FDA Urged to Heed Advisory Committee’s Advice to Reject Animal Drug Linked to Antibiotic Resistance in Humans

FDA Urged to Heed Advisory Committee’s Advice to Reject Animal Drug Linked to Antibiotic Resistance in Humans

Drug Manufacturer Vows to ‘Continue to Pursue Approval Activities’

Contact: Dan Klotz, 917-438-4613, 347-307-2866 (cell), dklotz@mrss.com

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 /U.S. Newswire/ — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is being urged to follow the recommendation of the FDA’s scientific advisory committee to reject the use of cefquinome for treating respiratory disease in cattle linked to antibiotic resistance in human medicine. Despite this negative recommendation, the drug’s manufacturer, Intervet, has not withdrawn its application — as is usually done after advisory committee rejections. In fact, “the company says it is convinced that cefquinome use in livestock will not create public health concerns…Intervet will continue to pursue approval activities.” (See full text of Intervet news release at http://www.anguselist.com/volume12/v12anguselist14.html ).

Cefquinome is a 4th generation cephalosporin, a class of drugs that is highly valued in human medicine as treatment for serious and life-threatening infections. Growing scientific evidence shows that use of antibiotics in poultry, swine and beef cattle that are identical or similar to important antibiotics used in human medicine promotes development and spread of antibiotic- resistant bacteria that can be transferred to people via air, food, soil and water, making it harder to treat infections in humans.

“The FDA’s handling of scientific advice is under increasing public scrutiny, with critics alleging the agency sometimes gives

FULL STORY

Texas eradicates cattle tuberculosis

Texas eradicates cattle tuberculosis

AVMA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that Texas is again free of cattle tuberculosis.

The state gained tuberculosis-free status in 2000, then lost that status in 2002 after detecting tuberculosis in two cattle herds. Texas detected tuberculosis in two more cattle herds in 2003.

After depopulating the herds, Texas wanted to ensure that it had detected and eliminated all tuberculosis infection and had implemented effective disease surveillance for the state’s 14 million cattle. Since September 2003, Texas has run tuberculosis tests on more than 335,000 cows in the state’s 818 dairies and nearly 129,000 beef cattle in 2,014 of the state’s seed stock or purebred herds.

Dr. Bob Hillman, state veterinarian for Texas and head of the Texas Animal Health Commission, said USDA regulations will now allow for interstate transportation of Texas breeding and dairy cattle without a tuberculosis test. Because states are at liberty to impose rules beyond USDA standards, though, some states might keep requirements for tuberculosis testing on the books.

FULL STORY

Earth-friendly farming wins conservation title

Earth-friendly farming wins conservation title

Practices restore pastures, keep water nitrate-free

By Judy Laurinatis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Adam Battistella spent a year redesigning his Hempfield farm so he could employ earth-friendly intensive rotational grazing practices on the land.

Now the 700 head of commercial beef cattle raised there feed only on one area of pasture at a time, allowing remaining pasture to rest and rejuvenate. The cattle can’t enter a stream on the property unrestricted, meaning they can’t stand in the water and pollute it with the nitrates in their manure, which kill microscopic organisms that live in the water.

Because of his work, he was named Conservation Farmer of the Year by the Westmoreland Conservation District and will be honored, along with several other people and organizations, at the district’s awards banquet Nov. 17.

FULL STORY

Six bovine practitioners learned they had won the American Association of Bovine Practitioners’ top honors

Six bovine practitioners learned they had won the American Association of Bovine Practitioners’ top honors

The Fort Dodge/AABP Bovine Practitioner of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Randall Hinshaw (GA ’82). Dr. Hinshaw is in bovine-exclusive practice in Harrisonburg, Va. A practice owner and manager, he has devoted the past 13 years to bovine embryo transfer, serving clients in 10 states. As adjunct professors for the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, he and his practice colleagues host externs from several colleges each year. Dr. Hinshaw was president of the Virginia Academy of Food Animal Practice and chaired the Virginia VMA Committee for Food Animal Practice. As president of the American Embryo Transfer Association from 2002-2003, he led the AETA back to financial viability after a management company embezzled all its funds. His research projects and presentations provide valuable information for bovine practitioners and the embryo transfer industry.

FULL STORY

Willie Nelson: We have a lot to learn from horses

Willie Nelson: We have a lot to learn from horses

By Willie Nelson

Special to CNN

Editor’s note: Willie Nelson is a legendary singer and songwriter. His new CD is called “Songbird.”

