“We are really slamming into the end of the antibiotic era,” said Dr. Trisha Dowling, a professor of veterinary pharmacology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

“I’ve got 24 different drugs for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease, and it’s still the most economically significant disease problem when it comes to producing a pound of ground beef.

“The wimps, like bovine respiratory disease, they ain’t wimpy no more.”

In a recent study done at Kansas State, researchers found an increase in multi-drug resistance in one of the bacteria — Mannheimia haemolytica — that causes bovine respiratory disease in feedlot cattle.

“Those Mannheimia isolates are showing resistance across the spectrum of antibiotics we use in cattle,” said Dowling, who spoke at the UCVM Beef Cattle Conference in mid-June.

“In 2009, it was only five per cent. In 2011, it was 35 per cent. Now, it’s 70 per cent.”

Her warning was echoed by a senior official with the world’s largest producer of medicine and vaccinations for livestock and pets.

Multi-drug resistance isn’t just a problem with “a few of the big products” that the cattle industry uses, said Dr. Dorothy Erickson, manager of veterinary services at Zoetis.

“Every antibiotic that has ever been developed has eventually had some kind of resistance show up,” said Erickson. “This threatens to take us to a post-antibiotic era where we’re not able to treat common infections any longer. These common infections may become life threatening.

“It is a very real risk.”

Every dose of an antibiotic has a “consequence,” she said.

“The more we use these antibiotics, the more we are selecting to allow those resistant bacteria to survive in our animals and in the environment,” said Erickson. “The more resistance we see coming up in the future, the less effective our products are going to be at treating disease.”

Farmers may soon start to see some of the direct consequences.

“We’ll see increased costs on our operations from increased morbidity, illness, and mortality if our antibiotics aren’t working as well as they used to.”

But because of the linked resistance in different classes of antibiotics, banning the use of antibiotics isn’t going to be effective, said Dowling.

“It’s going to be like closing the barn door after the horse has left. That’s why we have to be so careful with the antibiotic tools that we still have.”

Managing resistance

Up until now, antibiotics have been largely used as a “management tool,” but those days are coming to an end, said Dowling.

“That’s the kind of treatment that puts on the pressure for selecting for antimicrobial resistance,” she said. “We’re only going to be able to use them as an intervention.”

Erickson also said producers need to be more discriminating and use antibiotics “most effectively, where they’re most needed.”

“When we do deem it necessary to use these products, we need to make sure we’re using them correctly,” she said. “Do we have a diagnosis? And are we using the right product? We need to use the most appropriate product to target that specific disease.”

Using the correct dose is important, too.

“Both overdosing and underdosing an antibiotic will contribute to resistance,” said Erickson.

“We also need to be treating that animal for the appropriate amount of time — long enough that we’ve cleared up that infection, but not so long that we’re using those antibiotics unnecessarily.”

And as antimicrobials become less of an option, disease prevention will become even more critical.

“We as an industry need to start looking at alternatives to antibiotics and things that we can do a little bit better,” said Erickson.

Vaccination will be important, but biosecurity is “another huge one — how we manage our operations to avoid bringing disease in, in the first place.”

Stress reduction also plays a role.

“If an animal could do the exact same thing in the exact same spot every day of its life, it would be very happy. Cows enjoy routine,” said Erickson.

“Everything that we can do to keep that animal’s life the same is going to reduce that stress for them. Certain things like cattle handling and our management can help reduce those stresses and help prevent those diseases from getting in, in the first place.”

Ultimately, though, the cattle industry will need to present a “unified front” in order to protect the drugs used to treat common diseases like bovine respiratory disease, said Dowling. Without them, the cattle industry could be facing a crisis.

“In veterinary medicine, the discovery and development of these antibiotics have given us superpowers — but antimicrobial resistance is our kryptonite.”

The post Antimicrobial resistance in cattle means big changes coming appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“It’s been a very difficult industry to kind of get going, a lot of the cultivars that were first planted aren’t ideal for harvesting, in fact they’re very difficult to harvest,” said Anthony Mintenko, a fruit specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives.

To harvest current varieties, whole sections of berry-filled branches must be cut and then frozen, so fruit can be removed without being damaged.

