USAHA 2005 Annual Report
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United States Animal Health Association
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The 109 th annual meeting of the United States Animal Health Association was held in Hershey, PA from Nov. 3-9, 2005. Camelid representatives included: Teri Nilson Baird, Karen Conyngham (ILR representative to the USAHA Board of Directors), Susan Tellez, Dr. Cheryl Tillman (AOBA representative to the USAHA Board of Directors) and Marsharee Wilcox.
The theme for this year’s General Session was the “North American Healthy Wildlife Initiative”. Eight speakers from various sectors of the animal and wildlife health management sectors addressed health concerns at the interface of wildlife, people and domestic animals. Wildlife and related activities (mainly hunting) is a $30 billion annual activity in the US alone.
Dr. William B. Karesh of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Field Veterinary Program pointed out that more than half of the 1,700 infectious diseases known to modern medicine are shared between humans and animals. Unfortunately, many of these diseases fall between the cracks of interest or responsibility of modern health care authorities. Ironically, Dr. Karesh said, the fields of human health, public health, livestock health and wildlife health are suffering from too much specialization and a lack of willingness to engage across disciplines. He pointed out that it is much more appropriate to view the combined and inter-related health of all of these different entities as "one health."
USAHA has 34 active committees. Camelid representatives are members of the Animal Welfare Committee, Committee on Bluetongue and Bovine Retrovirus, Committee on Parasitic Diseases, Committee on Sheep and Goats, Foreign and Emerging Diseases Committee, Import/Export Committee, Infectious Diseases of Cattle, Bison and Camelids, and the Livestock Identification Committee.
Committee Reports:
Sunday 6 November 2005
Meeting was Chaired by Gary Weber and attended by more than 60 people representing cattle, sheep, goats, swine, poultry, wildlife, non-traditional livestock(farmed deer and elk), bison, camelids and livestock marketing groups. Reports were presented on the status of Brucellosis, Bluetongue, BSE, BVD, Animal Welfare and Regulatory committee meetings during the year, with a major concern over budget cuts in USDA programs due to the massive Hurricane relief funding necessary.
Livestock I.D. and Traceability Discussion
Dr. Bob Hillman, Chair-Livestock Identification Committee
The purpose of this section of the meeting was to discuss the options now available for the database and tracking of the movement of Livestock. USDA has provided for the formats to identify and register premises, and is in the final steps of approval of the required individual I.D. methods for all species. USDA, in August, suggested that the final step for the tracking \ traceability portion of the NAIS plan may better be handled by the private sector. Dr. John Clifford, APHIS\Veterinary ServicesDirector under Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, was present to provide direct contact for the USDA\APHIS\VS position for moving to a private database. The request is for one single portal for all animal movement records, to be accessed by USDA, only for tracking and emergency activities. Privacy of producer records is a major issue that must be addressed.
Allan Bright (NCBA ID Coordinator) then gave a comprehensive report on the NCBA investigation into what a private consortium could possibly propose for a system to track all species movement. The consortium would be composed of representatives from any and\or all livestock species and related activities, and would make recommendations based on the work done by the working groups and any individual interests, and follow all regulations for the premises and individual ID methods already in place under USDA\APHIS. The proposal was viewed as a strong feasibility, and was then presented for further discussion at the special livestock ID meeting on Monday night.
Donna Johnson, the ABADRL (Arthropod Borne Animal Disease research Lab in Wyoming) reported on the discovery of a previously unknown or identified strain of the BTV (Bluetongue Virus) ever in North America. It was found on the Louisiana lower coast line area in 2004, and identified as BTV-1, close to that previously identified in South Africa, but not related to any one of the 5 types normally seen in the US or North America. More study is being done at other labs including Pirbright which has the most advanced expanded BTV Tree diagrams.
Bill Wilson, ABADRL, presented the BTV Persistent theory or hypothesis that the BTV orbivirus may exist as a vector specific core virus and requires a physiological event (temperature, feed, movement, illness) to manifest the symptoms.
The Bluetongue Chapter of the OIE Code was revised by the Australian section of the Code Group and is open to comment or changes, forwarded to Dr. Pearson.
Dr. Arnold Vaquier, NCIE, APHIS\VS, reported that all Import\Export Protocols are reviewed for every detail and that those for semen and embryos are wider in scope. He also presented all the numbers for livestock exports and imports and made note of major changes in volumes.
