Weekly Livestock-Equine News: February 17, 2025

AVMA-endorsed xylazine legislation reintroduced in Congress

The American Veterinary Medical Association expressed support for the reintroduction of the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act in both the House and Senate. The legislation would categorize xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance while maintaining its availability to veterinarians. Xylazine is a prescription sedative used to facilitate the safe handling and treatment of many species and is particularly important for use in cattle, horses, wildlife and research species.

U of I addresses need to develop food animal veterinarians

High-achieving students with an interest in food animal veterinary sciences now have an expedited pathway for admission at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A new program allows animal sciences majors to gain early acceptance if they maintain a 3.5 GPA, complete livestock-related courses and experiences, and plan to become food animal veterinarians.

Hans Coetzee awarded for livestock pain research

Dr. Hans Coetzee, university distinguished professor of animal welfare at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, received the National Academy of Sciences 2025 Prize in Food and Agriculture Science. Coetzee was part of a team that validated a pressure mat system to accurately measure subtle changes in how animals walk as a potential pain indicator. Since then, he and others have continued to develop and prove the efficacy of pain management drugs for livestock.

Cybersecurity vulnerabilities possible with Contec, Epsimed monitors

The FDA is warning of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in Contec CMS8000 patient monitors and Epsimed MN-120 patient monitors, which can allow unauthorized actors to bypass cybersecurity controls, gaining access to and potentially manipulating the device. That said, the FDA is not aware of any cybersecurity incidents, injuries, or deaths related to these cybersecurity vulnerabilities at this time.

Arkansas authorizes veterinary telemedicine

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law two veterinary telemedicine bills. Act 18 authorizes veterinary telemedicine in the state, and Act 19 allows veterinary technicians to go on location for emergency calls without a veterinarian.

Veterinarian to lead pandemic response unit

Gerald Parker, a veterinarian and former top U.S. health and security official, has been chosen to lead the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy. With more than three decades in the federal government, Dr. Parker has held positions at the departments of Health & Human Services, Homeland Security and Defense. Most recently, he was the associate dean for Global One Health at Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.