Diagnosing and preventing West Nile virusMarch 26, 2019Although it does not dominate the equine health headlines in the same manner it did nearly two decades ago, West Nile virus (WNV) is an ever-present threat, and one about which veterinarians should remind horse owners to be vigilant. For example, last year, health officials confirmed 31 cases of WNV in Ohio, which was more than twice as many cases than in 2017. Even in California, with its arid climate, approximately 20 cases per year have been reported since 2009. What is West Nile virus? Isolated in Uganda in 1937, West Nile virus was first detected stateside in 1999 in the New York City area. WNV is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae. After its introduction, the virus subsequently spread throughout the U.S. and Canada via mosquitoes, infecting birds, humans, horses, and other animals in the process. The virus's morbidity is perhaps unappreciated; as of 2015, more than 27,000 horses in the U.S. have been infected since the disease was first identified. WNV also is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental U.S. WNV virus is maintained in the wild bird population and spread between …
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Boehringer Ingelheim, GNA Biosolutions to develop ASF rapid diagnostic toolFebruary 27, 2019Veterinarians, farmers, and the food-producing industry may soon have a new tool to help diagnose and stop the worldwide spread of African swine fever (ASF). Boehringer Ingelheim and GNA Biosolutions are partnering up to develop a rapid ASF diagnostic test that would be used in combination with GNA's portable molecular diagnostic platform. "This partnership represents another example of our focus on prevention and our continuous effort to control swine diseases," said Alain Wille, DVM, head of global business unit swine at Boehringer Ingelheim. ASF is a devastating viral infection of swine causing severe clinical disease and high mortality. The disease is untreatable and no effective vaccines are currently available. ASF does not affect humans. The disease could potentially jeopardize many countries' pig trade and supplies. Recent outbreaks of the ASF in China have resulted in more than 600,000 pigs being culled within the past few months. "We are delighted to enter this collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim, a global leader in animal health," said GNA Biosolutions cofounder and managing director, Lars Ullerich, PhD. "This collaboration further emphasizes the role of GNA Biosolutions in the rapidly developing field of extra-laboratory diagnostics and extends the application of our pulse-controlled amplification (PCA) technology into …
Vitamin E: Necessary to horses, but there's a lot to learnFebruary 5, 2019Vitamin E seems to be at the forefront of many discussions about horse nutrition these days. Contrary to appearances, vitamin E is not a vitamin in and of itself. Rather, it's a group of eight compounds—four tocopherols and four tocotrienols—that are fat soluble. This vitamin is important for myriad functions in the horse's body, including but not limited to, and in no particular order, the eyes, the reproductive tract, and the neuromuscular system. The most important function of vitamin E seems to be as a biological antioxidant. In this way, and probably by other ways that haven't been determined yet, vitamin E serves to maintain many normal body functions of the horse. Vitamin E-related problems generally manifest in the horse's neuromuscular system. In young horses, these include nutritional myodegeneration, neuroaxonal dystrophy, and equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy; in older horses, a lack of vitamin E is associated with vitamin E-deficient muscle problems or equine motor neuron disease. The grass is greener and packed with vitamin E Happily, for most horses, there is ample vitamin E provided in the diet. Green grass is a great source of vitamin E—most things that are green have a good bit of it. Those horses lucky …
KSU, Biosecurity Research Institute researchers target African swine feverOctober 9, 2018Kansas State University researchers and the Biosecurity Research Institute have banded together to stop the spread of African swine fever virus to the U.S. The disease was reported in China in August and is positioned to spread throughout Asia and the Caucuses region of Eastern Europe. If African swine fever enters the U.S., it could cause billions in economic losses to swine and other industries, and devastate trade and international markets, animal disease experts say. There is no vaccine or cure for the disease, which causes hemorrhagic fever and high mortality in pigs (it does not infect humans). "African swine fever's introduction into China, poses an increased threat to the U.S.," said Stephen Higgs, PhD, director of the Biosecurity Research Institute. "Introduction of African swine fever virus into the U.S. would have an enormous impact on our agricultural industry. Research, education, and training at the Biosecurity Research Institute help to improve our understanding and preparedness for this threat." In 2013, the Biosecurity Research Institute became the first nonfederal facility to be approved for work with African swine fever virus, Higgs said. The university projects at the Biosecurity Research Institute are part of research that can transition to the National …
KSU food animal medicine research receives investment from alumni coupleSeptember 4, 2018Kelly and Marcie Lechtenberg have created the T.G. Nagaraja and M.M. Chengappa Excellence Fund at the Kansas State University (KSU) College of Veterinary Medicine to support graduate student work and research in food animal medicine. T.G. Nagaraja, BVSc, MVSc, PhD, is a University Distinguished Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University whose research expertise is in gut microbiology of cattle. M.M. Chengappa, BVSc, MVSc, MS, PhD, DACVM, also a KSU University Distinguished Professor, primarily researches the pathogenesis of important infectious diseases of animals in an effort to develop strategies to protect animals from such diseases. "This gift and past contributions to the department from the Lechtenbergs are vital in helping us maintain and build programs critical to our missions in teaching, research discovery and contributions to animal and human health," said Derek Mosier, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, head of the diagnostic medicine and pathobiology department. "The Lechtenbergs' gift in particular helps support a wide variety of department needs, from infrastructure, student support, support of specific research projects and as an investment in the future of our training and research programs." The Lechtenbergs both are KSU …