Topics within the FED Committee predictably included Avian Influenza and BSE with reports on surveillance and contingency plans for these diseases, among others. Of particular interest and potential relevance to camelids, were a number of presentations and discussions regarding FMD. During the UK FMD outbreak, in the US a very negative stance towards vaccine use was stated. Use of vaccine was generally considered an extreme and last ditch effort to be used only in conjunction with subsequent slaughter of all vaccinates. While the Camelid Alliance was successful at the time in securing a Decision Memorandum from USDA allowing a surveillance and testing protocol rather than mandatory slaughter of camelids within a FMD “zone”, the general “kill em all” FMD approach would offer camelid owners certain challenges should we be forced to deal with FMD in the states. In a rather dramatic departure from FMD plans stated in recent years, FED committee discussions included direct discussion regarding the necessity of a strong FMD vaccination policy. Reports were provided on measures being taken currently to increase the stockpile of FMD vaccine available through cooperative efforts within the Americas and recent former director of APHIS made a presentation strongly advocating use of vaccine and no follow up slaughter of vaccinated animals and non infected livestock.
While discussions or resolutions from USAHA do not necessarily result in an official change in government policy, there appears to be some momentum building for an appropriately adjusted FMD policy within the USA.
There was discussionon the movement of livestock within or between countries with the following diseases: FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease), BT (Bluetongue), BVD, (Bovine Viral Diarrhea), Brucellosis, Leucosis and Vesicular Stomatitis (VS).
Reports given by Dr. Julie Gard from Auburn showed concern over the BVD disease involved with embryos and the safety questions and risks being studied, since the virus can penetrate the zona pellucida. This concern was voiced during the presentation by Paul Taylor on the freezing of camelid embryos without an intact zona pellucida. More study is needed.
Paul’s request for a protocol to import camelid embryos from South America was sent to Import\Export officials (Dr. LeeAnn Thomas and Dr. Lisa Ferguson) to determine if a protocol may be written.
Dr. LeeAnn Thomas reported that the Regionalization projects for Brazil were on hold now due to the FMD outbreak. She and Dr. Ferguson also stated they would proceed immediately with the final re-write for the BSE and product movement across the Canadian border. The Minimal Risk Rule will come first, followed by the Broad Comprehensive Rule.
Rick McDonald, a Canadian Livestock Exporter, head of the World Dairy Congress, requested more feasible regulations on moving livestock through the US and explained that Canada would be adopting new import policies in line with the OIE Codes.
A presentation was given on the presence of BVD in embryos and offspring from bulls thought to be free of the disease, but showing BVDV in the semen one year later. Also the recent discovery of the presence of prion proteins in mammary glands is a cause for major concern for livestock surveillance and control of disease. TSEs had not been identified in these cells before.
Two camelid presentations were given in this committee.
Karen Conyngham made a presentation entitled “Camelid Health Review and Medical Research Update”.
The review provided an overview of camelid population statistics, description of the many uses for llamas and alpacas, followed by a survey of the differences between camelids and ruminants including taxonomy, evolution, physiology, and disease prevalence and resistance. The impact on the llama and alpaca community due to the closing of the Canadian border to BSE from 2003-2005 was also covered.
The second portion of the presentation provided a review of current camelid medical research being funded or recently completed by the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) and the Alpaca Research Foundation (ARF).
MAF approved two studies on genetic markers in South American Camelids (SACs) in 2005. Continuing studies include the efficacy of oral omeprazole in third compartment ulcers in SACs and identification of proteins that have the potential to serve as vaccines for P. tenuis which is very important to N. American camelid owners.
ARF-supported research on WNV in camelids continues at Oregon State, and that institution is also investigating the efficacy of a blood substitute product in SACs. An additional study will investigate the prevalence of BVDV in alpacas in N. America and determine if further research into this disease in camelids is warranted.
As of late October 2005, 70 articles on camelid health, nearly all peer-reviewed, have been published in the literature.
A good source for information about camelid health, research and welfare is available at the Intl. Camelid Institute, via their web site: www.icinfo.org.
An industry-wide committee has been working over the past several years to establish “Minimum Standards of Care for Llamas and Alpacas” and “Recommended Practices in Caring for Llamas and Alpacas”; the guidelines are for use by both camelid owners and animal welfare officials. These documents were released in the fall of 2005 and are accessible at: www.camelidcare.info
Copies of the two Standards of Care documents were distributed to state veterinarians who attended USAHA and also to appropriate USDA/APHIS personnel.
Another camelid presentation, on embryo movement, was made by Paul Taylor of Taylor Llamas in Bozeman, MT.
