The AASV Student Recruitment Committee is accepting applications from 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 non-voting member of the AASV board. This experience will provide the student with a unique perspective of 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: September 2013
Position Announcement: Adjunct Instructor/Resident
The College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University is accepting applications for an Adjunct Instructor/Resident in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM). This residency/PhD program in veterinary microbiology will provide interested veterinarians with solid, broad based training in microbiology and infectious diseases through diagnostic casework, course work, seminars, and research. The goal of the program is to produce well-trained, board-eligible microbiologists (American College of Veterinary Microbiologists) who are market-ready in a variety of capacities to ensure human, animal, and environmental health. Successful graduates are able to pursue careers in academia, industry, or government. An opportunity to concurrently pursue a PhD degree is negotiable. Areas of active research in the department include various topics in applied veterinary microbiology in livestock and companion animals.
PEDv Update – September 25, 2013
The NAHLN has updated the latest case reports for the week of 9/16/13. No new states were added this week. Twelve cases were submitted from NC herds followed by Iowa with 7 accessions and 5 cases from OK. Overall, the number of states with at least one swine herd infected remains at 17.
Sheraton Dallas Accepting Reservations for 2014 AASV Annual Meeting
It’s a little more than 5 months until the 2014 AASV Annual Meeting, but it’s not too soon to book lodging for the conference. The AASV room block at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel is now open for reservations. Single and double rooms are available for $129 per night, plus tax. The meeting will be held March 1-4 in Dallas, Texas. AASV members who wish to stay at the conference hotel are encouraged to reserve lodging early to avoid disappointment. Reserve online here. Registration for the conference itself will open in late December. For more information, see www.aasv.org/annmtg.
A Piglet’s First Few Hours Determine its Survival
Joint British, Norwegian and Danish studies have shown that the body temperature of newborn piglets one and two hours after birth is strongly related to survival until weaning.
Alternatives to Antibiotics as Growth Promoters for Use in Swine Production: A Review
In the past two decades, an intensive amount of research has been focused on the development of alternatives to antibiotics to maintain swine health and performance. The most widely researched alternatives include probiotics, prebiotics, acidifiers, plant extracts and neutraceuticals such as copper and zinc. Since these additives have been more than adequately covered in previous reviews, the focus of this review will be on less traditional alternatives. The potential of antimicrobial peptides, clay minerals, egg yolk antibodies, essential oils, eucalyptus oil-medium chain fatty acids, rare earth elements and recombinant enzymes are discussed. Based on a thorough review of the literature, it is evident that a long and growing list of compounds exist which have been tested for their ability to replace antibiotics as feed additives in diets fed to swine. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these compounds produce inconsistent results and rarely equal antibiotics in their effectiveness. Therefore, it would appear that research is still needed in this area and that the perfect alternative to antibiotics does not yet exist.
USDA Produces Pig Health TV Feature
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a video interview with researcher Dr Joan Lunney discussing the role of vaccination and immunity in establishing and maintaining pig health. The video can be viewed on YouTube at pig immune research.
FDA Proposes Revision to Annual Report on Antimicrobials for Food-Producing Animals
In an effort to improve transparency about the amount of antimicrobials sold or distributed for use in food-producing animals, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing a proposal to provide additional data tables in its annual summary report of this information. The proposal is available for public comment until November 25, 2013.
PigTrace to be Mandatory Nationwide Next Summer
Canada’s hog producer group and the federal government are reported to have agreed on July 1, 2014 as the launch date for a mandatory nationwide traceability system for hogs.
Sign up for New ADVET-S Course on Production Economics
The University of Minnesotaâs ADVET-S continuing education program is offering âProduction Economics: Decision Tools for a Competitive Edge Part 1â October 14 â 27, 2013. Participants will apply concepts such as throughput, operating expense, and inventory cost to pig production. There will be two webinars held during the course on Friday October 18th and Friday October 25th 9 â 10 am US Central time. There will be instructional videos and articles that participants will review on their own time as well the opportunity to apply the concepts to problem sets using a team-based approach. For more information and to register for the course please go to http://www.advet.net.