survived the line cleaning. Excerpts from Wattagnet.com

RABIES SURVIVOR GETS TWINS!!!.

The first person to survive rabies without being vaccinated is now a new mom of twins. Jeanna Giese-Frassetto gave birth to fraternal twins, Carly Ann Frassetto and Connor Primo Frassetto, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, March 26. "Our family is very blessed to have these children. We are lucky to have such beautiful babies," Jeanna said. In 2004, Giese-Frassetto was bitten by a bat in Fond du Lac. She did not seek immediate treatment and was diagnosed with rabies three weeks later. Doctors say she would have died if not for an experimental treatment, now known as the Milwaukee Protocol, that included a medically induced coma. Giese-Frassetto had a long recovery, including relearning to walk and talk.She married Scot Frassetto in September of 2014 and is now living in the Fox Valley. culled from Fox11online news