DS-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 24,1993 Changes Threaten To Cause Resurgence Of Cattle TB MINNEAPOLIS. Minn. Re cent changes in the U.S. livestock industry threaten to reverse tre mendous gains made in the nearly 80-year struggle to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) from the na tion’s livestock, reported Lonnie J. King, D.V.M., M.S., at the 130th annual meeting of the American Veterinary Medical As sociation (AVMA). “The National Bovine TB Eradication Program seemed to be on the verge of total success only a few years ago,” said Dr. King, act ing administrator for the U.S. De partment of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). “But in the 19905, the tuberculosis-free status of two states has been re voked after outbreaks of TB were reported, and a Canadian outbreak of bovine tuberculosis was traced back to U.S. sources.” In 1991, TB was discovered in three captive deer and elk herds in New York, one of which contain ed infected dairy catde as well, prompting revocation of that state’s tuberculosis-free status. A similar incident in Pennsylvania resulted in revocation of that slate’s tuberculosis-free status. In 1990, an outbreak of TB in ellk on a game ranch in Alberta, Canada, was traced to animals exported from the U.S. According to Dr. King, the problem stems from an overall de cline in concern about the disease combined with several other fac tors, including the growing popu larity of deer and elk farming, in effective testing methods that may misdiagnose the disease, large im portations of Mexican steer herds with higher levels of TB, and the advent of large dairies with dense herd populations, promoting spread of the diseases. In a separate presentation, Mi chael Miller, D.V.M., Ph.D., of the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Ft. Collins, warned that rising lev els of TB in captive deer and elk will negatively impact the U.S. livestock industry in several ways. Over the last decade, TB has been diagnosed in captive deer and elk in at least 14 different states, and the recent outbreak among U.S. game ranches has affected the tu berculosis-free status of some states. Since the discovery that U.S. imports caused the Alberta TB outbreak, Canada will no longer accept U.S. exports of deer or elk raised on game ranches. Cattle ex ports could also be affected if cur rent trends continue. “Moreover, if TB becomes established in wild deer and elk populations through game ranches or other sources, the goal of national eradication will FINEST OF the FINE SINGE tan Farm Motor • SPECIAL DUTY 15W40 ...$219.95 • SPECIAL DUTY 30 $212.99 • TRACTOR HYRAUUC NOLT’S AUTO PARTS Ephrpu M>nh«lm Flvpolntvlllp (717) 733-1171 (215) 445-3714 become virtually unachievable,” Miller said. “The greatest long-term threat to U.S. TB eradication comes from captive elk and deer on game ranches and game farms,” he said. “The Canadians have just spent over $l5 million to eradicate the recent outbreak and it has nearly broken them. If we don’t start re gulating the game ranch industry now, TB will come back to haunt us in a few years.” In recent years, the farming of deer and elk has burgeoned into an industry represented in every U.S. state. Cases of TB have been re ported on several game farms, which often exist in conjunction with livestock operations or near by. The USDA’s TB eradication program regulates cattle and bison but not farm-raised elk and deer. TB was the most important in fectious disease of U.S. livestock COLLEGE PARK. Md. According to the National Insti tute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Americans who use gasoline-powered pressure washers indoors are risking their lives. A 35-year-old farmer recently died from carbon monoxide poi soning while using one of these washers in an enclosed barn. NIOSH warns all workers not to use these machines indoors it can be a deadly mistake. “We must act before this ‘silent killer’ strikes again. Workers must be aware of the hazard and prevent exposure to this potentially fatal gas: Carbon monoxide strikes quickly, and it strikes without warning,” said NIOSH Director Dr. J. Donald Millar. The gas is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and gives no signs of its presence. “It is critical that workers know when carbon monoxide can be a danger and how they can be pro tected,” said Millar. All gasoline-powered engines produce carbon monoxide. This gas can rapidly build up in any in door area, and individuals can be overcome without even realizing they are being exposed. Confu sion, headache, dizziness, fatigue, Oils ..