RESEARCH: Risk factors for Salmonella-infections on pig farms

 

//04 Sep 2012

In light of recent changes to the German pig industry, German researchers set up a study to identify and examine the key contributing risk factors for farms in Lower Saxony. A survey conducted by the team showed that control of Salmonella on farms is highly individualistic and therefore extremely complex.

Salmonellosis is one of the major zoonotic, food-borne diseases, among others, caused by pig derived food products. As infected pigs are one of the main sources of the introduction of the bacterium into the food chain, scientific research in the last years has focussed on identifying risk factors for infection as well as developing mitigation strategies on this level of production.
In order to update the knowledge of the German situation by incorporating recent changes in the German pig industry, a case–control study was set up to identify the key contributing risk factors for farms located in the western part of Lower Saxony, the region with the highest pig density in Germany.
Based on an extensive and systematic literature search, a comprehensive questionnaire with 302 questions concerning such topics as personnel hygiene, animal management, biosecurity, feeding management as well as cleaning and disinfection routines was utilized in a face-to-face interview on 104 case and 67 control farms.
Within a stepwise forward selection process the preliminary identified factors were grouped contextually, associations between variables were calculated and multivariable logistic regression models were conducted. Identified risk factors were: the moving of individual animals during the fattening period (OR 5.3, CI 95% 1.35–20.35), not having a separate transporter for different age groups (OR 11.4, CI 95% 1.94–66.18) and pigs having contact to other animals (OR 4.3, CI 95% 1.39–12.96).
The following factors were identified as being protective: not cleaning the transporter (OR 0.2, CI 95% 0.05–0.72) and not having clean boots available (OR 0.2, CI 95% 0.07–0.64).
While this study was able to identify some factors which influence the Salmonella-infection of a herd, overall the process of analysis showed that the control of Salmonella on farm is due to a series of individual factors and therefore remains extremely complex.


Source: Meat Science

Pork producers can have carcasses checked for African Swine Fever

 

//27 Aug 2012

Swiss pork producers can have their dead pigs checked for the presence of the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus.

The newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported this in a feature on growing concern about new livestock diseases, like the Schmallenberg virus and African Swine Fever. The former does not occur in pigs.

Research costs will be paid for by the Swiss state, the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office (FVO) states.

Concern in Europe is growing about the African Swine Fever virus, as outbreaks have been confirmed in Russia and Ukraine.

Ukraine ask FAO and EU for funds to fight ASF

 

//04 Sep 2012

Ukraine has asked the FAO and EU for financial assistance to help stop the epidemic of African Swine Fever (ASF), reported State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service of Ukraine (Gosvetfitoslujba) head Vladimir Gorzheev.

"The Ukrainian authorities are negotiating with the European Commission's Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection (SANCO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to provide financial assistance for a various activities to combat the spread of the virus of African swine fever (ASF)," said Volodymyr Gorzheev.
"We are currently still in the stage of negotiations with the EU. We have provided a number of proposals about the exact amount of assistance. We do not need professional help, we need help with equipment for PCR laboratories," he said.
The Minister could not forecast the amount of funding only noting that it will be known after the upcoming meeting. If the funds are allocated they will be spent on the purchase of modern diagnostic tools and on the construction of two PCR-laboratories in two different part of the country.
Gorzheev also expressed assurance that the funds will be allocated, given EU and FAO fears of ASF virus spreading to the west.
"The countries of the European Union, have expressed concern regarding the outbreak of ASF virus in Ukraine and its possible spread into the territory of the European countries. Therefore, Ukraine has already received offers from the European Union for assistance in resolving the situation around identification of ASF in the Zaporozhye region," said Gorzheev.
“Ukraine also sent samples of material from dead animals to Spain, where the specialists confirmed the presence of ASF and its timely detection, which helped to check further spread of the disease,” he added.

Abu Dhabi says domestic poultry and eggs antibiotics free

 

//31 Aug 2012

Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), an independent food regulatory agency for the emirate, conducted a survey on 25 livestock farms looking for antibiotic residues.

