Veterinary Public Health (VPH) E-Bulletin 38/39

NEWS

LATEST OUTBREAKS – VPH   AFRICA (Mauritania) Rift Valley Fever Several outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever have been reported among sheep, goat and camels from different villages. […] AFRICA (Senegal) Rift Valley Fever The veterinary department of Senegal reports continuing outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever in Saint-Louis region among goats in different farms. […] AFRICA (Ghana) Rabies Veterinary officers have called for an emergency pet vaccination in the Ashanti Region following the death of four children this year from rabies at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. […] AUSTRALIA (New South Wales) Avian Influenza HPAI H7N2 Highly pathogenic avian influenza H7N2 has been diagnosed in a farm in New South Wales among free range and cage layer hens. […] ASIA (China) Rabies The Animal Health Research Institute (National laboratory) has confirmed rabies virus infection by direct fluorescent antibody test in 11 ferret-badgers which were found in Taichung City, Nantou County, Chiayi County and Taitung County. […] ASIA (China) Human Avian Influenza HPAI H7N9 The National Health and Family Planning Commission, China notified WHO of a new laboratory-confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) virus. […] ASIA (Vietnam) Avian Influenza HPAI H5N1 Animal health workers have killed 3460 chickens at a farm in the southern Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, Viet Nam, after tests confirmed the birds have been infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus. […] ASIA (Indonesia) Human Avian Influenza HPAI H5N1 Ministry of Health, Directorate General of Disease Control and Environmental Health announced a new case of H5N1 have been confirmed by the Center for Biomedical and Healthcare Technology Association, Balitbangkes. […] EUROPE (Armenia) Anthrax Fifteen people in Armenia’s northern and north-western regions of Lori and Shirak were hospitalized after local health authorities suspected they were infected with anthrax, the health ministry said. […] EUROPE (Greece) West Nile Fever Continued outbreaks have been reported from equines in the framework of active sero-surveillance in Anatoliki Makedonia Kai Thraki and Kentriki Makedonia regions.[…] EUROPE (Bosnia and Herzegovina) West Nile Fever The Veterinary department reports continuing outbreaks of West Nile Virus infection in hooded crows in Tuzla region. […] NORTH AMERICA (USA) Human tuberculosis Health officials urged tuberculosis testing for hundreds of babies, family members, and staff who were at a Las Vegas neonatal intensive care unit this past summer [2013], following the death of a mother and her twin babies and the infection of more than 26 people. […] NORTH AMERICA (USA) Brucellosis Brucellosis has been found in a Madison County cow within the Montana’s Designated Surveillance Area, according to the state’s lead animal health official. […] To view reported cases of animal diseases visit the EMPRES-I website EMPRES-i is a global animal health information system of the FAO's EMPRES programme that focuses on the user need to easily find and collect in one place all the information available for animal health and transboundary animal diseases. EMPRES-i compiles, stores and verifies animal diseases outbreaks data (including zoonoses) from numerous sources (e.g. FAO representatives, FAO reports, OIE reports, official government, European Commission, FAO reference centres and laboratories) for early warning and risk analysis. FOOD SAFETY NEWS EC rejects full country-of-origin labelling for meat products October 16, 2013.The European Commission is planning to recommend only partial country-of-origin labelling for products containing processed meats in a report set to be released by the end of October. […] Superbug threat causes experts to intensify testing on live food supply sources October 15, 2013. Antibiotic use and drug resistance will be investigated in livestock and farmed fish after the federal government was warned Australia was not doing enough to prevent the spread of superbugs. […] Study finds more antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Kosher chicken October 8, 2013.  