“Sea buckthorn has been around for more than a decade now, but it’s been a bit of a long haul and we’ve lost some of our original growers,” said Kathie Fedora, a berry producer in the Beausejour area.

But new varieties with larger berries, which are easier to remove from the branch, have been developed at Canada’s Agroforestry Development Centre in Indian Head, Sask. and are currently part of a demonstration project in Portage la Prairie.

They should encourage more production, and eventually consumption, of a fruit dubbed a “super food.” The berry, which is native to northern China, Russia and Eurasia, has seen a slow, but steady gain in popularity in recent years, thanks in large part to celebrity health gurus who praise its nutritional punch. Along with its stunning vitamin C content — 15 times that of oranges — the berry also contains beta-Sitosterol, carotenoids, vitamin E, amino acids, omega-7, superoxide dismutase and fatty acids.

Mila Maximets grew up using the berry and its oil in Russia, but had trouble finding it after moving to Manitoba. So four years ago she founded Solberry Inc., and launched a sea buckthorn purée, followed by lip balm, moisturizer, and a herbal tea (with an energy bar in the works).

Demand for Solberry’s products is high, with nearly 40 stores and restaurants using or selling its products in Manitoba. But growth is limited by the amount of berries grown in the province, she said.

“We are still looking for growers,” said Maximets. “This year we only started marketing in the summer because we weren’t sure we would have enough berries… there’s no doubt it holds us back.”

Along with government and the Prairie Fruit Growers Association, Solberry has been working to find ways to make harvesting, separating and cleaning the berries easier.

The hope is that new varieties — with names like Prairie Sunset, Autumn Gold and Harvest Moon — can be harvested with the vacuum system. First developed in Finland, vacuum-powered harvesters can hoover up 50 kilos per hour, without pruning the plant or freezing the berries.

Demonstrations of the new harvester will take place later this month at the Indian Head facility.

“It’s like any new crop — there’s lots of challenges,” said Mintenko, adding that applies to both producing the berry and marketing it.

Until Solberry, there weren’t really established buyers for sea buckthorn in the province, he said.

“Up until now it’s pretty much been a catch-22 — people would like to grow it but they’re holding off because they want to see markets (and) markets are holding off because they’re not seeing growers planting,” said Fedora.

It’s estimated there are only between 50 and 80 acres of productive sea buckthorn planted in the province, but Fedora predicts production will increase as demand grows.

“It’s starting to happen now, and as we begin to have access to these improved varieties, the culture of sea buckthorn will start to become more mainstream,” she said.

Fedora has five acres of one of the oldest sea buckthorn varieties on her farm, but said she plans to plant new cultivars as soon as they are available.

Meanwhile, Solberry is taking Manitoba sea buckthorn across the country and overseas.

Stores in Alberta and B.C. are now carrying the company’s products, while a high-end Japanese retailer has also expressed interest in Solberry’s sea buckthorn purée.

“Things are going really well,” said Maximets. “But if we had more berries, I think we could sell even more.”

The post Prairie fruit business needs more sea buckthorn growers appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Pfizer said on Thursday that preparations were underway for a public offering of a minority stake in the new animal health company, which would be called Zoetis.

The business, which generated revenue of about $4.2 billion last year, sells medicines, vaccines and other products for livestock and pets. It has more than 9,000 employees and markets products in more than 120 countries.

Pfizer said it would provide details of the proposed IPO in the coming months, when it reports second-quarter earnings.

New York-based Pfizer, which agreed in April to sell its baby formula business to Nestlé SA for $11.85 billion, had also been shopping its animal health unit since last year. But chief executive officer Ian Read has said in recent months that any separation of the animal health business would probably be in the form of an IPO, to avoid hefty taxes.

ISI Group analyst Mark Schoenebaum valued the animal health unit at about $15 billion, and estimates Pfizer could generate $3 billion in cash proceeds by spinning off 20 per cent of the business through an IPO.

The post Pfizer separates animal health unit appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Manitoba farmers already grow hemp for its seed and fibre& they might one day be growing for its medicinal properties too

They came from the country as well as the city hoping to learn about a crop that could relieve their symptoms, revive their farms or reinvent their basements.

