Reading Time: 4 minutes By sampling water bowls, researchers can monitor antimicrobial resistance and bovine respiratory disease in cattle, which is a faster and more efficient method than traditional individual animal testing.
Cattle water bowls hold insight into animal health, antimicrobial resistance
Swabbing cattle watering bowls used in genomic testing to find antimicrobial resistance and look for bovine respiratory disease
Major U.S. retailers limit infant formula purchases on shortage
Reuters — U.S. retailers including Target, CVS and Walgreens Boots Alliance said on Tuesday they have limited purchases of infant formula due to a supply shortage. The limits come after top supplier Abbott Laboratories in February recalled some baby formula including Similac made at its plant in Michigan over complaints of bacterial infections in infants […] Read more
Anthrax kills southeastern Saskatchewan sheep
Spores forced up by changes in soil moisture
Dramatic shifts in soil moisture are again bringing anthrax spores to the surface on the Prairies, this time in a southeastern Saskatchewan sheep pasture. Lab results on Wednesday confirmed anthrax as the cause of death of one animal in a flock of sheep in the R.M. of South Qu’Appelle, about 50 km east of Regina, […] Read more
Safety advocates sound alarm over new U.S. hog slaughter rules
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. food safety and the health of plant workers will be at risk from new federal rules that allow meat companies to slaughter hogs as fast as they want and shift the role of government inspectors, food and environmental advocates said on Tuesday. The warnings about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s […] Read more
Microbiome research an important step in beef cattle research
Cattle’s internal microbiome another place where diseases develop
Reading Time: 3 minutes Microbiome research could help answer a lot of questions about respiratory and liver abscess disease. The microbiome, a collection of bacteria, could be another place where diseases develop. “When we’re talking about respiratory diseases, a lot of the bugs that cause respiratory disease are there all the time,” Beef Cattle Research Council science director Reynold […] Read more
Bovine TB probe turns up more TB-positive cattle
Federal inspectors have confirmed a southeastern Alberta cow found with bovine tuberculosis in September was not just a one-off. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Friday reported five more cattle from the initial cow’s index herd in southeastern Alberta are confirmed to have been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria — presumed to be to be […] Read more
Here’s how to keep your well in good shape
Reading Time: 2 minutes An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to well maintenance. Test regularly Test well water once or twice a year for coliform bacteria and E. coli. Sample bottles are available at local public health offices and come with instructions on sampling. The health office will send the sample to […] Read more
What Consumer Reports said about beef safety
The organization claims that drug-resistant bacteria pose a serious and growing health threat
Reading Time: 3 minutes The following is excerpted from The Beef Report produced by Consumer Reports’ Food Safety and Sustainability Center. The full report can be found here. The danger of superbugs Foodborne illness caused by drug-resistant bacteria, such as the antibiotic-resistant strains of salmonella that have caused beef-related outbreaks in recent years, are also a major cause for […] Read more
Anthrax strikes two cattle operations near Fort Vermilion
If an animal dies suddenly on your property, do not move it and call a veterinarian for a diagnosis
Reading Time: 2 minutes Anthrax has surfaced in Alberta, killing about 10 cattle on two separate operations in the Fort Vermilion area. This follows the death of two bison that died in North Battleford, Sask. and producers are being warned to be on the lookout for anthrax, due to the hot, dry conditions. The disease is not new to […] Read more
Anthrax detected in northern Alberta
Two cases confirmed from two separate beef cattle farms in the Fort Vermillion area
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta Agriculture and Forestry has been notified of confirmed cases of anthrax in two separate beef cattle farms in the Fort Vermillion area. Given these findings and recently confirmed cases in Saskatchewan, producers are reminded to be on the look-out for anthrax. The recent hot, dry weather has led to conditions that are favourable for […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
