During dinner at the recent AASV Annual Meeting, a distressed dieting member was overheard to exclaim, “this pizza was sent here to destroy me!”
Monthly Archives: March 2018
NAHLN Quarterly Newsletter Released
The latest update from the National Animal Health Laboratory Network was released on March 18, 2018 and can be accessed here: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/lab-info-services/nahln/ct_newsletter. This issue introduces Dr. Kimberly Dodd, Director of the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Plum Island and discusses the efforts to promote laboratory messaging capabilities among the NAHLN labs.
Modelling the Economic Efficiency of Using Different Strategies to Control Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome at Herd Level
PRRS is among the diseases with the highest economic impact in pig production worldwide. Different strategies have been developed and applied to combat PRRS at farm level. The broad variety of available intervention strategies makes it difficult to decide on the most cost-efficient strategy for a given farm situation, as it depends on many farm-individual factors like disease severity, prices or farm structure. Aim of this study was to create a simulation tool to estimate the cost-efficiency of different control strategies at individual farm level. Baseline is a model that estimates the costs of PRRS, based on changes in health and productivity, in a specific farm setting (e.g. farm type, herd size, type of batch farrowing). The model evaluates different intervention scenarios: depopulation/repopulation (D/R), close & roll-over (C&R), mass vaccination of sows (MS), mass vaccination of sows and vaccination of piglets (MSâ¯+â¯piglets), improvements in internal biosecurity (BSM), and combinations of vaccinations with BSM. Data on improvement in health and productivity parameters for each intervention were obtained through literature review and from expert opinions. The economic efficiency of the different strategies was assessed over 5 years through investment appraisals: the resulting expected value (EV) indicated the most cost-effective strategy. Calculations were performed for 5 example scenarios with varying farm type (farrow-to-finish – breeding herd), disease severity (slightly – moderately – severely affected) and PRRSV detection (yes – no). The assumed herd size was 1000 sows with farm and price structure as commonly found in Germany. In a moderately affected (moderate deviations in health and productivity parameters from what could be expected in an average negative herd), unstable farrow-to-finish herd, the most cost-efficient strategies according to their median EV were C&R (€1’126’807) and MSâ¯+â¯piglets (€ 1’114’649). In a slightly affected farrow-to-finish herd, no virus detected, the highest median EV was for MSâ¯+â¯piglets (€ 721’745) and MS (€ 664’111). Results indicate that the expected benefits of interventions and the most efficient strategy depend on the individual farm situation, e.g. disease severity. The model provides new insights regarding the cost-efficiency of various PRRSV intervention strategies at farm level. It is a valuable tool for farmers and veterinarians to estimate expected economic consequences of an intervention for a specific farm setting and thus enables a better informed decision. Nathues H, Alarcon P, Rushton J, Jolie R, Fiebig K, Jimenez M, Geurts V, Nathues C; Modelling the economic efficiency of using different strategies to control Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome at herd level; Prev Vet Med. 2018 Apr 1;152:89-102. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.02.005. Epub 2018 Feb 9. PMID: 29559110 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.02.005
Federal Spending Bill Includes Victories for Veterinarians
There’s good news for veterinarians in the spending bill approved Friday by Congress and the president. [Source: AVMA@Work, March 23, 2018]
PAACO Swine Welfare Auditor Course – 3 Spots Left
The On Farm Swine Welfare Auditor Course conducted by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) is the certification course to train potential swine farm auditors using the National Pork Board Common Swine Industry Audit. PAACO is an organization of eight professional animal organizations with extensive expertise on best management practices and current science in animal agriculture.
FFAR and National Pork Board Collaborate to Launch Swine Health Research Program
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, a nonprofit established with bipartisan congressional support in the 2014 Farm Bill, and the National Pork Board have announced joint support totaling up to $2 million for a competitive research program to improve pig health, productivity and well-being with the end goal of improving pig survival during all stages of production. [Source: FFAR, March 22, 2018]
AABP Creates Position Statement on Raised-Without-Antibiotics Programs
Raised-without-antibiotics (RWA) programs for cattle production have become increasingly popular with consumers. However, when an animal in one of these programs needs antibiotic treatment for an illness or injury, they typically cannot stay in this type of marketing program. “As this segment of the cattle industry develops, producers and processors have looked to the bovine veterinary community for guidance on structuring these programs to both meet the needs of consumers as well as the cattle in our care,” says Dr. Brandon Treichler, chair of an American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) task force that addressed RWA programs from a cattle care standpoint.
New Animal Disease Emergency Online Course Helps Ensure Rapid and Coordinated Response
The impact of an animal disease outbreak will have serious consequences for producers, as well as local and state economies. Ensuring that all responders understand the impact, the terminology used, and actions required will produce a more rapid and coordinated response.
Do You Have Three Minutes for Three Questions?
Can you spare 3 minutes of your time for AASV? Three minutes is the typical time spent to complete the 3-question AASV Annual Meeting survey. We value your comments to improve the conference as well as your suggestions for topics and speakers for next year – even if you didn’t attend this year’s meeting. Take three, and share your input at www.surveymonkey.com/r/aasv2018. While you’re at it, mark your calendar and make plans to celebrate AASV’s 50th Anniversary at the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace on March 9-12, 2019. We hope to see you there!
Position Announcement: Associate Director, Health
The Maschhoffs seeks an Associate Director of Health, based in Carlyle, Illinois. The Associate Director of Health serves as a liaison to operating divisions throughout The Maschhoffsâ Pork business and assists the Director of Health or Regional Leadership with implementation of the annual Health Operations Plan. The role collaborates with The Maschhoffsâ regional and consulting veterinarians to provide fiscally and socially responsible strategies for managing the health of the animals. The position provides leadership in training and developing production personnel, innovation to production practices, and stewardship of the companyâs animals and other resources including the image of The Maschhoffs, LLC. Typical duties of an Associate Director, Health include: