A3O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 9, 1994
BVD Creates Confusion
(Continued from Pago A 1)
and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
The gist of the news releases
were to advise farmers to get vac
cinations for all animals and
ensure that the booster shot is
given; avoid purchasing cattle,
especially from unknown sources;
establish an on-farm isolation
(quarantine) area to hold sympto
matic cattle and any new cattle;
restrict the flow of people around
cattle and require strict attention to
personal hygene as far as on-farm
biosecurity measures are
concerned. 1
The practices reflect a serious
condition, but not one that at this
time requires government over
sight, according to Dr. Max Van
Buskirk Jr., director of the PDA
Bureau of Animal Industry.
According to Van Buskirk, who
has been involved with govern
ment efforts to control several dis
ease outbreaks in Pennsylvania,
from a public policy position,
BVD 2 differs from such diseases
as bovine tuberculosis because
humans can get bovine tuberculo
sis, but can not catch BVD.
In a Wednesday telephone inter
view, Van Buskirk said there are
several reasons public agencies are
not in a position to mandate any
specific controls for BVD.
According to the doctor, there
has been no reason for a stronger
governmental response because
the disease is not a direct threat to
human health; because it is a form
of a common disease that is
believed to be manageable with
current vaccines, and careful vet
erinary and herd health practices;
and because the cattle industry has
not requested government help in
controlling the disease.
* »
-
Roller/Blower Mills
ike blower mllle are built tor course cracking high
ieture shall corn and blowing it into vertical alios,
iwer mills are equipped with Henke’s 7 inch diameter
tal rolls and 60 Inch blowers. Blower mills are
illable with 36 inch or 45 Inch roll lengths.
HENKE
1 -800-228-1 405
“This is not a disease that indus
try has requested the department to
regulate,” Van Buskirk said. “His
torically, the department doesn’t
arbitrarily regulate any disease
unless it is a public' jalth concern,
or unless the industry can’t man
age without government
assistance.
“BVD is a virus infection of
cattle that has been around for a
long, long time,” he said. “There
are USDA estimates that upwards
of 90 percent of the adult cattle
population has antibodies to BVD.
“So, because it’s so common,
and because there are some techni
cal difficulties in diagnosing BVD
and establishing simple criteria for
either determinig a herd ‘free,’ or
that a quarantine for BVD should
be released, those are some of the
reasons, that ... we haven’t
regulated.”
But Van Buskirk said that the
state is not turning its head to the
situation.
“Of course what has happened is
that a particularly nasty strain has
emerged in recent years, and we
may, depending on what happens,
reconsider the advisablity of regu
lating the disease.
‘Toward that end, although we
haven’t done anything in terms of a
formal proposal of regulations, we
have consulted industry groups
and our counterparts in other states
regarding the advisability in
attempting to regulate in this area.
‘To the best of my knowledge,
there are no other states that regu
late this disease,” Van Buskirk
said.
In the meantime, until the cattle
industry and the animal-health
industry get caught up with vacci
nations, the situation is more wait
and-see, according to the doctor.
THE NEW WHITE LINE FROM
HENKE
Jfie-
wM*. fe
■MMfi
v;
Information Available
The educational support on the
disease has been in the form of
news releases and advisories to the
farm press, to veterinarians, and a
letter from state Secretary Boyd
Wolff to the Pennsylvania State
Association of County Fairs.
Penn State Extension also has
available .some information that
can help cattle owners establish
sound biosecurity practices.
One such package of informa
tion is the “Pennsylvania Dairy
Health and Biosecurity Manual,”
published by the Penn State Col
lege of Agricultural Sciences.
The information in the manual
was compiled by Larry Hutchin
son, DVM, who is a well-known
PSU extension veterinarian; Una
Smith, assistant extension veter
inarian; and Carolyn Bums, veter
inary extension assistant
The three-ring binder, hard cov
er manual provides a quick refer
ence breakdown of information,
including a checklist that includes
giving the BVD vaccinations to
calves when they are seven
months-old.
To get a copy, contact a local
extension agent.
Will There
Be A Show?
As far as the outlook for whether
or not the incidence of B VD 2 will
affect cattle shows, state Agricul
ture Secretary Wolff sent a letter,
dated June 16, to the state fair
board that advised the board mem
bers about BVD 2.