“Protocols for Importation of Frozen Hatched Blastocysts of South American Camelids”
The international movement of embryos of South American camelids has not been possible because, in these species, the embryos are retained in the oviduct until after hatching and therefore cannot be collected nonsurgically while still in the zona pellucida (ZP). Currently, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS) regulations require the presence of an intact ZP on embryos for importation into the United States (US).
A more significant barrier to international movement of camelid embryos has been the fact that these hatched blastocysts have proved to be nearly impossible to freeze by standard methods that rely on movement of the cryoprotectant down a concentration gradient from outside the trophectoderm layer of the conceptus in to the aqueous blastocoel fluid. It is universally accepted that embryos intended for movement across international borders must be cryopreserved so they can be held for a period of time greater than the incubation period for any diseases of concern to allow post embryo collection testing of the embryo donor animal. Donor animals can then be retested to provide reliable assurance that they were not infected with pathogens of concern at the time of embryo collection.
A new technique involving direct injection of cryoprotectant in to the blastocoel fluid and extraction of almost all of the blastocoel fluid to allow rapid equilibrium of the entire conceptus prior to cryopreservation, as well as the post-thaw injection of culture medium to reinflate the trophectoderm has opened the door to practical cryopreservation of hatched blastocysts. Now, hatched embryos of South American camelids can be cryopreserved and held until post collection testing can be accomplished.
Risk assessment of the animal health status of the country, region and farm of origin of embryos intended for importation, coupled with the ability to cryopreserve and hold these embryos until after post collection testing has shown to provide a wide margin of statistical certainty that the embryos imported under these strict guidelines are free from disease and safe for importation without a ZP.
Finally, international movement of cryopreserved, hatched blastocysts of the South American camelid will allow increased trade in the genetics of these species with a dramatic reduction in the health risks and animal welfare issues involved in the importation of live animals.
Several Cattle, Bison and Camelids committee members and the Chair asked questions about the ET procedure which were answered by Mr. Taylor. There was interest in the technique but the committee ultimately felt there was not enough information provided to approve the resolution at this time. However this same presentation was made in the Committee on Import/Export (see below) and after discussion and questions in the Import/Export Committee, a slightly modified resolution on embryo movement was passed by that committee. The resolution also was passed at the USAHA general membership meeting.
RESOLUTION [from the Import/Export Committee]:
The United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) urges the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS) to determine if protocols can be developed for the importation into the United States of cryopreserved, hatched blastocysts of South American camelids.
Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus
A round-table discussion focused on eradication of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus. This disease has been found in camelids and the Alpaca Research Foundation is currently funding more research into this condition in alpacas and llamas in N. America. The significance and / or prevalence of BVDV PI in camelids is unknown. This disease is caused by a pestivirus; clinical disease is sporadic and seen only in young animals. The natural reservoir for this disease is persistently infected animals. Infection occurs during gestation, is present at birth and lasts for life. Dr. Donald Mattson writes on the ARF web site: “Diagnosis of a PI alpaca [and llama] is an important issue. It has far-reaching implications in that the animal readily sheds virus to other members of the herd where it can induce a variety of disease conditions. Of special concern is the pregnant animal that becomes infected and passes the PI condition to its fetus. It should be noted that a fetus is vulnerable to becoming PI only during a certain phase of its development. Generally, this period starts when the embryo implants onto the uterus and continues to just a little over the end of the first trimester.” For the remainder of this in-depth article on BVD in camelids, see: http://www.alpacaresearchfoundation.org/
RESOLUTION:
The United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) recommends that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Veterinary Services (VS) support and provide research on the prevalence and impact of BVDV in camelids.
This small committee is involved with the coordination of issues surrounding global animal health and is tied closely to the activities of the O.I.E., the Organizacion Internacional of Epizootics (also called the World Animal Health Organization) and the WTO (World Trade Organization). Its members are responsible for monitoring activities and regulations in the major foreign countries and maintain a close connection with USAHA.
John Fischer gave the OIE Wildlife Disease report on “Disease Compartmentalization” issues implicated in the biosecurity plans for quarantine, screening and protocols for disease risk in commercial trade of wildlife and more specifically birds and fowl.
Dr. Billy Karesh, Director of Field Programs for the World Wildlife Conservation Society, reported there were full time personnel in 50 countries working on the avian influenza (AI) problem, as well as FMD in gazelles, Ebola in primates, and studying the triangle connection between FMD, rabies, and TB. He emphasized the severity and high risk in illegal wildlife trade and the recurring AI transmitted from infected fowl to wild birds and transported over world-wide migratory paths.
