Audit Chides USDA for Approving Tainted Eggs

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/03/inspector-general-tells-how-government-does-not-work/

As U.S Gov lies many venison eaters will die from CWD/Mad Deer Disease (...

BRUCELLOSIS, BOVINE - USA (02): (TEXAS)

***************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Mon 14 Mar 2011
Source: KRGV [edited]

Disease forces government to slaughter rancher's cattle
-------------------------------------------------------
A Starr County rancher is without his herd of cattle. The government
ordered them sold and slaughtered to keep a disease from spreading to
other cattle or people.

Of the 38 head of cattle, 8 tested positive for bovine brucellosis.
It's a potentially deadly disease that took the government about 80
years to get rid of. It came back. This time, they weren't taking any chances.

Silence fills the air on this Starr County ranch. The corrals sit
empty, no bulls, cows, or calves. All of the rancher's livestock are
gone, slaughtered by order of the Texas Animal Health Commission.

"All the cattle, even the ones that tested negative. The explanation
they gave me is that since they were offspring from the other cattle
and the bull, they had to destroy all of them," said the Starr County rancher.

The state sent a letter to the rancher after part of their herd was
tested for the disease in January [2011]. Veterinarians claimed
several of the cows were infected with bovine brucellosis. It's the
1st confirmed case in more than 5 years.

The rare bacterial infection causes cows to abort their fetus. It's a
meat livestock producer's nightmare.

Veterinarian Jack Valerius says brucellosis spreads through birth
fluids and milk.

"We just don't want this to be present and begin to expand without
knowing where it is and getting rid of it because there's been a lot
of effort and a lot of money spent to accomplish this eradication,"
says Valerius.

It has caused heartaches and headaches for the rancher. "My email
machine is loaded with things like that. That I should be sent to
jail. That I should be sent to prison for selling infected cattle.
How did I know that these cattle were infected?" says the rancher.

The rancher expects the state will pay for his cattle soon. Right
now, that's the least of his worries. "I just hope that something
like this doesn't happen to my neighbors," says the rancher.

"Now they're in the process of testing the herds in the surrounding
areas, approximately 1 mile [1.6 km] from where these cases were
found, and so far, I understand there are no positives," says Valerius.

The rancher and his wife wanted to raise a few head of cattle. "It's
something my father had started many, many years ago, and we
continued. But it's over now, and I just don't wish that for anyone
else," he said.

The ranch is quarantined. Their hopes and the herd are gone.

Brucellosis can also cause a disease in humans known as undulant
fever. It proved to be deadly in the 1930s and '40s, but modern
medicine has made it treatable.

[Byline: Polo Sandoval]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail


[Brucellosis, in cattle, water buffalo, and bison is caused almost
exclusively by _Brucella abortus_ ; however, _B. suis_ or _B.
melitensis_ are occasionally implicated in some cattle herds. _B.
suis_ does not appear to be contagious from cow to cow. Infection
spreads rapidly and causes many abortions in unvaccinated cattle. In
a herd in which the disease is endemic, an infected cow typically
aborts only once after exposure; subsequent gestations and lactations
appear normal. After exposure, cattle become bacteremic for a short
period and develop agglutinins and other antibodies; some resist
infection and a small percentage of infected cows recover. A positive
serum agglutination test usually precedes an abortion or a normal
parturition but may be delayed in about 15 per cent of cows. The
incubation period may be variable and is inversely related to stage
of gestation at time of exposure. Organisms are shed in milk and
uterine discharges, and the cow may become temporarily infertile.
Bacteria may be found in the uterus during pregnancy, uterine
involution, and infrequently, for a prolonged time, in the non-gravid
uterus. Shedding from the vagina largely disappears with the decrease
of fluids following parturition. Some infected cows that previously
aborted shed brucellae from the uterus at subsequent normal
parturitions. Organisms are shed in milk for a variable length of
time -- in most cattle for life.