And organizers of a two-day seminar on medical marijuana suggest the day is coming when production will move from backyards or basements to large-scale operations.

There are quite a few producers here, looking for something to do on the side, or possibly over the winter, said Don Schultz, founder of Greenline Academy, which hosted the seminar at the University of Winnipeg in early November.

We want to educate people about marijuana, the medicinal properties and how to cultivate it properly, he said. We want people to be compliant and follow the laws if they do this.

Health Canada allows individuals with marijuana prescriptions to grow their own, or purchase medication from a designated grower if they don t wish to purchase it from Health Canada.

Approximately 12,000 Canadians are currently prescribed the drug, said Schultz. He added many more are waiting for approvals from physicians or Health Canada.

I think I could make a go of it; it would help to make the ends meet, said a strawberry farmer from central Manitoba who attended the seminar.

However, he didn t feel comfortable using his name.

There is still a stigma attached to the whole thing, said the grey-haired participant. Plus, you have to think about security, if people know, they might get ideas.

To become a designated grower, you must have a patient to supply. There are no more than two patients allowed per grower and four patients per household, if two designated growers live on the same premises.

How much a designated grower can produce is dictated by how much marijuana is prescribed to any given patient, with a licence often ranging from 20 to 100 plants.

(The government) rushed this because it was a court order, then they came up with this system, said Don Skogstad, a criminal lawyer specializing in drug offences. And they should have thought it through, because clearly this is not a good system.

However, Skogstad thinks changes might be coming to how medical marijuana is produced in Canada, resulting in grow operations that look more like conventional agriculture.

What the government is going to do, or considering doing, is to eliminate personal growing and eliminate designated growers and… have large-scale growers and dispensers, said the British Columbia-based litigator.

He noted the government doesn t collect licensing fees from marijuana growers, so there is little funding to support the industry or hire inspectors. A wide variety of small growers also leads to inconsistencies in product quality, and growers operating in areas not designed for industrial or agricultural production.

A farm is a good, safe place for this; this is something farmers should look into, said Skogstad. No farmer is going to get as much per gram for any crop they could conceivably ever think of growing, as they could for this.

He added the government also has political incentives to move marijuana production out of residential areas and into rural locations.

But even if the government doesn t move to large-scale supply operations, Schultz said it is possible to make a living growing medical marijuana.

Start in part time and get to know it, then work your way up, he said, explaining two patients using a total of 10 grams per day would result in $350 in sales each week, if a grower charged the basic $5 per gram.

Don Schultz, founder of Greenline Academy, was in Winnipeg to host a seminar on growing medical marijuana at the University of Winnipeg early this November.PHOTO: SHANNON VANRAES

However, growers can charge at their discretion and patients are often prescribed more than five grams per day.

But growing pot isn t like planting some tomatoes in the backyard. The seminar covered sophisticated hydroponics methods like aeroponics, as well as outdoor cultivation. Not to mention the pitfalls of theft and law enforcement gone awry.

Police seem to, unfortunately, not except medical marijuana, said Skogstad. He said there have been cases of police raiding legal grow operations and destroying plants people were permitted to have.

But if you re careful, read and follow your licences, and things work the way they re supposed to, there is an opportunity, he said.

shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com

The post Grow Pot, Make Money appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

staff / The fine line between the stuff rope and paper are made of, and the stuff Cheech and Chong s movies are made of, has been found on the plant s genome.

A team of Canadian researchers has sequenced the genome of Cannabis sativa, which, depending on the strain, is known for its industrial or illicit recreational uses.

One genetic switch is likely responsible for the production of THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid), the precursor of the active ingredient in marijuana, plant biochemist Jon Page of the University of Saskatchewan said in a release Oct. 19.

The cross-country team compared Purple Kush, a potent marijuana variety, with the Finola hemp variety grown for seed production. Hemp lacks THCA, but does contain a non-psychoactive substance, cannabidiolic acid (CBDA).

Detailed analysis of the two genomes suggests that domestication, cultivation, and breeding of marijuana strains has caused the loss of the enzyme (CBDA synthase), which would otherwise compete for the metabolites used as starting material in THCA production, project coleader Tim Hughes, a professor at the Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research at the University of Toronto, said in the same release.

