The AASV Student Recruitment Committee is accepting applications for veterinary students interested in serving as the alternate student delegate on the AASV Board of Directors. This student will represent student interests and serve as a nonvoting member of the AASV board. This experience will provide the student with a unique perspective on the inner workings of the AASV. The term of service is 2 years: the first year as alternate student delegate, and the second year as the student delegate.
Monthly Archives: January 2008
ASF Continues Spread
The Azerbaijan State Veterinary Service has informed the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) of a confirmed outbreak of African swine fever (ASF).
IPVS Deadline for Submissions
The IPVS organizing committee wants to remind everyone that the deadline for submission of abstracts to be considered for presentation at the 2008 IPVS is January 31, 2008.
Canada to Assist FMD Eradication in S.America
The Government of Canada has announced that it is committing CAD660,000 (US$656,0000) over the next two years to assist governments in South America in efforts to eradicate foot and mouth disease (FMD).
Hormel unit Farmer John sells sows, stops breeding in California
Hormel Foods’ Farmer John unit is getting out of the hog breeding business in California, selling about 9,000 sows at its Corcoran, Calif. operation and transitioning to a finishing operation by October, a company spokesman told Meatingplace.com.
Senate confirms Schafer as next Secretary of Ag
The U.S. Senate confirmed former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer to be the next Secretary of Agriculture on January 28th.
Contamination of Salmonella spp. in a pig finishing herd, from the arrival of the animals to the slaughterhouse
The aim of the present study was to investigate the contamination sources and the transmission of Salmonella within a pig finishing herd in Italy. Nine sets of samples were collected during the fattening period from cleaned and disinfected pens, animals at different ages (4 days after arrival, 90, 150, 170 and 240 days of age) and at slaughter. Salmonella was isolated from cleaned pens, individual faecal samples, the truck used to transport the pigs to the abattoir and after slaughter (cecal contents, mesenteric lymph nodes and carcasses). Several serovars were isolated: Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella derby on farm; Salmonella bovismorbificans, Salmonella bredeney, Salmonella blockley, Salmonella hadar and Salmonella corvallis from the truck; S. derby, S. hadar, S. bredeney, S. bovismorbificans and Salmonella infantis at slaughter. Antibiotic resistance of the strains was tested and PFGE was carried out to investigate the on-farm epidemiology of Salmonella. The results showed that the environmental contamination may have represented a major source of infection for the pigs both on farm and during transport to the abattoir.
Position Announcement: Veterinarian QA – Pork
Tyson Fresh Meats is seeking a Veterinarian QA – Pork for its live swine division, The Pork Group, Inc in Northwest Arkansas. The position will work with producers and customers to understand health and quality issues with the product, and will actively collaborate with internal departments to address those issues.
ABVP Certification Workshop
Dr. James Kober will conduct a short workshop for ABVP diplomates who have questions on recertification and for ABVP candidates who have passed the entry exam and have questions on the certification process. Dr. Kober will answer questions and help clarify the timeline and requirements necessary to sit for the certification exam. The workshop will be held in Room Marina VI (Marina 6) at 12 noon on Saturday March 8, 2008.
People on the Move: Dr. Tom Wetzell
Dr. Tom Wetzell has accepted a position with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., as part of their US swine professional services team. Dr. Wetzell, AASV’s 2004 Swine Practitioner of the Year, was previously employed by South Central Veterinary Associates, and served most recently as president of both South Central Veterinary Associates and South Central Ag Products. In his new position with Boehringer, he will be serving as a professional services field veterinarian based in Wells, Minnesota. Updated contact information for Dr. Wetzell is available at http://www.aasv.org/members/only/directory.php. Are you on the move? If so, let us know at aasv@aasv.org.