Salmonella
(Continued from Pago A 25)
ors tested positive; and brooms and
hoses were moved from area to
area.”
Source of contamination
A possible source of contamina
tion is animal protein products
being fed to poultry. In the North
east alone, said Poultry Times,
"fears have resulted in 50,000 tons
of animal protein being taken out
of feed.”
At the 1989 Annual Congress of
the American Veterinary Medical
Association, SE as a pathogen was
studied. The views of several sci
entists gathered there were plain:
SE was a threat, and, indeed, the
industry must be aware of the
problem and take steps to stop the
spread of the bacteria.
The scientists reviewed the facts
about SE. From the November/
December 1989 issue of Egg
Industry, these were some of their
findings;
• People are being infected by
SE through eggs, particularly
Grade A egg shells.
• Certain types of Salmonella
are present in the intestines of
many birds and can infect eggs by
fecal contamination and penetra
tion of the shell after the egg is laid.
• In Pennsylvania studies, SE
was obtained from some dead-in-
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shell embryos of multiplier flocks
shown to be positive on serology.
• Between 1985 and 1988,
there were 140 confirmed out
breaks of SE in humans in 12
states, resulting in 4,976 illnesses
and 30 deaths. In 1989 alone there
were 71 outbreaks of SE.
• We have no knowledge of
how many of the nation’s flocks
are infected, or the proportion of
individual hens which may be
excreting SE in a specific unit.
• 40,000 salmonella sp. isolates
arc derived from patients each year
in the U.S., or about 20 cases per
100,000 population. Approxi
mately 10 percent of the actual
cases arc diagnosed, so the true
incidence of salmonella is rela
tively high. (Author’s emphasis.)
• There is a close relationship,
the scientists agree, between infec
tion of flocks and outbreaks of the
disease in consumers.
• Mishandled eggs are the most
important vehicle for transmission
of SE. Unfortunately, washing
eggs may contribute to enhanced
eggshell penetration by SE.
Stop the spread
What can be done to stop the
spread of the bacteria?
Dr. Larry SHipman, a USDA
epidemiologist, spoke at the
nting
American Veterinary Medical
■■ Association 1989 Annual Con
gress. According to Egg Industry,
Shipman said die problem “does
ifot lie at any specific point in the
production chain, but will require
concerted action by breeders, pro
ducers, and egg packers.”
“Each segment of every food
industry, from production to con
sumption, shares responsibility for
this effort,” said Kradel.
But often it takes work by regu
latory agencies, in particular the
FDA, to ensure that the bacteria is
properly disposed of. And several
steps have recently been taken to
stop the spread of SE.
Mandatory testing
Early in 1989, the FDA began to
prepare a mandatory testing prog
ram for SE in an announcement to
the board of the United Egg Pro
ducers. The board had already vot
ed to support a mandatory SE test
ing program for breeder and multi
plier flocks, but not for layer
flocks.
According to the May 8, 1989
Poultry Times, a voluntary testing
program for breeder and multiplier
flocks was begun in 21 states, and
the SE problem was found in
‘about half of those slates, said
Michael Holbrook, director of the
USDA Agricultural Marketing
Service Poultry Division. The
problem was focused mainly in the
Northeast.
“Thirty-one flocks have been
depopulated and a few flocks now
are directing eggs to pasteuriza
tion,” said Holbrook. Depopulated
flocks, said Holbrook, include one
primary breeder flock and three
multiplier flocks.
In a plan to start extensive hen
testing, the USDA met in mid-
December last year with egg
industry leaders and FDA officials
(Continued from Page A 10)
months time the manufactured
price of milk in the United States
has dropped $2.71 per cwL
Where are all the people that
thought it was so terrible when the
M. and W. escalated dramatically
last fall and early winter. Never
before has there been such a dra
matic movement in the M. and W.
prices as has happened in the last
two months.
Some milk industry foundation
leaders at a conference in January
said they would bring the M. and
W. under control, but no one
thought even these processors
coupled with the National Cheese
Exchange would be able to
accomplish what has happened in
two months.
These price declines will mean
dairy farmers across the U.S. will
see $240,000,000 less in their
milk checks each month. The
average producer will lose
approximately $1,200 per month.
The sad part is we are nowhere
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Uncaitef Farming, Saturday, March 10,1990-A27
to lay out a plan to test flocks for
SE. According to Poultry Times,
USDA will perform the testing,
while FDA’s role will be more at
monitoring eggs as they reach the
consumer.
Next issue: What types of SE
monitoring are being con*
ducted? Also, a tour of the Pen
nsylvania Animal Health Labor
atory in Summerdale, a central
diagnostic center operated by
the Bureau of Animal Industry.
Farm Forum
near the bottom of the price
decline.
The lowest blend price fore
casted for Federal Order #2 for
June of 1990 was $11.15 per cwt
With all these unsettled conditions
going on in the industry, dairy far
mers now may see Junes’ blend
price go down to $10.50 per cwt.
This will be lower than 1979’s
price of $11.03 per cwt
Imagine - January 1990 record
high blend prices at $15.17 - six
months later dairy farmers receive
a price that is comparable to 1978
and 1979.
I would like to think by now
that dairy fanners would think
they have had enough.
School teachers in many dis
tricts are receiving approximately
a 9% annual increase in salary and
they are pounding on the doors of
the Harrisburg House Chambers
asking for equality. School teach-
Blend Prices
Let’s do something
(Turn to Pas* A 39)