Cache Valley virus is a mosquito-borne disease which was first discovered in Utah’s Cache Valley in 1956. It has spread across North America over the decades, posing a threat primarily to producers in regions with significant mosquito populations.

It primarily affects sheep, but it has also been found in other small ruminants such as goats.

No vaccine or treatment exists for Cache Valley virus, which can cause abortions and stillbirths in small ruminants such as sheep.

“We’ve seen producers lose up to 30 per cent of their lamb crop in a single season,” said Saskatchewan-based veterinarian Heidi Dubé, while speaking at the Alberta Sheep Breeders Association symposium in Camrose in October.

“The virus can cause extreme birth defects, including scoliosis, fused joints and neurological complications.”

The virus has been found to only impact pregnant sheep in the first 48 days of pregnancy. Dubé said that although about 65 per cent of sheep which have been tested show exposure to the virus, it is only those in the early weeks of pregnancy that are vulnerable to its effects.

“Non-pregnant ewes or sheep that are pregnant beyond that 48 days typically don’t show any clinical disease at all and are typically able to mount a very good immune response to the virus and have no impact on the pregnancy whatsoever,” she said.

“However, in the case of a pregnant ewe during her first trimester, the virus could cross the placenta to infect the fetus, resulting in the symptoms of abortions, stillbirth, congenital defects and so on.”

Steps for prevention

Dubé said there are certain types of mosquitoes that are known to be more likely to carry Cache Valley virus, but studies have shown that more and more varieties of mosquitoes are being found to carry it as well.

There is no vaccine for prevention, and Dubé says there are none on the way. But other steps can be taken to try to prevent infection in sheep.

Since the virus is solely spread through mosquito bites, the first option would be to adjust your operation’s breeding season to early spring or late fall to avoid mosquito season altogether.

If that is not feasible on your operation, managing standing water in the area could play a large role in minimizing the mosquito population on your property.

“Standing water that doesn’t get disturbed at all is your highest source of mosquitoes. Draining all your water pails or emptying your tire swings or any other source of standing water is worth thinking about,” Dubé said.

“The basic gist is that wherever you can reduce any standing water, I would encourage you to do so.”

Testing infected fetuses

Diagnosis of the virus remains challenging, with most detection occurring through postmortem examination of aborted fetuses.

Dubé said it would be beneficial for producers to have their fetuses or stillborn lambs tested for the virus. At worst, it would give the producer peace of mind that another more serious issue is not present in their flock.

“What I have found when I’ve tested, I really like the elimination of diagnosis.”

Human transmission

Cache Valley virus can be transmitted to humans, although it is rare.

Symptoms in humans are generally flu-like, so human transmissions of Cache Valley virus often go unreported.

Future outlook

Dubé said there are really no expectations for a vaccine or treatment for Cache Valley virus on the horizon. But the hope is that, with time, ewes will be able to develop an immunity to the virus.

“There’s lots of questions about it that we don’t have answers for right now. I think there’s a lot of hope that they get long-term immunity to it, but we really don’t know yet,” she said.

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The case centres on events that occurred in November 2023.

RCMP say that sheep and goats were purchased at market and transported to rural properties in Mountain View County, Rocky View County and Wheatland County. Upon arrival, these animals were unlawfully slaughtered and meat was delivered to stores and residences in Calgary.

Cattle were also slaughtered, but the resulting beef was seized by investigators prior to arriving in Calgary.

Inspections were completed at the farm and store locations. Seven grocery stores were closed and two on-farm slaughter licences were revoked as a result. Four Calgary residents have been charged.

Raed Aljnar, 48, has been charged with failure to have animals inspected prior to slaughter, as well as selling, offering to sell, transporting and delivering uninspected meat, both charges under the Meat Inspection Act Provincial. He also faces charges of dealing livestock without being a licenced livestock dealer, contrary to the Livestock Identification and Commerce Act.

Waeel Alhamawi, 35, has been charged with failure to have animals inspected prior to slaughter, selling, offering for sale, transport and delivering uninspected meat, and dealing without being a licenced livestock dealer.

Amer Alhamawi, 35, has been charged with failure to have animals inspected prior to slaughter, selling, offering for sale, transporting and delivering uninspected meat, and dealing in livestock without being a licenced livestock dealer.

Tareq Alhamawi, 41, has been charged with selling, offering for sale, transporting of delivering uninspected meat.

The four are scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Strathmore on June 24, 2024.

To buy and livestock and livestock products within 30 days, a dealer’s licence is required.

For information on dealer licences, refer to Livestock Identification Services Ltd. Inquiries regarding slaughter and meat inspect can be directed to Alberta Agriculture’s Inspection and Investigation Section.

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Anne Hubbs, senior wildlife biologist with the Alberta government, says domestic sheep and goats can commonly carry a bacterium that can cause pneumonia and large-scale population die-offs of Bighorn sheep following close contact with an infected animal.

“There are no vaccines or treatments for wild sheep, so maintaining physical separation from domestic sheep and goats is very important,” Hubbs says.

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Predators that feed on infected birds have previously tested positive for HPAI in the U.S.

The goat lived on the same property as a poultry flock that tested positive for the disease, North Dakota State University (NDSU) said in an article on its website this month.

“While we don’t envision this zoonotic transmission to be commonplace, good biosecurity protocols separating livestock from poultry/waterfowl is a good production practice to reduce the potential spread of HPAI to our small ruminants during the spring migration of wild birds,” said Travis Hoffman, sheep specialist with NDSU Extension.

The goat shared the same pasture and water source as the poultry.

NDSU said that while there’s little information on HPAI infection in ruminants, it appears that in some species animals with compromised or immature immune systems are at great risk of infection. In the Minnesota case, only young goats were affected.

Limiting livestock’s exposure to potentially-infected poultry is the first line of defense against infection, NDSU said.

Avian influenza has spread among poultry flocks around the world to devastating effect. A strain of the disease has also been shown to have killed sea mammals in South America.

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The regulatory proposal would address what the agency calls “gaps” in the current system, including:

• adding goats and cervids as animal species that share diseases with other regulated livestock, and therefore subject to traceability requirements,
• shortening the time period allowed to report an event to better support an efficient response to disease outbreaks,
• adding a requirement to provide information about the geographical location of sites where animals are located, and
• requiring the reporting of domestic movements of livestock.

CFIA is asking producers who own sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, bison or farmed cervids or are involved with livestock production or handling, to share their feedback during the consultation period, which opened Saturday and runs to June 16.

Some affected livestock groups are already making moves in anticipation of the new rules.

The Canadian Sheep Federation (CSF) AgroLedger, a digital traceability program, launched a pilot program in July 2022 for early adopters before its sector-wide release.

The CFS-funded program was made available at no cost to Canadian sheep producers to bring them in line with the government regulatory amendments.

“We understand that all the users, farmers included, are going to face a lot more work in terms of meeting regulations. The ultimate goal here is to make that easier, less complex, less work wherever possible for producers,” CFS executive director Corlena Patterson said at the time.

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Details are still pending, but the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) announced Aug. 12 it has started work on a “Hay West” initiative to get surplus hay “to those struggling in the West.”

A similar program ran in 2002 in similar circumstances, the CFA said, noting that 10 years later, when the situation was reversed, farmers in the West sent hay east to help farms stricken with drought in that region.

“We have our staff as well as a third party working towards determining how much of a hay surplus is available, and are looking to work with the railways and the government to help these farmers that are in dire need of feed for their animals,” CFA president Mary Robinson said in a release.

CFA said it will provide more information on the Hay West initiative as “details become available” and will work with government and stakeholders “to ensure that farmers are supported and surplus hay reaches those that need it.”

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) on Thursday pledged $50,000 toward the CFA’s initiative — plus another $50,000 toward the Northwestern Livestock Emergency Assistance Initiative managed by Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO).

The plan for the Northwestern Livestock Emergency Assistance Initiative, BFO said, is “to help protect and maintain the breeding herd while we await the completion of the federal-provincial AgriRecovery assessment” toward further assistance for the region.

BFO has also received provincial funding for the initiative, which it said will go to help deliver emergency feed relief to all impacted livestock farmers in the Rainy River and Kenora districts.

Eligible beef, dairy, sheep and goat producers must be residents of either of those districts, have a valid Ontario farm premises ID number and farm business registration number.

Eligible growers also must be able to “attest to experiencing an immediate livestock feed shortage as a result of the extreme dry conditions of the 2021 growing season.”

Producers in all four western provinces and northwestern Ontario are awaiting full assessments toward federal/provincial AgriRecovery drought relief.

The Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and federal governments have already pledged funding for AgriRecovery in affected areas. The British Columbia government is also working on an AgriRecovery assessment but hasn’t yet announced its funding for the program. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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Ford on Friday announced a major cabinet shuffle, dropping Hardeman, the long-time MPP for Oxford, from the cabinet table and naming Lisa Thompson as minister for agriculture, food and rural affairs.

Thompson, who until Friday was Ford’s minister of government and consumer services, has been MPP for the western Ontario riding of Huron-Bruce since 2011. She previously served as minister of education (2018-19) and in opposition critic portfolios such as international trade (2017-18) and environment (2014-17).

Thompson lives on a family farm near Teeswater, about 100 km northwest of Kitchener, where she and her husband raise purebred Boer goats. She served as general manager for the Ontario Dairy Goat Co-operative before entering provincial politics.

Thompson’s resume also includes a degree in economics and study in the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program at the University of Guelph, plus certification from the George Morris Centre executive development program at U of G’s Ontario Agricultural College. She also previously chaired the Ontario 4-H Foundation and served as vice-chair for Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc.

Thompson “understands the need of rural communities and farmers, and we know she will look for new ways of supporting and helping grow farm businesses and rural economies,” Grain Farmers of Ontario chair Brendan Byrne said in a separate release Friday.

“With COVID disruptions, trade disputes, volatile markets and high levels of business risk for farmers, Ontario agriculture needs a strong voice and advocate who understands farmers and farming businesses,” GFO CEO Crosby Devitt said in the same release.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture on Friday also hailed Thompson’s appointment. As government and consumer services minister, she was a “key partner” in addressing concerns with the provincial Not-for-Profit Corporations Act and its “potential negative impacts on (OFA’s) democratic structure,” the organization said.

Thompson “has a valuable understanding of farm and rural issues and has a direct connection to those communities,” OFA president Peggy Brekveld said in a separate release.

Ford’s shuffled cabinet includes himself and 23 ministers plus five associate ministers.

“As we continue our work to rebuild and support Ontario’s health system, our renewed team is well positioned to deliver on the priorities that matter to Ontarians, including getting more people back to work, making life more affordable, supporting businesses and job creators and building transit infrastructure,” he said Friday.

Hardeman, the MPP for Oxford since 1995, served stints as then-premier Mike Harris’ agriculture minister (1999-2001), the Tories’ opposition agriculture critic (2003-05, 2008-14), and Ford’s ag minister from mid-2018 up until Friday.

Before entering provincial politics, Hardeman owned and operated Hardeman Feed at Salford, Ont., east of London, from 1966 to 1995 and chaired the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) in 1993 and 1994.

“We engaged regularly with Minister Hardeman over the past few years and wholeheartedly appreciate his passion for agriculture and his desire to see our dynamic industry grow, innovate and move forward,” OFA’s Brekveld said Friday.

Other appointments in Friday’s shuffle of interest to farmers include Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP Dave Piccini as environment and conservation minister and Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford as natural resources minister.

Rickford’s portfolio now involves a “merged role” also including northern development, mines and forestry, and he remains minister for Indigenous affairs. “This new northern- and economic-focused ministry will enhance development potential and sustainability in the north,” the government said Friday.

Energy, meanwhile, will become a separate ministry handled by Todd Smith, MPP for Bay of Quinte. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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Airlines can still choose which other species to allow on board, but the rules issued on Wednesday largely resolve years of disputes with passengers who falsely claim pets as “emotional support animals,” which may travel in the cabin with little oversight.

Under existing rules, airlines were required to recognize with limited exceptions emotional support animals as service animals. Now they can classify them as pets.

Legally protected service animals are now limited to dogs trained to perform tasks for a person who may be visually impaired or have psychiatric or other disabilities, and airlines do not have to allow “emotional support animals.”

Airlines charge as much as US$175 to transport pets, a good reason to claim pets as emotional support animals. As recently as 2017, U.S. carriers transported 751,000 of them.

Species such as horses, cats and capuchin monkeys will not get service animal status from U.S. regulators, but airlines may recognize them as service animals if they choose. Airlines may still not refuse a service animal based solely on breed or generalized physical type.

Airlines for America, an industry trade group, said the rule “will protect the traveling public and airline crew members from untrained animals in the cabin.”

U.S. carriers including Southwest, Delta, United and American Airlines in recent years have limited emotional support animals in cabins to largely dogs and cats after passengers boarded with exotic pets such as monkeys, pigs and birds that could pose a safety risk.

Spirit Airlines told regulators it had lost “millions of dollars in pet carriage fees from passengers fraudulently claiming their ‘house pets are service or support animals.'”

In 2018, Delta noted some passengers “attempted to fly with comfort turkeys, gliding possums known as sugar gliders, snakes” and spiders. That year, American Airlines said it would not allow a wide variety of creatures on flights as support animals including goats, ferrets, hedgehogs, amphibians and reptiles.

The new rules will take effect 30 days after publication in the federal register.

— David Shepardson reports on the U.S. transportation sector for Reuters from Washington, D.C.

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The warring sides blamed each other for the attack on the open-air weekly cattle market in Sangin district, where hundreds of villagers from neighbouring districts had gathered to trade sheep and goats.

A spokesman for Helmand’s governor said several rockets fired by Taliban insurgents landed close to the cattle market, killing 23 civilians, including children.

Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, said the Afghan army fired several rounds of mortar bombs on civilian houses and the cattle market, killing dozens of villagers.

Khushakyar, who goes by a single name, said he was trying to sell a calf when the rockets hit the market. He said his two nephews were killed and his son was wounded.

“I saw around 20 bodies on the ground,” he said, adding that dozens were wounded and “livestock lay dead next to men.”

Some residents of Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold, said the shelling occurred during fierce clashes between Taliban militants and government security forces in residential areas surrounding the market.

There has been an uptick in violence by the Taliban against the Afghan government, even though the insurgents, fighting to reintroduce strict Islamic law after being ousted from power in 2001, signed a troop withdrawal agreement with the United States in February designed to lead to peace negotiations with the Afghan government.

More than 500 civilians were killed and 760 others wounded because of fighting in Afghanistan in the first three months of 2020, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in late April.

— Reporting by Zainullah Stanekzai in Helmand and Abdul Qadir Sediqi in Kabul; writing by Rupam Jain.

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“The Alberta Goat Association has been reaching out to its members to let them know that we’re here and if they have any questions we are here to support them with anything that they are having issues with,” said Mallory Kaiser, the group’s vice-president.

Board members have called all 34 members of the association and talked to them personally, said Kaiser, who raises Kiko goats, a meat goat breed, on a grain farm near the small community of Fourth Creek in Peace Country.

Each person’s situation is a bit different — some raise goats for meat, others for fibre or milk, and some for weed management — but it just helps to talk with another producer at this time, she said.

Some goat producers are operating with less help than they normally do around kidding time (which for some is spring while others began in January).

Kaiser usually relies on her mother-in-law but that’s not possible now because of social distancing.

“So we’re making sure that we can juggle the babies, and making sure we have enough stuff and don’t have to run into town,” she said.

The supply of gloves, masks and other personal protective equipment — or PPE — is a concern, she said.

“If you’re handling animals, you should be wearing some sort of PPE,” said Kaiser. “Hopefully people aren’t going to the UFAs and taking those from producers.”

This is also the time of year for auctions and while some are still scheduled to go ahead with limited attendance, sales have been moving online.

Association members have also noticed websites trying to take advantage of new Canadians during the pandemic by selling halal meat at inflated prices.

“The prices of goat meat are not going up and you don’t need to be spending $20 for a pound of goat meat,” said Kaiser.

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