Put simply, over thousands of years of cultivation, hemp growers selectively bred Cannabis sativa into two distinct strains: one for fibre and seed, the other for medicinal use.

Crops such as rice and corn have already seen their genomes mapped, but this marks the first such mapping for a medicinal plant, Page said. Marijuana has been used medicinally for more than 2,700 years, and continues to be explored for its pharmaceutical potential.

The researchers, whose work was published in the journal Genome Biology,said they expect sequencing the Cannabis sativa genome will help answer questions about the biology of the plant and encourage development of its various uses.

That would include development of high-producing industrial hemp plants, hemp seed varieties to produce high-quality edible oil, and strains for pharmaceutical production.

About 25,000 acres of the crop were sown in Canada in 2010, mostly in Manitoba, according to the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance. Farmers must be licensed through Health Canada to grow hemp.

The post Hemp Genome Deciphered appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Unfortunately horses with sunburn are often discovered after the damage is done. Like humans, the sunburnt skin will initially appear red, and as the condition becomes more progressive and/or severe, the reddened areas blister, becoming dry and cracked. Typically the horse’s muzzle is the first to show signs of sunburn. As the sunburn progresses, other white regions on the horse’s face, legs or body become involved.

Sunburn can be extremely painful and uncomfortable which may result in horses becoming head shy.

Darker-haired horses generally do not experience sunburn. It is the fair-coloured horses, such as Appaloosas, paints, pintos, cremellos and palominos, with their pink skin and lack of pigment, whom are most affected.

Photosensitization results in sunburnt, crusty, peeling skin that dies and sloughs. It occurs when photodynamic substances circulate in the bloodstream and become deposited in the skin. Once these substances are exposed to UV light, they fluoresce, and cause oxidative damage to the cells of the skin creating the burn.

PLANT AND DRUG TRIGGERS

Tetracycline, an antibiotic, and Atravet, a tranquilizer, are two medicines known to cause photosensitization. There are also a number of plants that contain photodynamic agents responsible for photosensitization; of these plants alsike clover is the most recognized.

Rich alfalfa, red and white clover, and various weeds are also possible sources. Horses that are at the greatest risk for plant-induced photosensitivity are those that are grazing poor pastures that contain clovers and weeds. Some horses can develop a preference for a particular plant, such as these clovers and weeds, which furthers their risk for photosensitization.

Since it is not always possible to identify the offending plant responsible for the problem, owners are advised to remove the horse from the pasture, providing them with plenty of roughage and water.

Depending on the severity of the sunburn it may also be advisable to avoid exposure to intense sun, pasturing affected horses from dusk to dawn. Timely attention is necessary to minimize permanent scarring and disfigurement that can occur with serious sunburn.

Removal from sunlight will prevent further damage, after which the skin must be given time to heal. Topical products such as apple cider vinegar, aloe vera, and vitamin E gels lessen the discomfort of the sunburn and aid recovery of the skin. Susceptible horses may also benefit from the application of sunscreens as well as wearing a full-face fly mask or body sheet.

It is also important to observe sunburnt horses for signs of trouble that extend beyond the skin itself. These signs may include weight loss, appetite loss, mild colic, and diarrhea and are likely indicative of liver distress. Alsike clovers cause liver problems unique to horses. Horses with a taxed liver are particularly vulnerable to photosensitization. Additional diagnostics may be necessary to rule out liver complications.

The skin of some horses may be particularly sensitive to the chemicals found in insect repellents, grooming aids, and certain plants such as buttercup. Combined with sun exposure these substances can result in a reaction that may appear like a sunburn.

As with most conditions, early recognition and timely intervention are key to managing susceptible horses.

Carol Shwetz is a veterinarian specializing in equine practice at Westlock, Alberta.

The post Horses Are Susceptible To Sunburn appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Today, with more thought on animal welfare, we will often prescribe an anti-inflammatory/ painkiller together with an antimicrobial. Veterinarians try to replace the more traditional usage of steroids with the NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug). Although there are generics out now as well as other families of NSAIDs, Flunixin or Banamine was the first on the market.