Dr. Lorenzo Terzi, from Italy, as the representative from the Animal Health commission for the European Union, presented the position on Regionalization for Animal Diseases which is being promoted by the 26 countries of the EU. Animal ID, tracking and food chain animal health are also main concerns. The EC\VS Vet agreement in article 9 (1999) lists the Annex III diseases, including bluetongue. Their position is that the importing country must accept the exporting country’s documents and regulations. Therefore, live animal export from the US to the European Union is still prohibited due to the presence of bluetongue in some US states.
Dr. Michael David, as the APHIS representative for the OIE reported on the progress being made in the changes to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) which governs all animal health for movement purposes and surveillance world-wide for reporting disease outbreaks. Effective January 2006, all OIE diseases will be listed (in the Terrestrial Animal Code) with criteria for surveillance and reporting, with many utilizing zoning or compartmentalization (Regionalization) for changes in regulations for transport and movement, as reported by Alex Thiermann . The Region of the Americas Conference, directed by Dr. Peter Fernandez, USDA\APHIS\VS will host a quadrilateral convention for strategies in avian health, the TSE groups, aquatic health and legislation for biotics. They are also working in close cooperation with the CDC (Center for Disease Control in Humans).
Dr. Norm Willis presented a formal proposal, put together by the US, Canada and Australia, for the Animal Health Foresight Group (IWADGA), concerning the proper disposal of carcasses involved with disease, and the promotion of alternatives for large scale depopulation of domestic livestock during emergency crisis management.
All states now have functioning premises registration systems. Over 147,200 premises have been registered nationwide as of November 7, 2005. While most aspects of the National Animal Identification System remain as originally planned, a significant change in how the NAIS will track animal movement was announced by Sec. Johanns on August 30 th when USDA revealed their plan to turn the movement tracking database over to a private entity rather than having the federal government administer and fund this database. States will continue to assign premises ID numbers. The 840 ID devices (ear tags and microchips with the new 15-digit number) should be ready for distribution in early 2006. However the tracking database has been causing much concern within the cattle industry, some of whom are demanding that government not be able to access private producer records. USDA only needs to track four data elements: the date on which animal movement took place, the premises ID of the site where the animal arrived, the animal’s ID number and the appropriate “event code” for the situation or place where the animal was sighted. Many small and mid-sized cattle operations would like to use a movement tracking database to track herd management data beyond the basics that USDA needs for trace-back and trace-forward purposes, but those cattle owners do not want to share that management data with the government. Although a bill exempting any NAIS information from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has been introduced in the House of Representatives, the bill is not moving forward, causing leadership from the cattle industry to bring pressure on the Secretary of Agriculture to privatize the movement tracking database. This decision met with very strong resistance from non-cattle species groups and the Livestock Marketing Association. They argue that with USDA dropping responsibility for the movement tracking database, the NAIS has become an unfunded federal mandate that will place the total cost of the NAIS on producers.
USDA now proposes to have a “portal” leading to databases that will track animal movement for various species. The individual states might also apply to the USDA to be allowed to track movement (several states have laws that prohibit movement tracking data being held privately), and their data would be accessed via this portal. There is still a USDA requirement that animal movement must be traceable within 48 hours of discovery of a “disease of concern” and any state or private databases that track animal movement must be able to meet this requirement. State animal health officials and some species group representatives are worried about the timeliness, integrity of movement data, confidentiality and the cost to report movement (unknown at present) to a database held in the private sector and prefer to have USDA continue to administer and fund this aspect of the NAIS.
To that end, several meetings were held at USAHA to try to decide the best way to move forward with USDA on the movement tracking database issue. During one of these meetings, the fact was disclosed by USDA that indeed they do have a prototype movement tracking database nearly ready for testing but they will not use it unless directed to do so by Secretary Johanns. It is important that all parties maintain open communication with the Secretary on this issue. A resolution from the ID Committee was passed that asked USDA/APHIS to “implement the animal tracking database for disease surveillance and monitoring as initially outlined in the NAIS plan”. It was further decided that the current USAHA President, Dr. Bret Marsh, and a group of stakeholders, will hand-carry this resolution to Sec. Johanns directly and engage in further discussion. A meeting in January of 2006 is anticipated.
RESOLUTION:
United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) urges he United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to implement the animal tracking database for disease surveillance and monitoring as initially outlined in the NAIS plan.
For the full text of committee meetings and committee resolutions, please check the USAHA web site: www.usaha.org/committees
The 110th Annual USAHA Meeting will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota
October, 12-19, 2006 at the Minneapolis Hilton Hotel.