Antibiotic-resistant E. coli were found in chickens from a range of production methods, with the highest numbers in kosher birds according to a study at Northern Arizona University and other institutes. […] Hundreds sickened in U.S. from salmonella outbreak linked to raw chicken October 3, 2013. Hundreds of people in 18 states have become sick from a salmonella outbreak linked to raw chicken products made at three California plants owned by Foster Farms, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday. […] Fed shutdown affects disease detection, food safety October 1, 2013. The nation's first government shutdown in 17 years could have major impacts on the nation's ability to prepare for and respond to disease threats such as the approaching flu season and new viruses overseas such as H7N9 influenza and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), according to federal contingency plans. […] OTHER NEWS Avian influenza virus detection using smell October 16, 2013. New research from the Monell Chemical Senses Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveals that a distinctive faecal odour is emitted from infected ducks which could be used for the detection of avian influenza virus detection. […] Researchers estimate one in 2, 000 people in the UK carry variant CJD proteins October 14, 2013. Around one in 2, 000 people in the UK may carry variant CJD proteins, concludes a large scale survey that provides the most robust prevalence measure to date. […] FAO claims livestock emissions could be cut by a third The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said that greenhouse gas emissions from livestock account for 14.5% of all human-related emissions, but could be cut by 30% by employing current best practices across the supply chain. […] World Rabies Day: FAO, OIE and WHO unite to call for elimination of disease September 27, 2013. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued a joint statement on the occasion of World Rabies Day that emphasised that mass dog vaccinations and public awareness as keys to breaking cycle of transmission. […] Dutch court affirms limit on publishing H5N1 findings September 26, 2013. A Dutch court has upheld a rule that required virologist Ron Fouchier, PhD, to secure an export permit from the Dutch government before he could publish his controversial findings on a lab-modified H5N1 influenza virus with increased transmissibility, according to a Science Insider report. […] Major cuts of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock within reach September 26, 2013. Greenhouse gas emissions by the livestock sector could be cut by as much as 30 per cent through the wider use of existing best practices and technologies, according to a new study released today by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). […] Be alert of H7N9 amid flu seasons, Chinese experts warn September 26, 2013. The avian influenza strain of H7N9 is highly likely to return and affect humans in the autumn and winter on the Chinese mainland, warned Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.[…] Dad dies of rabies after trying to treat son’s dog bite by sucking blood from wound September 25, 2013. A father in Jiangsu Province died from rabies after refusing to take a vaccine over cost concerns about a month after he sucked blood from a dog bite wound on his son’s leg in an attempt at emergency treatment, Yangzi Evening News reported today. […] H3N2v outbreak profile details risks, pig exposures September 25, 2013. A comprehensive look at last summer’s surge in variant H3N2 (H3N2v) infections found that most people who got sick were exposed to pigs at fairs, some for multiple days, and that younger children and those with underlying medical conditions were at greatest risk for more severe infections. […] Biologists develop new method for discovering antibiotics September 16, 2013. Biologists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a revolutionary new method for identifying and characterizing antibiotics, an advance that could lead to the discovery of new antibiotics to treat antibiotic resistant bacteria. […] Birds appear to lack important anti-Inflammatory protein The examination conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reveal that birds are truly an anomaly, having no analog for TTP (tristetraprolin) in their immune systems, that has an anti-inflammatory role. […] Influenza virus in wild birds in Norway A recent PhD research project has characterised influenza A viruses in gulls and ducks in Norway which are the natural hosts of influenza A virus. […] ANNOUNCEMENTS Iowa State offers zoonotic diseases web course Iowa State is offering seven hours of lessons on zoonotic diseases that could be completed from Oct. 7 to Nov. 3 in pursuit of a certificate of completion. […] Farm to Table Program 2013 The week long study program from October 21 to 25 will consider aspects of animal health and welfare, food safety, public health protection through food numerous website and facilitated discussions and visits. […] JIFSAN partners with EpiX Analytics for Upcoming Advanced Quantitative Risk Assessment Course This new Advanced Quantitative Risk Assessment Training from November 4th will place emphasis on modeling methods and how to use them for solving real-world risk analysis problems. Registration deadline is October 18, 2013. […]

