Livestock Plague Could Hit Southern Africa

A viral disease which broke out in Tanzania earlier this year could spread to southern Africa, putting at risk more than 50 million sheep and goats in 15 countries, the UN’s food agency said Nov. 2. Known as peste des petits ruminants (PPR), or small ruminants’ plague, the disease does not infect humans but is

PRRS Costs Run Higher Than Expected

New research shows the cost of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) to the Canadian swine industry is far greater than previously known. An analysis by the George Morris Centre estimates PRRS costs the industry at least $130 million a year and possibly higher. The finding could point to the need for a national strategy


CFIA Learned From Animal Disease Outbreaks

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is usually the target of complaints from farmers, consumers and the food industry but for once Auditor General Sheila Fraser has kind words for the agency. In her latest report on government spending, Fraser says CFIA has learned from its past experiences with animal disease outbreaks that threaten farmers and

On The Lookout For FMD

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is reminding veterinarians across Canada to consider serious animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in their list of differential diagnoses. The recent outbreaks of FMD in Japan and other Asian countries are strong reminders of the importance of spotting the disease early, and practising sound biosecurity when visiting


Northwestern Ont. Packer Honoured

An abattoir in Ontario’s Lake of the Woods region has been named to receive one of that province’s Premier’s Awards for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. The Rainy River District Regional Abattoir at Emo, Ont., about 150 km east of Sprague, Man., is one of 55 regional award winners named this year, each receiving a $5,000 prize.

Pandemic Virus Swapping Genes In Pigs

The H1N1 swine flu virus has been spreading quietly in pigs in Hong Kong and swapping genes with other viruses, and researchers said the findings support calls for tighter disease surveillance in pigs before new bugs can emerge and infect people. The finding, published in Science June 18, supports the theory that flu viruses infecting


FMD Outbreaks Under Control

Japan and South Korea are controlling outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in animals and there is no particular risk of an international crisis, the head of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said. OIE director general Bernard Vallat said both countries had applied appropriate measures to control the outbreaks and OIE did not see

Tractors Moving Faster In Brazil With Cheap Loans

Farm machinery sales in Brazil should recover in 2010 from a crisis-driven slump, as producers take advantage of state-subsidized loans to renew equipment or mechanize for the first time. The government of the South American agricultural powerhouse introduced subsidized loans for the purchase of machines like tractors and harvesters in an effort to staunch an


FAO On Disease Alert

The global threat from the animal sickness foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has increased after recent outbreaks in Japan and South Korea, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said April 28. “We … have to ask ourselves if we aren’t facing a possible replay of the disastrous 2001 FMD transcontinental epidemic which spread to South

Rains Bring Disease To South Africa

Livestock producers in South Africa are being warned to take precautions after an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in the provinces of Free State and Northern Cape. According to a report from “Farm Radio Weekly,” the outbreak is being blamed on recent heavy rains in the area. Rift Valley Fever is transmitted by mosquitoes. It