Catch up on canine brucellosis and learn about exhibition veterinarians

Minnesota Board of Animal Health sent this bulletin at 06/12/2019 11:28 AM CDT

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Animal Bytes

June 2019

What you need to know about Canine brucellosis

Multiple cases of canine brucellosis have been confirmed recently in multiple Midwest states.

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health (Board) is partnering with the Minnesota Department of Health to better educate veterinary staff, breeders, humane societies, rescues and the public about the importance of this disease in an effort to promote early detection and prevent further spread.

Canine brucellosis is a disease affecting dogs, caused by the bacteria Brucella canis. It's a zoonotic disease, which creates concern for both people and dogs.

The disease is most often spread from dog to dog through breeding, and dogs may also contract the disease through contact with an infected dog’s blood, saliva, urine, feces or birth fluids. Puppies from infected mothers can be born with brucellosis. Brucellosis in dogs can cause severe, debilitating illness, or may not cause any outward evidence of infection. The disease impacts the reproductive systems of both intact male and female dogs. Intact females may abort pregnancies or have difficulty becoming pregnant. Intact males may have poor fertility. Signs of illness in pets who have been spayed or neutered include joint or back pain, swollen lymph nodes and eye disease. Some infected dogs may not appear sick.

Several tests are available to diagnose brucellosis in dogs. Keep in mind that some tests may give a false positive result, and all positives should be submitted for confirmatory testing. Veterinarians should consider a dog’s history when determining to test for this disease. Multiple dogs imported from other states and foreign countries have been confirmed to have canine brucellosis. Remember, all dogs imported into Minnesota must be inspected by a licensed veterinarian and documented on a valid Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI).

All positive test results for canine brucellosis must be reported to the Board. Any dog determined by the Board to be infected with Brucella canis must be permanently isolated from other dogs not known to be infected, or be euthanized. Current treatment protocols have not been proven to eliminate the disease completely as infected dogs can relapse and shed the bacteria.

Although it is believed to be rare, people may become infected with canine brucellosis through contact with an infected dog’s urine, saliva or other body fluids. When people are infected, the most commonly reported symptoms are persistent muscle aches, back pain, headaches and intermittent fever. There is no good test for brucellosis in humans, however, antibiotic treatment has been effective. Veterinary staff and breeders may be at higher risk than the general public and should be familiar with the clinical signs of an infected animal. Protective clothing like gloves and masks should be used when handling reproductive tissues or delivering puppies. It is always a good practice to wash your hands after touching any animal. Concerns regarding potential human exposure to canine brucellosis should be directed to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Keep reading...

Federal rule affects sheep and goats

A new federal rule impacting the owners of sheep and goats in interstate commerce (that are not officially identified), and moving in slaughter channels, went into effect on April 24, 2019. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health's website has been updated with information regarding this new rule regarding the requirement for an owner/hauler statement in transit for some animals imported into and moving within Minnesota.

Find the information on our "Imports" and "Sheep and Goats" webpages at the following links:

Farmed Cervid Task Force meeting announced

The next farmed cervid Task Force meeting is Tuesday, June 25, 2019 from 1 - 4 p.m. in the Buffalo Community Center meeting room at 206 Central Avenue, Buffalo, MN 55313.

Agenda:

Board of Animal Health update.
- Legislative outcomes and fencing information update.
Task Force "next steps."
Redundant gating minimum standards.
Minnesota Elk Breeders update.
Minnesota Deer Farmers update.

Official veterinarians needed

As county fair season gets underway around the state, fair managers are recruiting veterinarians to inspect exhibited animals, and verify they are free from infectious, contagious or communicable disease. All public exhibitions must have an official veterinarian present when showing animals for which a permit is required. To determine if a permit is required for an exhibition, you can visit the Board’s website at this link or contact us at 651-201-6826.

Official veterinarians can prepare by reviewing official identification and testing requirements and updates on domestic and foreign animal diseases. Official veterinarians must be licensed and accredited (Category I or II) in the State of Minnesota. The official veterinarian of an exhibition shall:

Approve the cleaning and disinfection of the exhibition prior to the exhibition and during the exhibition if livestock are released and new livestock are brought to the exhibition premises.
Inspect all livestock on the day admitted to the exhibition.
Refuse admission of livestock showing signs of any infectious, contagious, or communicable disease, or of livestock not meeting the exhibition entrance requirements.
Maintain ear tagging records to include: the characters on or contained within the ear tag; characters on or contained within other official ear tags on the animal; species, sex, age, and type of animal; date of application; and name of address of the premises where the animal was identified.
Inspect all livestock at least once daily during the exhibition.
Order the immediate removal to the quarantine facility or removal from the exhibition premises of any livestock with clinical signs of infectious, contagious, or communicable disease.
Conduct any necessary tests.
Submit to the Board a list of any animals that were quarantined or removed from the exhibition because of infectious, contagious, or communicable disease.

Attention large animal veterinarians: attend an upcoming workshop to learn how to navigate tough conversations with producers in these difficult times for agriculture

Stressful times in agriculture can trigger bad news and difficult conversations. Fortunately, these situations don’t have to be uncomfortable or unproductive. Learn ways to prepare yourself for smoother interactions that will lead to better outcomes for everyone.

This free, 3-hour workshop offers strategies and tips you can use to bring your best-self forward to the tough talks ahead, and precautions to keep yourself safe in highly charged situations.

2019 Dates (all sessions run 9:00 a.m. – 12 p.m.)

June 18, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota Community & Technical College.
June 19, Thief River Falls, Northland Community and Technical College.
June 20, Duluth, Lake Superior College.
July 8, Marshall, Southwest Minnesota State University.
July 9, Faribault, South Central College.
July 10, St. Cloud, Saint Cloud Technical & Community College.

Click this link for full details and registration information.

This workshop is supported by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2018-38640-28416 through the North Central Region SARE program under project number ENC18-170. The MDA and USDA are equal opportunity employers and service providers. The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this workshop do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Individuals with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event please contact Stephen Moser at 651-201-6012 or through the Minnesota Relay Service at 711 as soon as possible.

Thank you, Dr. Wright

The Minnesota Secure Pork Supply Coordinator contract position concluded on June 1, 2019. Dr. Dave Wright served the role well and had a final message for pork producers to continue with the Secure Pork Supply program following the groundwork he setup in Minnesota:

www.securepork.org remains the primary source of information for producers and veterinarians.
The “7 Steps to Participate” and Foreign Animal Disease awareness videos can be found at the University of Minnesota Swine Extension Website.
Swine Extension Specialists, Sarah Schieck and Diane DeWitte are trained and available to assist producers and veterinarians who may have questions about participating.
Veterinarians can review SPS plans and complete the biosecurity checklist found at this link.

Dr. Wright is still a practicing veterinarian and can be reached for any other swine or secure pork questions at wright2me.dave@gmail.com.