The letter noted that the secret
ary has advised herd owners to
consult veterinarians about vacci
nations and it noted that the depart
ment advised farmers to tighten
biosecurity.
“And (Wolffs letter) strongly
recommended that fairboards
adopt livestock entry regulations
that require BVD vaccinations for
all bovines, with strict adherance
KwikKrusher
The Henke KwlkKureher le built to proceee either dry or high
moleture eer corn. The KwlkKrueher le equipped with 7 Inch diameter
steel rolls menufectured In our own plent. The KwlkKureher Is
svsllsble In 24 Inch end 36 Inch models with either an elevator
discharge or with a blower discharge for filling vertical alios
Henke Machine, Inc.
Call For Dealer Nearest To You
3330 E. 23rd St. Columbus, NE 68602
to manufacturer’s instructions for
vaccines.” according to William
Lelik, with the state Department of
Agricultural Press Office.
“(The letter) also noted symp
toms: that animals exhibiting
sypmtoms should be barred before
comingling with other animals,”
Lelik said.
As of this week, Butler County
Fair had cancelled its show and
Clarion County has restricted its
cattle show participation to entries
from county residents, according
to Rev. John Mignot, president of
the Pennsylvania State Associa
tion of County Fairs.
Mignot said that he received the
letter, but they can only advise the
individual county fair boards about
the situation.
“We‘re suggesting (to the coun
ty boards), before any cattle be
admited, that (each) animal does
have an original vaccination and
booster 30 days afteward. But (the
owner) must have a certificate,”
Mignot said, adding. “It’s only a
recommendation.”
Through his contacts, Mignot
said he has received word that
shows at least may well be small.
“We are hearing, generally
throughout, that most of the far
mers are choosing not to exhibit
their cattle this year. As you well
know, they’re not going to run the
risk,” Mignot said. “That seems to
be what we’re hearing.”
In the meantime, there is no
clearinghouse for updated fair
information. Lancaster Farming
intends to publish updates weekly,
as fair personnel can provide. The
recommendation for all shows,
industry wide, is to call the orga
nizers of the event and ask.
For a fairbaord, there appears to
be no direct financial incentive not
to close a show, except for a dimin
ished attendance.
According to Larry Nieman,
administration of the state Fair,
Fund Program, each established
The Henke Model 1140 Forage Blower Is built tor
termer who requires high capacity to till tall silos.
Use 9” pipe or tor additional capacity use 11” pipe
removable 11” aquara to 9” round transition
standard. The Large 11” x 40” blower drum houses
1/2" thick heavy steal rotor which haa six ha'
curved paddles that direct material to the cant*
with a watar Inlat, four adjustable lavallng atanda,
ad]uatabla tongua jack, wind guard, aaally
raplacaabla blower waar band and an optional
magnat.
1 -800-228-1 405
fair is eligible to receive state
funds which reimburse the fairs for
half the amount spent, up to
$15,000, in the awarding of show
premiums, which are cash awards.
The state has a listing of the pre
miums that it will support and the
catagories and types of shows.
Nieman said that if a fairboard
would opt to drop showing cattle
for a year, it wouldn’t affect their
reimbursement for monetary out
lays for other shows. In other
words, if a fairboard spent $30,000
on show premiums, they are to be
reimbursed $15,000 by the state
fair fund, according to Nieman. If
that amount drops $28,000, for
example, the board will get
$14,000, according to Nieman’s
explanation.
As far what is happening with
the state’s 4-H and FFA shows.
Dale Olver, a dairy specialist with
the Penn State University College
of Agricultural Sciences Dairy
Extension and 4-H program, said
that each of the district shows are
still considering what actions to
take, beyond implementing the
recommendations for requiring
vaccinations, certificates and
maintaining biosecurity measures.
“We haven’t changed state (4-H
and FFA showing) rules, but a lot
of districts are requiring vaccina
tions,” he said, adding that the
required booster shots take 30 days
to be given. The show season
begins in some areas before then.
As far as show closings, he said,
“I haven’t heard of too many, but
there are many discussing it. The
early shows, (scheduled to be held)
at the end of July, had the most
discussions.”
Again, he said the best way to
find out if the show is to be held is
to call the show managers.
“I think this is a time when peo
ple really need to fiiid out what
their risk is for going to shows,”
Olver said. “The vet can be very
helpful in doing that.”
Forage Blower 1140
HENKE