The American Association of Swine Veterinarians announces the call for abstracts for the Industrial Partners session of the 37th AASV Annual Meeting, to be held March 4 to 7, 2006, in Kansas City, Missouri. This is an opportunity for commercial companies to make brief presentations of a technical, educational nature to members of the AASV. As in previous years, each presentation is limited to 15 minutes. The session will be held on Sunday afternoon, March 5, 2006.
Monthly Archives: July 2005
Call for abstracts: AASV annual meeting Research Topics
Plans are underway for the 37th annual meeting of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, to take place in Kansas City, Missouri on March 4 to 7, 2006. As part of the meeting, there will be a session highlighting topical research projects related to swine health and production. The session is scheduled for Tuesday, March 7 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Those interested in making a 15-minute presentation should submit a one-page abstract on applied research related to swine health and production issues (virology, bacteriology, parasitology, environment, food safety, odor, welfare) to:
Abstracts due August 1 for Leman Conference poster session
The Leman Conference organizers have issued a reminder that abstract submissions for the poster session must by submitted by email to vop@umn.edu no later than Monday, August 1. Authors will be notified if their abstract is selected for poster presentation by August 10. The poster session takes place Sunday, September 18 from 5 to 7 pm, and the posters remain on display throughout the conference. For more details, see http://www.cvm.umn.edu/outreach/events/adl/abstracts.html.
Chinese FMD Update
According to an OIE report dated July 22, 2005, the foot and mouth disease virus type Asia 1 outbreak continues to spread across China. Nine outbreaks have currently been reported in 7 provinces over approximately 4000 km from the far eastern parts of China (Jiangsu, Shandong, Hebei and Beijing) to the centre (Gansu), midwest (Qinghai) and the far north west (Xinjiang autonomous region). The disease has been diagnosed in cattle although some sheep and pigs have also been destroyed as part of the control measures.
Mysterious Illness Kills 19 in China
According to a number of published reports, 19 farmers in western China have died since June after handling pig carcasses. As of Sunday, the illness had affected approximately 80 people in the Chinese province of Sichuan causing high fevers, vomiting, and nausea progressing to coma and subcutaneous hemorrhages. Seventeen people remain hospitalized in critical condition. The cases were scattered among 75 villages in four districts of Ziyang and Neijiang cities. Health officials in Sichuan have indicated that the cause of the disease is not SARS or influenza but most likely Streptococcus suis. It has been reported that all of the farmers infected had slaughtered infected pigs. The two main supermarket chains in Hong Kong have suspended selling pork products from Sichuan.
AASV names Harry Snelson, DVM, as Communications Director
The American Association of Swine Veterinarians has named Dr. Harry Snelson as director of communications. In this newly created position, Snelson will manage the association’s committees, liaison activities, and the AASV e-Letter, a weekly electronic newsletter for swine veterinarians.
Upcoming meeting: Carthage Veterinary Service 2005 Swine Conference
Carthage Veterinary Service invites veterinarians and producers to register for its 15th Annual Swine Conference, to be held Tuesday, August 30 at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. The conference sessions address a wide variety of swine veterinary topics playing off the theme “Teaming Up for Success.” The meeting offers both English and Spanish presentations. For program details and registration, see http://www.hogvet.com/cvs/conference.asp or call 217-357-2811.
Animal Care Assessment Tool To Be Merged With Canadian Quality Assurance Program
The Canadian Pork Council has released advance copies of it’s new Animal Care Assessment Tool. The assessment tool has been developed in order to provide swine producers with a method of documenting their animal care procedures.The asessment tool was developed bv a working committee that included pork producers, producer organizations, animal care researchers and government representatives. The program was then reviewed and supported by the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, The Canadian Meat Council, The Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. The assessment tool is organized so that it can be audited by a third party. The Animal Care Assessment Tool was designed to incorporate into and use the same delivery mechanism as the Canadian Quality Assurance (CQA) program. The CQA program is the Canadian swine industry’s national on farm food safety program. Dawn Lawrence is the National CQA Coordinator. Lawrence says “that over the next few months, officials will evaluate producer impressions of the package and identify any difficulties or problems that need to be addressed.” “The animal care assessment tool will be made available in advance copy from July through to December and we’ll begin doing some validations on the program in January. Through the fall we’ll be providing some more information to producers and training our validators.” Lawrence says that the hope is that both the food safety and animal care validations can take place at the same time in order to keep things as streamlined as possible for the producers.
Iowa State Fair clarifies swine exhibition health requirements
The 2005 Iowa State Fair premium book indicates that all swine for Open and FFA classes must be accompanied by a negative test for pseudorabies conducted within 30 days. However, after discussions with fair officials, State Veterinarian Dr. John Schiltz announced Wednesday that this requirement applies only to out-of-state swine. Iowa State Fair officials will not require pseudorabies tests for native Iowa swine. The official exhibition health requirements to be followed for all species at the Iowa State Fair are available at http://www.agriculture.state.ia.us/2005exhibition1.htm (see Section 4, Swine).
Crawford confirmed as FDA commissioner
Late Monday, the Senate voted 78-16 to confirm Dr. Lester Crawford as commissioner of the Food & Drug Administration. Crawford, who has a doctorate in pharmacology, is the first veterinarian to be named as head of the nation’s drug regulatory agency. Crawford has been serving as acting FDA commissioner. A worldwide authority on food safety, Crawford has served as an adviser to the U.N.’s World Health Organization for nearly 20 years. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in the U.K. Earlier in his career, he was administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety & Inspection Service.