Natural transmission occurs by ingestion of organisms, which are
present in large numbers in aborted fetuses, fetal membranes, and
uterine discharges. Cattle may ingest contaminated feed and water, or
lick contaminated genitals of other animals. Venereal transmission by
infected bulls to susceptible cows appears to be rare. Transmission
may occur by artificial insemination when _Brucella_ -contaminated
semen is deposited in the uterus but, reportedly, not when deposited
in the mid-cervix. Brucellae may enter the body through mucous
membranes, conjunctivae, wounds, or intact skin.

Brucellae have been recovered from fetuses and from manure that has
remained in a cool environment for more than 2 months. Exposure to
direct sunlight kills the organisms within a few hours.

Because organisms are shed in the milk, unpasteurized milk, and
cheese represent a human health concern. Many individuals believe
drinking unpasteurized milk is better for their health. Diseases that
are not killed by pasteurization represent a risk to the consumer.
Brucellosis in humans causes malaise, fever, chills, sweats,
headache, neck pain, low back pain, joint pain, muscle pain,
occasionally diarrhea, constipation, anorexia, weight loss, abdominal
pain, weakness, irritability, insomnia, and depression. Brucellosis
has been called undulating fever because of its habit of producing
fever and signs that wax and wane over an extended period of time.

Portions of this comment have been extracted from
.
- Mod.TG]

[Texas can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
. Starr County in south Texas can be
located on the map at
. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

[see also:
Brucellosis, cervid - USA: (MT) 20110228.0659
Brucellosis, bovine - USA: (WY) 20110212.0481
2010
----
Brucellosis, human, livestock - Russia: (SR) RFI 20101206.4363
Brucellosis, bovine - USA (04): (WY) bison 20101202.4325
Brucellosis, bovine - USA (03): (WY)20101126.4261
Brucellosis, bovine - USA (02): (MT, WY)20101107.4041
Brucellosis, bovine - USA: (WY)20101101.3956]
...................................tg/mj/dk

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The Horse | African Horse Sickness Outbreak: Western Cape Confirms 12 Cases

The Horse African Horse Sickness Outbreak: Western Cape Confirms 12 Cases

Mad-Cow Horses in Australia?

Who says horses dont get mad cow disease?

UNDIAGNOSED NEUROLOGICAL ILLNESS, EQUINE - AUSTRALIA: REQUEST FOR
INFORMATION
*****************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Wed 9 Mar 2010
Source: The Horse [edited]

Australian authorities seek information on unexplained neurologic
cases
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The State Government of Victoria's Department of Primary Industries
(DPI) wants veterinary practitioners to submit samples from horses
displaying unexplained clinical signs of nervous system disease.

Victoria's acting chief veterinary officer, Dr Andrew Cameron, said
DPI was investigating a number of cases of unexplained neurologic
disease in horses. "Samples from veterinary practitioners
investigating any cases of nervous system disease will help our
investigation," Cameron said.

In Victoria, cases have been observed along the Murray River and in
an area of about 50 km [31 mi] around Ballarat. Unexplained neurologic
cases have also been observed recently in South Australia and New
South Wales. The main clinical sign in horses is ataxia
(incoordination).

"The coincidence of these cases with a period of extraordinarily high
mosquito activity after a heavy rainy season, and the apparent
association with proximity to water bodies is highly suggestive of
arbovirus (insectborne) infection," Cameron said.

"Cases of neurological disease have been previously seen in horses
during periods of Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE, an Australian form
of encephalitis) activity, such as in 1974," Cameron explained. "While
recent evidence of Ross River virus infection (an Australian arbovirus
spread by mosquitoes that causes joint and nervous system disease in
horses, according to the Victoria Government Health Information
website) has been detected in some of the horses sampled to date, the
possibility of MVE or other arboviruses is also being investigated.

"The horse is usually a 'dead-end' host for mosquito-borne arbovirus
infections," he added. "There is no risk to humans from direct contact
with horses, and it is highly likely that the great majority of horses
infected with arbovirus will develop no clinical symptoms."

Horse owners are encouraged to consult with their veterinary
practitioner as to means of reducing horse exposure to mosquitoes.

"Stabling during the dawn and dusk periods of mosquito activity is a
valuable strategy, and topical treatments and repellents are
available," Cameron said.

"There is no association with bat populations, and the symptoms and
course of illness in affected horses are unlike Hendra virus
infection, which has also been ruled out by precautionary testing," he
concluded.

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail


[Some of the videos showing the affected horses are quite dramatic
and sad for the animals and their owners. The videos are making their
way through many veterinary emails and websites and can be obtained
from the Biosecurity Australia website at

http://www.daff.gov.au/ba


While indeed this may be Murray Valley encephalitis re-emerging, it
may well be Ross River virus. We look forward to an accurate
diagnosis. - Mod.TG

The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Australia can be seen at
. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

.................................................sb/tg/mj/sh
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using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
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New Fears Humans Could Catch Fatal Cow Virus

Johnnes Disease; http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/fears-humans-could-catch-fatal-cow-virus-1.1089553?localLinksEnabled=false

Hundreds of Sick Cows Reported in Mexico: Undiagnosed Disease

UNDIAGNOSED ILLNESS, BOVINE - MEXICO: (02) (SAN LUIS POTOSI)
************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Sun 6 Mar 2011
From: David Thomson [edited]


[re: Undiagnosed illness, bovine - Mexico: (SL), RFI 20110305.0724]
-------------------------------------------------------------------
There is not enough information for a speculative diagnosis in this
post, but might keep bovine babesiosis in the differential list for
it.

If an unsuspecting vet is called to examine a "dead" cow lying
flat-out in a pen or paddock in a tick-infested area, or a farm worker
is required to move an apparently quite sick cow, and it suddenly
jumps up when disturbed and proceeds to very aggressively attack,
quite often it turns out to be a case of cerebral babesiosis -- a
different kind of "mad cow" to the one affected by the prion disease,
quite often occurring in apparently acute 'outbreaks' and just the
sort of thing that might come across via a language translation.

--
David Thomson
Sub-regional Animal Health Specialist
Secretariat of the Pacific Community - Port Moresby


[The original article was rather sparse on details. While it
mentioned hundreds of animals are affected, it did not indicate over
what period of time. The article implied it was recently and not over
a vast period of time. Nevertheless, it may well have occurred over
the course of several weeks. Otherwise, we might have to suspect a
very rapid moving lethal virus, bacterium, or toxin. These may have
been able to affect hundreds of animals in a rapid fashion.

Cerebral babesiosis is possible and should be kept on a differential
list. Babesiosis in several species of animals is on the rise in
Mexico and southern Texas.

If the situation occurred over several weeks, it makes rabies,
especially from vampire bats more plausible, but if a shorter time
frame is involved, then it may not be as likely.

Listeriosis affects many species of animals, including humans.
Initially, affected animals are anorectic, depressed, and disoriented.
They may propel themselves into corners, lean against stationary
objects, or circle toward the affected side. Facial paralysis with a
drooping ear, deviated muzzle, flaccid lip, and lowered eyelid often
develops on the affected side, as well as lack of a menace response
and profuse, almost continuous, salivation; food material often
becomes impacted in the cheek due to paralysis of the masticatory
muscles. Terminally affected animals fall and, unable to rise, lie on
the same side; involuntary running movements are common.

Toxins may include, plants, other feed related toxicants, salt
intoxication/water deprivation, or chemicals such as insecticides.

We are looking forward to an accurate diagnosis and reporting of the
situation.

Portions of this comment were extracted from
.
- Mod.TG]

[see also:
Undiagnosed Illness, bovine - Mexico: (SL), RFI 20110305.0724]
.................................................tg/mj/sh
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ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
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information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
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New Case of Mad Cow / Alberta, Canada

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prairies/mad-cow-disease-found-in-alberta-dairy-cow-cfia/article1930738/

In 2009, we imported over ONE MILLION cows from Canada