Resflor is a combination of Banamine and florfenicol, another previously approved antibiotic marketed under the trade name of Nuflor. As with all Pr. (prescription) drugs it requires a prescription and a valid VCPR (veterinary client patient relationship) in order to purchase and use.

On first glance, the benefit of any combination product is using fewer needles. In keeping with beef quality assurance, the manufacturer (Intervet Schering Plough Animal Health) has licensed Resflor for subcutaneous use only at the same dosage as Nuflor (six cc per 45 kg or 100 lbs.) and the blood levels persist for four days.

There are several interesting things to note about this product. While the spectrum of organisms it is effective against is the same as Nuflor, the blood levels are reached more quickly and stay higher for the first 24 hours. This is most likely the result of the anti-inflammatory effects of the flunixine, allowing the drug to more quickly penetrate the site of infection. This product is primarily approved for the respiratory pathogens. Cattle will look clinically better as the flunixin decreases the pyrexia (fever), improves the clinical depression and improves the animal’s ability to breath.

This then allows time for the antibiotic to start working and as a result decreases the amount of lung which becomes consolidated (solidified). Once a portion of the lung becomes consolidated, it loses its ability to take in air. The cattle with more consolidation grow more slowly and this consolidated tissue may abscess, resulting in reoccurrence of pneumonia down the road. The quicker pneumonias are treated, the less resulting consolidation or scarring and adhesions of the lungs.

LONGER WITHDRAWAL

Because this is the first combination product on the market for several years, Health Canada’s Veter inary Drug Directorate has made the slaughter withdrawal 60 days, slightly longer than the individual drug Nuflor. It is also not to be given to any dairy cattle milking or dry, and to veal calves.

As mentioned earlier, this is also a prescription product so will be used under a direct veterinary client patient relationship. It will primarily be used for respiratory disease on calves or light feeder cattle where the 60-day slaughter withdrawal is easily followed. Heavy feeder cattle will in most cases find other products being used with shorter to no withdrawals.

In doing some of the approval work it was also found that penetration of the antibiotic into areas such as skin, muscle, soft tissue in the foot as well as the brain and areas around the eye will make it useful in treating a large number of maladies. This will be up to your veterinarian and yourself as to what these conditions are. With time more of them will appear on the label.

It should be noted as well that unlike Banamine by itself, which is given intravenously, used in this combination it is given subcutaneously with little swelling at the injection site. With six cc /100 lbs. (45 kgs) that is quite a large injection volume and in larger calves I would still split that over at least two injection sites. The actual recommendation is no more than 10 cc per site. It is still relatively thick like Nuflor so must be kept warmer in winter. Use a larger-bore needle (16 gauge) to facilitate overcoming the poorer syringability.

The Banamine dosage in Resflor is formulated to be the same as the 24-hour dosage of two cc per 45 kgs if given individually. What this means is the Banamine in it will last better than 24 hours which is often all you need.

It is cheaper than the combination of the two products, and in my mind over time Resflor sales will pretty much take over from Nuflor. It has all the benefits you and your veterinarian have derived from Nuflor with the additive benefits of an NSAID added in. It’s a welcome addition to today’s arsenal developed primarily for bovine respiratory disease.

———

Itwillprimarilybeusedforrespiratorydisease oncalvesorlightfeedercattlewherethe60-day slaughterwithdrawaliseasilyfollowed.

The post First Combination Product Approved For Several Years appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The move represents a change in strategy for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a recognition of an increasingly complex global supply chain and tight budgets at home.

“The border can no longer be the nation’s primary line of defense against unsafe imported products,” FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told reporters June 20.

About 45 per cent of fresh fruits and vegetables and 70 to 80 per cent of all seafood consumed in the United States are imported, the FDA said in a report.

More drugs and medical devices are also made abroad, with some 80 per cent of the active ingredients in U.S. drugs manufactured overseas.

In the past, the FDA primarily relied on its own foreign inspections and border controls to ensure U.S. consumers got safe food and drugs.

But imports of FDA-regulated products are slated to triple between 2007 and 2015, while the FDA budget could be squeezed by fiscal austerity measures in Congress.

