Zoetis Releases Johne’s Disease Assay KitSeptember 25, 2014A new test for Johne’s disease, a deadly infection of cattle, is available for sale to veterinarians and farmers, Zoetis Inc. reported today. The test, SERELISA ParaTB Ab Mono Indirect, is designed to detect Mycobacterium avium antibodies in cattle serum and plasma in less than 75 minutes. Johne’s disease, also known as paratuberculosis, can cost U.S. cattle producers hundreds of millions of dollars a year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Infected cattle are doomed to death once clinical signs such as diarrhea and weight loss appear. Cattle may be vaccinated against Johne’s disease, but no cure is available. Paratuberculosis is contagious and may spread throughout a herd when an infected animal is introduced. Infected cattle may appear healthy for months or years before symptoms begin to appear, Zoetis noted. “Calves are most susceptible to Johne’s disease and producers want to help protect them,” said Matthew Krecic, DVM, MS, MBA, Dipl. ACVIM. “Producers often wait to add newly purchased cattle to the herd until certain the animals are free from the disease,” said Dr. Krecic, the senior technical services manager of U.S. Diagnostics for Zoetis. The SERELISA assay kit features 90 percent …
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Merck Awards $5,000 Student ScholarshipsSeptember 18, 2014 Fifteen veterinary students with a strong interest in dairy or beef medicine each received a $5,000 scholarship from Merck Animal Health. The annual Bovine Veterinary Student Recognition Awards were announced today on the first day of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners conference in Albuquerque, N.M. “The contributions that large animal veterinarians make to our world are immeasurable,” said Norman Stewart, DVM, livestock technical services manager with Summit, N.J.-based Merck, a manufacturer of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and other products. “They help keep our animals healthy and our food safe and affordable.” The scholarships and a free trip to the conference went to: Chelsea Allan (Ontario Veterinary College) Benjamin Baird (Washington State University) Lindsey Borst (University of Minnesota) Julie Conner (University of California, Davis) J.D. Folsom (Oklahoma State University) Jacob Hagenmaier (Kansas State University) Jennifer R. Holle (University of Wisconsin) Daniel J. Lopez (Cornell University) Lee Michels (University of Minnesota) Halley Oliveira (Cornell University) Emily K. Severt (Ohio State University) McKenzie Steger (Iowa State University) Peter A. Strassburg (University of Wisconsin) Holt Tripp (Oklahoma State University) Ashley Zondlak (Michigan State University) The scholarship recipients must be in their third or fourth year of …
UC Davis Solves Bluetongue MysterySeptember 16, 2014 The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, which isolated and identified bluetongue virus in the Western Hemisphere in the 1950s, has discovered how the ruminant disease manages to withstand the winter cold and reappear the next spring. The virus reproduces in female biting midges, the insect long known to transmit the disease, according to University of California, Davis, researchers. Their study, published Sept. 12 in the online journal PLOS ONE, for the first time explains why bluetongue returns years after year and why more animals could become infected during global climate change. “This discovery has important ramifications for predicting the occurrence of bluetongue in livestock and, we hope, for eventually developing controls for the disease,” said UC Davis professor and co-author James MacLachlan, DVM, Ph.D. Bluetongue virus is noncontagious and sometimes fatal. It mainly infects sheep, producing lesions on the lips and gums, but cattle and goats may be stricken as well. Bluetongue refers to the swollen lips and tongue of affected sheep, which may turn blue in the late stages of the disease, UC Davis reported. The cost to the U.S. sheep and cattle industries is estimated at $125 million a …
Zoetis Releases PEDv Vaccine to Veterinary MarketSeptember 3, 2014 A second vaccine formulated to fight porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv), a disease that has killed millions of U.S. piglets, has been awarded a conditional license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The manufacturer, Zoetis Inc., reported today that the two-dose inactivated vaccine was licensed for use in healthy pregnant pigs and will be sold to veterinarians and pig farmers beginning this month. The vaccine generates antibodies that female pigs transmit to their newborns, the Florham Park, N.J., drug maker stated. First diagnosed in the United States in April 2013, PEDv has spread to 30 states and has killed more than 7 million piglets. Spread through feces, the disease causes severe diarrhea and vomiting, and it carries a mortality rate of up to 100 percent of infected young pigs. “Rapidly emerging infectious diseases such as PEDv not only threaten animal health but also the livelihoods of farmers,” said Catherine Knupp, DVM, MS, executive vice president and president of Zoetis Research and Development. Harrisvaccines’ PEDv vaccine beat Zoetis’ formulation by more than a year. A vaccine called iPED was introduced in August 2013 under a USDA emergency program, and Harrisvaccines’ renamed Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea …
‘Eprinex Kills It’ Campaign Puts The Spotlight On ParasitesSeptember 21, 2012 EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated on Sept. 21, 2012, to reflect the most current rebate information from Merial. Merial of Duluth, Ga., launched its “Eprinex Kills It” campaign, which aims to help herd profitability by putting the spotlight on parasite control. Ivomec Eprinex (eprinomectin) is indicated to kill 39 species and stages of internal and external parasites in cattle, according to the company. “We understand parasite control is vitally important to producers, but also recognize they are inundated with product choices and information,” said Steve Vandeberg, director of Merial’s cattle endectocides. “By taking a creative and much more direct approach to our communication with producers, we can cut through some of the parasite control clutter and clearly demonstrate the proven efficacy and broad-spectrum coverage of Ivomec Eprinex. In today’s economy, producers require a product that is going to give them the results they need.” As part of the campaign, Merial is offering a rebate through EprinexKillsIt.com. Producers who purchase Ivomec Eprinex will receive a $30 rebate for every five-liter bottle purchased. The purchase of a 20-liter bottle qualifies …
Injured Donkey Responds To Laser TherapyAugust 6, 2012 Donkey Boy was a miniature Sicilian donkey, mature and intact, with all the characteristic grouchiness found in that species. What he lacked in size, he made up for in stubborn will. He was so ornery that you couldn’t help but love him. Matthew Lovell, DVM, an equine practitioner in middle Tennessee, was initially called to see Donkey Boy because he was down, in pain and wasn’t passing manure. The equine was dragging his left hind leg and appeared weak and ataxic in the back end. He was treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and dexamethasone. Dr. Lovell passed a nasogastric tube and gave him oil, water and electrolytes. The next day Lovell was called back to see Donkey because the animal had still not passed manure. His abdomen was distended and he was still weak behind. His previous treatment was repeated with the addition of DMSO per NG tube. On the third day, the owners gave Donkey an enema. He passed manure that was very hard and dry. Lovell gave him a high enema, which produced some soft balls. This finally provided some relief and Donkey was happy to enjoy a few handfuls of grass. The owners …
Food Animal Vets Dispute Abuse ChargesJune 9, 2011 When animal abuse is called the standard of care in food animal production, food animal practitioners take issue, maintaining that the acts of a few bad apples do not define the industry. Food animal veterinarians say special-interest groups release video footage and anti-farming propaganda in an effort to quash the use of animals for food in any capacity. The practitioners fear that using the popular media to spread negative messages is just the first leg in the activists’ campaign to pass legislation that would virtually annihilate producers’ and farmers’ financial ability to operate. “The topic of the level of care for animals raised for food is one of the most misrepresented facets of animal agriculture,” says M. Gatz Riddell Jr., DVM, executive vice president of the 4,000-member American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP). “What food animal veterinarians and the industry in general must do is supply good information to the public about modern agriculture, animal care and food safety,” Dr. Riddell says. “The public needs to be made aware of the efforts being made in the areas of animal welfare, food safety and resource sustainability while maintaining the integrity of the food production systems in the …
USDA Adds Confirmatory Brucellosis TestJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service added the fluorescence polarization assay (FPA) to its list of approved brucellosis tests for cattle, bison and swine. The FPA test can be used as a screening or confirmatory test and as a stand-alone test if no other tests are available for confirmatory results for brucellosis classification in animals, the government said. In trials, the FPA test was faster and as accurate as other nine official diagnostic tests, APHIS said. The method checks animal serum samples for changes in polarization after an antigen extracted from Brucella abortus cells and coupled with a fluorescent identifier is added to the serum. The government believes the test is cost-effective, accurate, quick and simple to perform. Want more Veterinary Practice News? Go here. <HOME>
Fort Dodge Donates Supplies To Hurricane-Stricken CattleJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. In an effort to help diary cattle and producers hit hard by Florida's hurricane season, Fort Dodge Animal Health of Overland Park, Kan., donated medicine and disinfectant to the Florida State Emergency Operations Center. The state has seen many cows and calves become ill following the storms, as standing water has sparked bacteria and disease outbreaks, the company reported. "To help meet the diverse healthcare needs of these animals, Fort Dodge is making a sizable donation of product to the Emergency Operations Center disaster team in Florida," said Brent Standridge, the company's senior vice president of North America sales and marketing. "We feel it is our responsibility--our mission--to reach out and help meet the tremendous needs of these animals that have suffered as a result of the storms." The donation includes antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory drug, antihistamines, disinfectant and treatments for bovine mastitis infections. "With so many dairy operations affected by the storms, the need for medicine and supplies was overwhelming," said Dr. Greg Christy of the emergency operations center. With the support of companies like Fort Dodge, we've been able to help provide …