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy-positive beef cow discovered in FloridaAugust 30, 2018The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported an atypical case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or "mad cow disease," a neurologic disease of cattle, in a six-year-old mixed-breed beef cow in Florida. This animal never entered slaughter channels and at no time presented a risk to the food supply or to human health in the U.S., stressed the USDA. According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL), the cow was confirmed positive for atypical H-type BSE. The animal was initially tested at the Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (a National Animal Health Laboratory Network laboratory) as part of routine surveillance of cattle that are deemed unsuitable for slaughter. APHIS and Florida veterinary officials are gathering more information on the case. Two forms of bovine spongiform encephalopathy BSE is not contagious and exists in classical and atypical types, according to the USDA. Classical BSE is the form that occurred primarily in the U.K., beginning in the late 1980s, and it has been linked to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, the organization stated. The primary source of infection for classical BSE is feed contaminated with the infectious prion agent, such as …
Boehringer Ingelheim receives new label claim for repro productAugust 29, 2018Boehringer Ingelheim announced that Cystorelin is now labeled for use in combination with Synchsure to synchronize estrous cycles to allow for fixed-time artificial insemination in lactating dairy cows and beef cows. When used together, the products can provide producers with shortened time to first service, increased estrus-detection efficiency, and improved first-service conception rate in their cattle. "Cystorelin and Synchsure deliver dependability and flexibility that can improve overall herd reproductive performance," Stephen Foulke, DVM, professional services veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim. "We're proud to help producers take the guesswork out of their breeding programs and to help their herd conceive and calve on schedule, saving them time and money." While many factors have a large impact on reproductive successes such as nutrition, cow comfort, heat abatement, dry cow management and more, Dr. Foulke said the best reproduction program is one that can get done consistently and correctly. "I recommend working closely with your herd veterinarian to determine your specific reproduction goals to implement the best synchronization program for your needs," he said. Visit SyncTheHerd.com to learn more about Cystorelin and Synchsure.
Kansas State University experts confront African swine fever in AsiaAugust 28, 2018Jürgen Richt, DVM, PhD, Regents Distinguished Professor, KBA Eminent Scholar, and director of Kansas State University's Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (CEEZAD), is providing guidance to officials in East Asia on the emerging problem of African swine fever. African swine fever is a highly contagious disease of domestic pigs and wild boar that causes high fever, respiratory problems, weakness, and stillbirths. Mortality rates among affected animals approach 100 percent. Dr. Richt was in Asia delivering a series of presentations when an outbreak of African swine fever was reported in China on Aug. 1, with a second outbreak reported on Aug. 16, and a third on Aug. 19. "Efforts to handle a potential outbreak have not succeeded, so we have to be concerned about the disease spreading across national boundaries," Richt said. "The first outbreak occurred only a little more than 120 miles north of North Korea." The disease presents trade problems for China and other Asian countries, Richt said. China produces nearly half the world's pork. Following his conversations with veterinary medicine faculty and students at Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea, and with members of South Korean media …
FDA five-year plan to combat rising threat of antibiotic overuseAugust 3, 2018In its ongoing effort to combat antimicrobial resistance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it will implement a five-year blueprint outlining the administration's strategy to "advance antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary settings." As part of the FDA's regulatory mission, its Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of animal drugs, including antimicrobials. Progress has been made, but additional work is needed to address the complex challenge of antimicrobial resistance, the organization said in a statement. "At FDA, we believe that the concept of antimicrobial stewardship encompasses several important principles of judicious use," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD. "These are critical to slowing the rate at which bacteria develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs. In simple terms, we believe medically important antimicrobial drugs should only be used when necessary to treat, control or prevent disease. In addition, when such use is necessary, these antimicrobials should be used in an optimal manner. They should only be used under the oversight of a licensed veterinarian." The administration's plan, which will cover fiscal years 2019 - 2023, will focus three goals: Aligning antimicrobial drug product use with the principles of antimicrobial stewardship Supporting …
USDA lifts bovine TB testing requirement for Manitoba cattle exportsJuly 19, 2018Breeding cattle and bison shipped to the United States from Manitoba, Canada, no longer require pre-export bovine tuberculosis testing under the United States Department of Agriculture.