“Instead, the border must serve as a final checkpoint on preventive controls throughout the supply chain,” Hamburg said.

The post U.S. To Work Globally To Keep Imports Safe appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“As FDA assesses whether there is a potential health risk associated with FDA-regulated food products imported from Japan, the agency will develop a monitoring strategy that may include increased and targeted product sampling at the border,” according to the agency’s Internet website.

The FDA also said while there was no “public health event” in the United States requiring the use of the antidote potassium iodide, it was working with companies to increase production quickly. That came in response to increased demand for the product, it said.

Potassium iodide helps shield absorption of harmful radioactive iodine in human thyroid glands.

About 60 per cent of goods imported from Japan are food products, such as seafood, snack foods and processed fruits and vegetables, according to the FDA. Only one-tenth of one per cent of FDA-regulated goods from Japan are dairy products, the agency said.

Th 9.0 magnitude earthquake March 11 was followed by a tsunami that badly damaged Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant facilities.

As a precaution, the U.S. Envi ronmental Protect ion Agency has deployed more radiation monitors for Alaska, Hawaii and Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean. It also said it had dozens of detectors in storage that could be deployed throughout the country if necessary.

The FDA, which with the U. S Agriculture Department, monitors food and agricultural imports, said it would examine foods and raw ingredients labelled as having originated in Japan or passed through Japan at the time of the nuclear disaster.

Fish and seafood will also be evaluated, but the FDA said that Pacific Ocean water “rapidly and effectively dilutes radioactive material.”

The post U.S. FDA Will Step Up Food Inspections From Japan appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

A new report on the U.S. medical marijuana market estimates the unconventional business already generates $1.7 billion in economic activity a year.

But the market could grow fivefold in short order, researchers say, as more states legalize pot for treating a variety of illnesses and more patients try it.

The study, conducted by See Change Strategy for the American Cannabis Research Institute and Deal Flow Media, a financial research firm specializing in unusual assets, says that of the nearly 25 million Americans who are potentially eligible to use medical marijuana based on their diagnoses, fewer than 800,000 currently do.

That makes the nascent market a potentially attractive one for investors looking for alternatives to the more traditional investment alternatives like art, antiques, wine or coins, with a strong upside potential.

The opportunities, the authors say, aren’t confined to cultivation and distribution – the riskier parts of the business.

Many perfectly legal products and services, from software and security to hydroponic infrastructure to marketing, communications and consulting, will offer money-making opportunities in the coming years.

HURDLES INCLUDE CRIMINAL GANGS

But the authors, who surveyed 300 medical marijuana industry insiders, point out that the fast-growing market faces a daunting number of hurdles. These include inadequate access to legal capital, unfavourable tax status, a lack of experienced executives, downward pricing pressure and a complex and contradictory web of state and federal rules.

All this makes investing in marijuana a risky proposition.

There’s also the very real potential for conflict with the criminal gangs that control the much larger $18-billion-a-year illegal U.S. marijuana market. These conflicts with criminal gangs tend to get settled outside the judicial system.

Still, the study says the U.S. medical pot market could be nearly half the size of the illegal market – about $8.9 billion – in just five years.

“That’s assuming there are no obstacles,” said Ted Rose, the editor of the study. “I’m not weighing in on whether that’s likely or not. But that $1.7 billion is the real money that’s being made this year.”

To put that in perspective, Lipitor, Pfizer Inc.’s cholesterol-reducing drug and the world’s bestselling pharmaceutical, had U.S. sales of $5.33 billion in 2010.

More than a dozen U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for patients with chronic illnesses including cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis.

The survey found 34 per cent of the medical marijuana businesses said regulatory compliance – not customer demand or securing supply – was the top challenge they faced. Another 24 per cent said financing was the industry’s most pressing need.

But because the possession and distribution of marijuana remain illegal under federal law, the report’s authors point out that the market is rife with risk, including “the ever-present risk of being shut down or experiencing a property seizure without notice.”

———

“[B]utthat$1.7billionistherealmoneythat’sbeingmadethisyear.”

– TED ROSE, STUDY AUTHOR

The post Legal Pot Production Offers Nice Profit appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.