Nineteen types of antibiotics in samples of poultry, eggs, milk and other meats were analysed.
Mohamed Jalal Al Reyaysa, director of Communication and Community Service at ADFCA, said the survey was part of the Authority's efforts to ensure food safety during Ramadan.
"The high levels of compliance in the animal farms with the rules and regulations are attributable to the intensive monitoring activities and awareness drives by ADFCA. The inspection visits to animal farms in 2011 and in the first half of this year stood at 492 and 354 respectively.
“Compliance levels reached 89.2% and the farms are implementing standards such as HACCP and ISO 22000. The seven events organized for awareness increase in which ADFCA's veterinarians and specialists targeted farm workers also played a big role in bringing compliance levels up," he explained.
"ADFCA monitors the use of antibiotics very carefully in animal farms as their wrong use can lead to animals becoming resistant to these antibiotics. This will, in turn, make disease control near impossible. The survey has confirmed that products from animal farms in the emirate are safe and reliable," Al Reyaysa said.
Source: Trade Arabia

2000 Israel broilers struck by Newcastle disease

 

//31 Aug 2012

Israel’s Veterinary Services and Animal health has reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) an outbreak of Newscastle Disease in the south of the country.

A total of 2000 five-week- old broilers died of Newcastle disease. The outbreak was localised to one incident.
The birds, some 47,500 in total, were divided up in two pens. The disease was found in one of the pens. In addition, the OIE reports 7,500 cases of Newcastle disease, and 38,000 susceptible birds.
All the birds are scheduled for destruction.
Source: OIE www.oie.int

Philippines ban Dutch poultry again

 

//31 Aug 2012

The Philippines has proclaimed a temporary ban against imported poultry from the province of Utrecht, the Netherlands, due to an outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza(LPAI) in the province, Xinhua reports.

The Department of Agriculture issued a memorandum Thursday, which reported that the LPAI serotype H7N7 was detected in free range laying hens in a Hagestein last August 9.
Philippine quarantine officers will confiscate all shipments of poultry and poultry products (with the exception on heat treated products) from Utrecht.
In June 2011 the Philippines imposed a similar ban on poultry imports, that time from the province of Gelderland, the Netherlands, which similarly suffered a LPAI outbreak last year.

Russia introduces tightened control on pork exports from the US

 

Russia introduces a number of intense laboratory controls on meat supplies from a number of US companies including Tyson Foods and Triumph Foods.

"During the laboratory studies listeria was identified in the shipment of pork that came from the US. The pork sample had been produced by Tyson Fresh Meats. Also in another samples of pork produced by Triumph Foods, traces were found of tetracycline and chlortetracycline which are prohibited in the Customs Union. Their total content was more than 10 mg / kg. "said the head of Rosselkhoznadzor Sergey Dankvert.

Tyson Foods will be the subject of special supervision also because, in all three enterprises of the company ractopamine was identified. In particular during the last monitoring, ractopamine was found in shipments of products from the enterprises N 244W (Tyson Fresh Meats), N 244I (Tyson Fresh Meats), N 17D (John Morrell), N 31 965 (Triumph Foods), N 320M (Farmland Foods), N 244M (Tyson Fresh Meats); in lots of pork, pork cheeks and pork hearts, produced by the enterprise N 717 (Farmland Foods), in quantities of pork and pork cheeks, produced by the enterprise N 18079 (Smithfield Packing Inc).

"Taking into account that the violations have a primary character, Rosselkhoznadzor found it necessary to introduce a regime of intensive laboratory testing from the supply of US meat production from the enterprises NN 244W, 244I, 17D, 31 965, 320M, 244M. In the case of the continuation of violations, Rosselkhoznadzor will be forced to introduce temporary restrictions on the supply of products from these companies to Russia. "stated Deputy Head of Rosselkhoznadzor Eugene Nepoklonov.