In the AASV e-Letter article entitled McOrist and Done Report on Recent Visit to China, which appeared in the November 29th edition, the weight conversions from kilograms to pounds were incorrect. I should have divided the values by 2.2 rather than multiplying. I apologize to the authors and my previous math instructors (who probably aren’t all that surprised). However, it was interesting to see just how many of you actually read the article and took the time to notify me of my error. I appreciate the feedback! Your comments, corrections, gripes, complaints, rants, and words of praise are always welcome at comments@aasv.org.
Monthly Archives: November 2006
Welfare-friendly Labels Proposed in the UK
The United Kingdom’s Environment Secretary David Miliband has proposed that meat and dairy products carry a label signifying the level of welfare under which the animals were raised.
Submit your nominations for the AASV Awards
Do you know an AASV member whose dedication to the association and the swine industry is worthy of recognition? The AASV Awards Committee requests nominations for three awards to be presented at the upcoming AASV annual meeting in Orlando. The awards are:
Manitoba to Impose Moratorium on Swine Expansion
Manitoba Conservation has proposed an amendment to the livestock manure and mortalities management regulation which will suspend the issuance of permits for manure storage facilities for new or expanding hog operations while the Clean Environment Commission reviews the environmental sustainability of the industry.
New brochure available: A Producer’s Guide to Managing PCVAD
The AASV and National Pork Board have collaborated to produce an 18-page color brochure on porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD) for producers. The booklet describes the disease, emphasizes the need for laboratory diagnosis, and outlines steps to be taken in each stage of production once PCVAD is diagnosed on the farm. Electronic copies of the brochure are available on the AASV website under “Publications” or http://www.aasv.org/aasv/publications.htm. Print copies may be ordered at no charge from The Pork Store here.
Isolation and Characterization of Novel H3N1 Swine Influenza Viruses from Pigs with Respiratory Diseases in Korea
Pigs can play an important role in the genetic reassortment of influenza viruses and as a reservoir for another lineage of influenza viruses that have the ability to reassort and be transmitted between species. In March and April 2006, novel H3N1 influenza A viruses were isolated from pigs with respiratory diseases at two different commercial swine farms in Korea. Genetic and phylogenetic analyses of the sequences of all eight viral RNA segments showed that the novel H3N1 swine influenza viruses were reassortants that acquired the hemagglutinin gene from an H3 human-like virus and other genes from swine influenza viruses that are currently circulating in Korea. Serologic and virologic tests in the infected farms suggested that pig-to-pig and farm-to-farm transmissions occurred. Clinical signs in pigs and experimentally infected mice suggest the potential to transmit the virus between swine and other mammalian hosts.To our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation of the swine H3N1 subtype from domestic pigs under field conditions in Korea. Further surveillance will be needed to determine whether this novel subtype will continue to circulate in the swine population. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, November 2006, p. 3923-3927, Vol. 44, No. 11 0095-1137/06/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/JCM.00904-06 Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Hospital-acquired C. difficile Linked to Human Deaths
Over the last six months, four patients have died after contracting Clostridium difficile, and 22 new people have become infected in the last month at the Trois-Rivières regional health center, which is about 125 kilometers east of Montreal. The bacteria has been linked to the deaths of three additional patients at l’hôpital Ste-Croix in Drummondville located about 100 kilometers east of Montreal. St. Hyacinthe’s Honoré Mercier hospital said on Friday that a 12th person has died from the bacteria. Thirty-one patients at the hospital have been infected with C. difficile in the last two months.
Renew/Apply for AASV 2007 Membership
It’s that time of year again: time to renew your AASV membership for the coming year! Current members should have received the 2007 renewal notice in the mail. It’s also a good time to encourage veterinary colleagues who aren’t already members to join the association. Veterinarians may renew or apply for AASV membership online at https://aasv.securesites.net/secure/member_form.html. Non-veterinarians who have made noteworthy contributions to the practice of veterinary medicine and/or research are invited to apply for Affiliate Membership. The application requires the endorsing signatures of two AASV Active Members and is reviewed by the AASV Executive Committee. The Affiliate Membership application is available at http://www.aasv.org/aasv/affiliate_form.pdf, and must be submitted for consideration prior to January 1 if the applicant wishes to be eligible to attend the AASV 2007 annual meeting. For additional information regarding membership, please see http://www.aasv.org/aasv/membership.html or contact the AASV: Tel. 515-465-5255, Email aasv@aasv.org.
?Animal Compassionate? Label to be Introduced
Whole Foods Market will introduce a line of meat products displaying an “animal compassionate” label targeting a niche market aimed at satisfying animal activist concerns regarding animal welfare practices.
The Effect of a Central Nervous Stimulant on the Development of Oedema Disease in Pigs after Challenge with Escherichia coli verotoxin-2e
The objective of the trial was to determine the effect of a central nervous stimulant on the development of oedema disease in weaned pigs after challenge with Escherichia coli verotoxin 2-e (VT2-e).