$212.95 NIOSH Warns Of Deadly Hazard <j«g) n TIME TO GO <®>IH€RSH€V QSSJ) ■■ ■Hh EQUIPMENT CO. ssf sse in the early 1900 s. It was responsi ble for dramatic drops in produc tion, animal deaths, and the eco nomic ruin of many producers. It infected from five to ten percent of dairy cattle and could be transmit ted to people in milk, creating a serious human health threat. Today, all milk is pasteurized to kill TB bacteria and prevent trans mission of the disease to human beings. It cannot be transmitted to human beings through eating meat. TB may be caused by similar human and bovine strains of bac teria. Cases of human TB today result from infection with the hu man bacterium, rather than through animal transmission. The reported rise in human TB is due to a variety of factors, unrelated to the livestock industry. “There hasn’t been a case of and weakness may set in too quickly for victims to save them selves. Each of the victims interviewed by NIOSH expressed shock at how quickly they were overcome. A farm woman recently poisoned in lowa said, “I was amazed at how it affected my ability to think clearly and to get out.” Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause permanent brain damage, includ ing changes in personality and memory. Once inhaled, carbon monoxide decreases the ability of the blood to carry oxygen to the brain and other vital organs. Even low levels of carbon monoxide can set off chest pains and heart attacks in people with coronary ar tery disease. According to Vernon Meyer, swine housing specialist, lowa State University, ‘Two-thirds of swine producers now use pressure washers fof cleaning, and that number is expected to go up.” As the market for these devices in agriculture and other industries continues to increase, it is essen tial that users be informed of the carbon monoxide hazard. While electrically powered pressure washers are available, NIOSH has not evaluated the safe- EFFICIENT MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES RELIABLE FACTORY-TRAINED DEALERS COMPLETE LINE OF TOP-QUALITY GRAIN DRYERS ssr m cattle TB in humans in this coun try in over a decade,” King said. Two related presentations ad dressed the need for improved testing methods to prevent mis diagnosis of TB in deer, elk, and cattle. Jeffrey J. Huse, D.V.M., New York State Department of Agri culture and Markets, explained that the TB test required for inter state shipments of deer and elk prior to 1991 was. ineffective and allowed many infected animals to evade detection and potentially spread disease throughout other herds. In 1991, USDA advised states to replace the caudal fold test with a more effective test of the skin on the animal’s neck. “After testing 8,000 deer in 8S herds, two addi tional infected herds were discov ered in New York,” Huse said. ty of these devices. If you are us ing gasoline powered equipment, take the following precautions: • Do not operate machinery with gasoline engines inside any building. Though warning notices in operating manuals advise that the equipment is not to be used with out adequate ventilation, it can be difficult to determine how much -\di Or <gg> <ng) <£sj> <®> <hd ® dsD ssf m PRIME (gsi) COMPONENTS <m> (|SJ) dsp PRODUCT SUPPORT SYCAMORE IND. PARK 25S PLANE TREE DRIVE LANCASTER. PA 17603 (717) 393-5807 SSI SSI “Since then. New York has taken the lead in implementing a control program including manda tory testing, quarantine of infected herds, and inspection of meat. Other states have been reluctant to implement TB control programs for farmed deer and elk." Joseph S. Van Tiem, D.V.M., M.S., Huntsville, Md., called for improved diagnostic testing for tu berculosis in cattle. ‘Traditional TB tests used in cattle will point to herds with the disease, but they are not sensitive enough to identify every animal infected.” said Dr. Van Tiem, cat tle diseases and surveillance staff, APHIS veterinary services. “Existing tests aren’t adequate in light of today’s low prevalence. We need to develop the technolo gy that allows us to identify all in dividual sources of infection,” he said. sode occurred with three doors open and exhaust fans on. • Remember that even small en gines can produce deadly levels oj carbon monoxide. NIOSH will continue to investi gate the problem of using gaso line-powered pressure washers ir farm buildings and will address ventilation, warning labels, anc freezing problems in an upcoming Route3oWest (jjgj) Centerville Exit, SSI SSI SSI
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers