The province says there’s no evidence the first case of chronic wasting disease discovered in Manitoba is in any way linked to nearby farmed elk operations. In a media release announcing the case, officials said it was found near Lake of the Prairies as part of the province’s wildlife health surveillance program. It was in […] Read more
Chronic wasting disease discovered in Manitoba
Alarms raised after African swine fever crosses the Atlantic
Positive cases in the Dominican Republic have officials in Canada on high alert
Reading Time: 2 minutes The arrival of African swine fever in the Caribbean has alarm bells ringing here. “An outbreak of ASF in Canada could devastate the Canadian pig herd, placing farm families and tens of thousands of jobs along the entire value chain at risk,” the Canadian Pork Council said in a release. “A single, positive case could […] Read more
How did we get to this place at this time in history?
The spread of disease from animals to humans isn’t new, but reducing it will take a new approach
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s a bewildering year and you may have wondered: Just how did we get to this place at this time in history? There are many theories that are specific to the origin and spread of the coronavirus, but few look at global history and the role of food and population change within the context of […] Read more
Bovine brucellosis abortion screening pilot
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and participating Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Network laboratories are conducting a pilot project to improve Canada’s bovine brucellosis surveillance. Blood and tissue samples related to reproductive issues in cattle submitted to participating network laboratories during this time may be tested for brucellosis at a CFIA laboratory. Brucellosis is a contagious […] Read more
African swine fever: It’s not the ‘lazy’ virus — it’s unthinking people
African swine fever is spreading like wildfire in Asia, but it’s because people are bringing contaminated pork home
Reading Time: 6 minutes African swine fever continues to cut a devastating swath across Asia as North American pork industry officials work to keep the deadly disease off our shores. “The African swine fever virus is spreading very quickly throughout the Southeast Asia region,” Dr. Egan Brockhoff, veterinary counsellor for the Canadian Pork Council said in a Sept. 20 […] Read more
Stage set for upgrading Canada’s BSE status
Surveillance has highest numbers in five years, country eligible to apply for ‘negligible risk’ status
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada’s BSE surveillance effort saw the highest number of tests in five years, setting the stage for an application to have its risk status for bovine spongiform encephalopathy upgraded to “negligible.” There were 30,949 samples, mostly submitted by deadstock collection operators, tested in 2018, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association said in its e-newsletter. None tested positive […] Read more
Researchers take aim at chronic wasting disease
Finding out why prions misfold is key to finding a treatment for CWD and BSE
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chronic wasting disease (CWD) threatens populations of mule deer, whitetail deer, and elk throughout the Prairies, and scientists are working hard towards finding a solution Like bovine spongiform encephalopathy, CWD is caused by the misfolding of a mysterious class of proteins known as prions. While researchers are not clear on the function of prions in […] Read more
USDA analyzing effects of wild pigs on crops, livestock
Chicago | Reuters –– The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Friday it has started analyzing for the first time data it has collected on the impact that wild pigs have on U.S. farmers’ crop and livestock operations. It is estimated by federal and state agricultural officials that there are more than five million wild […] Read more
New swine health network to track animal diseases
Network relies on vets to paint a picture of swine animal health seen in their practices
Reading Time: 2 minutes The newly created Western Canadian Swine Health Intelligence Network will help keep producers informed about swine disease monitoring and disease knowledge transfer in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. “This is a wonderful system. It keeps people informed about what’s going on in the industry. We’re encouraging all vets to participate,” said Dr. Egan Brockhoff, a swine […] Read more
Bovine big brother: Surveillance network gives cattle researchers priceless data
Network will yield insights into improving production and herd health — and reassure customers if there’s a sudden disease concern
Reading Time: 3 minutes You can’t pick them out from the road, but 120 herds of cattle across the Prairies are special. They’re participants in a “living laboratory” experiment that is advancing knowledge about the health of the western herd in a host of ways. “We have a mixture of small and large herds, somewhat representative of the number […] Read more
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