AUSTIN, Texas (CNN) — Will Rogers said, “You know horses are smarter than people. You never heard of a horse going broke betting on people.”

However, the horses are counting on the people more than ever now. Nearly 100,000 horses are killed annually in foreign-owned slaughterhouses in America for human consumption in other countries.

With the upcoming Senate vote on the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, Americans have a small window of opportunity to save a living legend.

FULL STORY

Illinois Department of Agriculture To Train Local Veterinarians As Emergency First Responders

Illinois Department of Agriculture To Train Local Veterinarians As Emergency First Responders

Seminar will enhance Illinois’ preparedness for an animal disease outbreak

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – More than 100 Illinois veterinarians who have volunteered to help in the event of an animal health emergency will receive specialized training during a day-long seminar Nov. 3 at the Wyndham Hotel in Itasca.

The training is part of the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s IVERT (Illinois Veterinary Emergency Response Team) initiative, an effort to establish a unified response to animal health emergencies by increasing intergovernmental cooperation and building a partnership between public animal health officials and private veterinary practitioners.

“Since private practitioners likely will be the first responders to an animal disease outbreak, it’s crucial that they be knowledgeable about emerging and foreign animal disease threats,” Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke said. “A coordinated and swift response can be the difference between containment of a disease to a single farm and widespread infection that causes the death of many livestock and millions of dollars in lost income.”

FULL STORY

North American International Livestock Exposition begins Saturday

North American International Livestock Exposition begins Saturday

by Dave Russell

The 33rd annual North American International Livestock Exposition begins this Saturday at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

“The North American is the largest all breed, purebred livestock show in the world,” says Claude Brock, director of media operations for the NAILE. Exhibitors will represent all 48 contiguous states. “Which speaks well to the cattle and sheep producers capability to stay in the purebred livestock business,” Brock said. “Looks like we’ll have about 22,500 entries this year.”

FULL STORY

Cows May Need High Concentrate Diets this Winter

Cows May Need High Concentrate Diets this Winter

Kansas State University

MANHATTAN, Kan. – After this summer’s drought many cattle producers have had to start feeding hay earlier and, with the recent hay shortage, have had trouble finding enough to last all winter.

Producers can, however, successfully winter their cows in drylots on high-concentrate diets and maintain desired body condition scores, said Twig Marston, Kansas State University Research and Extension cow-calf specialist.

Feeding a limited, but high concentrate diet will require greater monitoring to help avoid problems such as rumen acidosis, a decrease in rumen pH causing diarrhea and decreased feed intake; bloat, a swelling of the rumen that occurs when feed fermentation creates a foamy layer at the top of the rumen, which traps gasses; and founder, an increase in rumen acid production and a decrease in pH, he said.

The amount of forage a cow should consume daily ranges from .5 to .75 percent of her body weight. This will equal about 5.0 to 7.5 pounds of dry hay, or 30 to 45 pounds of silage daily.

FULL STORY

The value of third-party certification claims at Iowa’s feeder cattle auctions

The value of third-party certification claims at Iowa’s feeder cattle auctions

Iowa Beef Center

The majority of U.S. feeder cattle are sold through auction markets. While auctions are very efficient at bringing buyers and sellers together for price discovery, signaling the value of cattle at auctions framework is often a challenge. This is particularly true for unobservable traits such as vaccinations and previous management of the cattle. The root of the problem is that buyers cannot assess the quality of cattle at a low cost, and sellers have incentive to overstate the condition of their animals.

FULL STORY PDF File

Dark, Dreary Nation

Dark, Dreary Nation

Written by Steve Dittmer

Agribusiness Freedom Foundation

I recently saw an advance screening of the movie Fast Food Nation and live comments from Eric Schlosser, book author and co-writer of the movie.

Despite the title, the film centers around the lives of illegal immigrants. Further depressing the mood is that no one else in America is portrayed as much better off than the illegals. Small town America is just one fast food and casual dining place after another; teenagers are forced into awful, poor paying jobs in fast food restaurants; suburban sprawl and toll roads are forcing minivan-driving ranchers off the land; white males in positions of authority at all levels of business are forcing women into sexual submission; small town America is so boring the “with it” kids leave; college student activists must resort to protests and civil disobedience to bring sanity to the world and greedy corporate America exploits workers, animals and customers, turning them into machines on assembly lines. In other words, everyone is just a piece of meat and there is no hope – unless enlightened citizens take radical action.

FULL STORY