EVENTS

October 21-25, 2013. Farm to Table Program, Chile […] November 14, 2013. Pastoralism – where does it go in an ever changing context? , Brussels, Belgium. For more information, please contact Eric Thys at +32 3 247 63 92 or Leen Claes at +32 3 247 62 71 or via e-mail info@be-troplive.be November 17-20, 2013. 2nd One Health Summit 2013, Davos, Switzerland […] December 4-6, 2013. OIE Global Conference on Veterinary Education and the Role of Veterinary Statutory Body, Foz do Iguazu, Brazil […]   December 3-14, 2013. Workshop on Surveillance and Control of rabies, Pasteur Institute – Dakar […]

PUBLICATIONS

1. FAO: AGA e-newsletter. To receive regular updates by email on all issues relating FAO's work on animal production and health, subscribe to the AGA e-newsletter. It contains information on upcoming events, publications, programme activities, articles and press releases [Click here to subscribe] 2. FAOAIDEnews 84 […] 3. FAO: EMPRES Transboundary Animal Diseases Bulletin No. 42 – 2012 […] 4. FAO: EMPRES Watch 28 […] 5. FAO: ECTAD-RAP News May-Jun 2013 […] 6. FAO Animal Production and Health Division e-newsletter 60 […] 7. FAO Statistical Yearbook 2013 […] 8. FAO: Health and Animal Agriculture in Developing Countries […] 9. FAO: China HPAI Highlights June 2013 Vol 55 […] 10. FAO’s support to the One Health Approach 2013 […] 11. 12. A Detailed Epidemiological and Clinical Description of 6 Human Cases of Avian-Origin Influenza A (H7N9) Virus Infection in Shanghai […] 13. mAbs and Ad-Vectored IFN-α Therapy Rescue Ebola-Infected Nonhuman Primates When Administered After the Detection of Viremia and Symptoms […] 14. Detection and Early Warning of West Nile Virus Circulation in Central Macedonia, Greece, Using Sentinel Chickens and Mosquitoes […] 15. External Quality Assessment for Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Virus Detection Using Armored RNA […] 16. FRED (A Framework for Reconstructing Epidemic Dynamics): an open-source software system for modeling infectious diseases and control strategies using census-based populations […] 17 - Limited Spill over to Humans from West Nile Virus Viremic Birds in Atlanta, Georgia Lobomycosis: Risk of Zoonotic Transmission from Dolphins to Humans […] 18. Mapping Spread and Risk of Avian Influenza A (H7N9) in China […] 19. New World Bats Harbor Diverse Influenza A Viruses 20. The Epidemic West Nile Virus Strain in Greece Was A Recent Introduction […] 21. Suboptimal protection against H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses from Vietnam in ducks vaccinated with commercial poultry vaccines […] 22. The genesis and source of the H7N9 influenza viruses causing human infections in China […] The Novel Human Influenza A (H7N9) Virus Is Naturally Adapted to Efficient Growth in Human Lung Tissue […] 23. Transmission potential of influenza A/H7N9, February to May 2013, China […] 24. Truncation and sequence shuffling of segment 6 generate replication-competent neuraminidase-negative influenza H5N1 viruses […] 25. Virological, Serological, and Anti-Viral Studies of an Imported Human Case of Avian-Influenza A [H7N9] Virus in Taiwan […] 26. West Nile Seroprevalence Study in Bolivian Horses, 2011 […] 27. West Nile Virus Infection in the Mesopotamia Region, Syria Border of Turkey […]

TRAINING

Postgraduate Certificate in Risk Analysis in Health and Food Safety – RVC London Organisers announce a new postgraduate certificate in Risk Analysis in Health and Food Safety to be offered by EpiX Analytics and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), University of London in March 2014. […] Engaging Intergovernmental Organisations 2014 – University of Minnesota Engaging Intergovernmental Organizations (EIO) is a week-long intensive professional development program designed to provide mid and senior level government officials, private sector leaders and academic faculty the opportunity to interact more effectively with Intergovernmental organisations. […] Online MSc in One Health (Infectious Diseases) The unique Master's level course, delivered jointly by the RVC and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, will be available through both full and part-time study as MSc and diploma. […] EpiVille, the E-learning in Epidemiology Epiville, a learning tool developed specifically for Principles of Epidemiology (P6400), is a set of interactive web-based exercises created by faculty in the Department of Epidemiology and produced by the Center for New Media Teaching and Learning at Columbia University […] Cambridge online e-learning institute Online Certificate in Animal Welfare […]