Weekly livestock news: June 27, 2022

New rapid test that detects deadly pig virus could be adapted for other diseases

Researchers at McMaster University in Ontario have developed a rapid test to diagnose infections in farm animals. They say the test has been shown to be effective in detecting porcine epidemic diarrhea, a serious viral threat that can spread quickly through entire farms. The prototype could be adapted to test for other pathogens and in other animals. Researchers say the test, once it becomes widely available, could be a valuable tool to identify and isolate outbreaks in farm settings and to limit the possibility of animal-to-human infection transmission. The test works by mixing a saliva sample with a chemical reagent and applying the blend to a small microchip reader, which is attached to a smartphone that shows the result in minutes.

Alternative housing strategy appears to promote pig resilience compared to conventional housing, study shows

Pigs that are reared in an alternative housing system with environmental enrichment, delayed weaning and with group housing during lactation seemed more resilient than pigs kept under conventional conditions, according to a new study. Scientists from Netherlands-based Wageningen University and Research said that pigs in the alternative housing system can show more natural behavior than in conventional housing, improving their welfare. During the study, pigs were exposed to stressors including transport, heat stress, biopsy wound and an injection triggering a sickness response. Pigs in the alternative housing system were physiologically less affected and recovered more quickly from the challenges than those in conventional housing, and they seemed to experience less chronic stress, according to the university’s announcement. “A faster recovery of pigs from sickness and other challenges is beneficial for pig welfare, but also advantageous for pig farmers,” said study co-author Liesbeth Bolhuis. “Resilient pigs might even be more healthy. This helps us understand the animal in its environment. That makes it worthwhile to think about how to adapt the existing housing to stimulate the natural behavioral development of the pigs.”

Auburn University veterinarian discusses challenges facing the dairy industry

Dr. Manuel Chamorro, an associate professor at Auburn University, spoke in a Q&A about the challenges facing the dairy industry. “With current economic conditions, the rising price of fuel, fertilizers and feed has had a dramatically negative effect on the already historically low profit margins for dairy producers, especially for small dairy producers and family dairies,” Chamorro said. “In addition to the normal demanding work that is required of dairy farmers, the current economic climate has made their work even more difficult. One of the major challenges for dairy producers is that they must adapt to current market conditions and compete efficiently with their product.” Chamorro also discussed Auburn’s veterinary education program and the role veterinarians play in food production.

As misinformation spreads, veterinarians want to make clear heat stress caused recent cattle deaths in Kansas

Veterinarians in southwest Kansas say misinformation has been spreading about the cause of thousands of recent cattle deaths. But they want to make clear that while the situation is rare, it’s not unheard of, and the deaths—caused by heat stress—can be scientifically explained. There was no conspiracy. The damage caused by the event was similar to a blizzard or hurricane, but this time it was heat, said Dr. Nels Lindberg, a veterinarian who works with feedlots across Kansas. “Sometimes the conditions get so extreme, it doesn’t matter how hard producers prepare the environment, the operation, the animals,” Lindberg said. Several days of rain caused high humidity, followed by a sharp spike in temperatures topping 100 degrees with excessive humidity and no wind. The heat created overwhelming conditions with no overnight relief, he said. The cattle had no time to acclimate to the high temperatures. KWCH reports.

EPA ordered to re-evaluate glyphosate’s impact on health and the environment

The Environmental Protection Agency will have to review again whether glyphosate, the active ingredient in Bayer’s Roundup weed killer, poses unreasonable risks to humans and the environment, Reuters reports. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed in a 3-0 decision with several environmental, farmworker and food safety advocacy groups that the EPA didn’t adequately consider whether glyphosate causes cancer and threatens endangered species. The litigation began after the EPA reauthorized the use of glyphosate in January 2020. The decision doesn’t prevent people from using Roundup or similar products. The U.S. Supreme Court has also rejected an appeal from Bayer that the company had said would “effectively and largely end” Roundup litigation in the United States, Bloomberg reports.

As monkeypox spreads, scientists warn closer interactions between humans and animals could spark more zoonotic disease outbreaks

The spread of monkeypox across the world, not long after COVID-19 sparked a global pandemic, is increasing concerns that zoonotic diseases—pathogens that jump from animals to humans—could spark more major outbreaks. Zoonoses have become more common in recent decades due to deforestation, mass livestock cultivation, climate change and other human-caused upheavals in the animal world, experts say. More than 1,000 monkeypox cases have been recorded globally recently, and the World Health Organization has warned there’s a “real” risk the disease could become established in dozens of countries. The way humans and animals interact has become “unstable,” the WHO’S emergencies director, Michael Ryan, said: “The number of times that these diseases cross into humans is increasing and then our ability to amplify that disease and move it on within our communities is increasing,” he said. About 60% of all known human infections are zoonotic, as are 75% of all new and emerging infectious diseases, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. France 24 reports.