Staff Updates
In July 2022, Dr. Sara Fleckenstein joined the Ohio Department of Agriculture as the Disease Programs and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. Prior to joining ODA, Dr. Fleckenstein was a Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service in Washington. She has a B.S. in Animal Sciences and Biology from The University of Findlay and graduated from The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021 with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and Master's of Public Health.
Dr. Fleckenstein was raised on a farm in Clinton County. Her interests include spending time outdoors, hunting, hiking, fishing, whitewater rafting, and traveling. She and her husband have one border collie puppy. We are excited to have Dr. Fleckenstein as part of our team!
 Dr. Sara Fleckenstein
Dr. Kristy Shaw, Assistant State Veterinarian
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been detected in Ohio for the first time since March. This includes premises in Ashland, Defiance, Allen, Williams, and Summit counties. Samples for all of these premises were first tested at ODA's Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL) and confirmed at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
State officials quarantined the affected premises and birds on the properties were depopulated to prevent the spread of disease. Federal and state partners have been working jointly on these incidents.
HPAI does not present an immediate public health concern according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to USDA, HPAI cannot be transmitted through properly cooked meats or eggs. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165°F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.
Ohio producers are encouraged to be alert and practice enhanced biosecurity. The Defend the Flock Program with USDA has great information on biosecurity for backyard producers. If you have poultry that is showing clinical signs of sickness including lethargy, sudden death, and decreased water consumption – please call ODA immediately. We will walk you through what to do and how we can help.
If you suspect HPAI in your flock, please call the Division of Animal Health at 614-728-6220.
If you have questions about sick wild birds, please call the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) at 1-800-WILDLIFE.
You can view the initial press release here. The ODA website also has a list of the counties in Ohio with HPAI detections.
Dr. Kristy Shaw,
Assistant State Veterinarian
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Salmonella enterica Pullorum causes pullorum disease in poultry. It is a contagious disease that can cause high mortality in young chickens and turkeys. Clinical signs include diarrhea, respiratory disease, blindness, anorexia, weakness, and swollen joints. This disease was prevalent in the poultry industry in the United States and was part of the reason for the formation of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) in 1935. Since then, the instance of pullorum disease has drastically decreased and Ohio has only seen a handful of cases over the past 15 years.
When chickens and turkeys are taken to the fair, it is a requirement that they are tested for pullorum disease OR come from an NPIP hatchery with papers. The serology blood test is a screening test that is used at ADDL for pullorum disease. The test is very good at detecting truly diseased animals, but there is also a chance for false positives. The definitive test for pullorum disease is culture of tissues.
Pullorum Disease is on the list of contagious or infectious and reportable diseases in Ohio Administrative Code (Rule 901:1-21-02 - Ohio Administrative Code | Ohio Laws).
Pullorum Disease in Poultry - Poultry - Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com)
Dr. Melissa Simmerman, Field Veterinary Medical Officer
The CDB Program’s 2022 inspection year is still in full swing, yet it is already that time to look toward our re-licensing season. This year has produced nearly 600 licensed high-volume dog breeders (HVDB), well over 600 licensed dog brokers, and around 60 licensed pet stores that all require at least an annual inspection. Our Animal Health Inspectors (AHI) in the CDB Program (shout out to Caitlin, Candice, Michele, Ann, & Mike!) are responsible for ensuring the regulated community complies with a multitude of animal care and record-keeping requirements. CDB AHIs also enforce canine import regulations, as well as conduct epidemiological investigations, and issue quarantines for Brucella canis, a dangerous contagious and infectious disease that is on Ohio’s reportable disease list.
We have worked diligently in 2022 on revising and updating our CDB rules due to a required 5-year rule review as well as statutory changes that occurred in 2018 and 2019. These changes may be in effect for the 2023 inspection year. We are also hoping to update our Brucella canis rules by the end of this year.
In February, we attended the Ohio Forum for Companion Animals annual Trade Show at Mt. Hope Auction facility. This is a two-day event that brings in folks from all over the country that are involved in the dog breeding industry. Our attendance allows us to network and provide regulatory updates to the industry.
In June, the Candace Croney Research Group at Purdue University hosted a Mini-Symposium on Welfare of Dogs in Commercial Breeding Kennels and Canine Welfare Science Forum that we attended virtually. This ground-breaking research effort in canine breeding facilities will have a direct, positive impact on the welfare of breeding dogs. We are even starting to see some of our Ohio breeders become Canine Care Certified kennels through Purdue's one-of-a-kind program.
Additionally, we attended the USDA/AKC/Petland Symposium at the end of September that also allows us to have an interface with many stakeholders in the dog breeding world. This symposium was an outreach effort to further educate dog breeders on important topics that concern their industry. This year’s theme was socialization of dogs in commercial breeding kennels.
Dr. Tony Forshey Regulatory Veterinary Summer Internship Program
In the summer of 2023, the Division of Animal Health will host its inaugural summer internship program for veterinary students. This program was started as a nod to the late Dr. Tony Forshey and his work, time, and dedication to regulatory medicine. Dr. Forshey was a role model to those around him and it is important to grow and develop the next generation of veterinarians that will be joining the workforce.
This will be 10-week Summer paid internship for a current veterinary student. This student will be able to experience areas of ODA including the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL), Animal Health field operations, the Division of Meat Inspection field operations, as well as Animal Health administration. Students will be able to assist and participate in fair compliance checks, foreign animal disease investigations, livestock care standards visits, market and slaughterhouse inspections, carcass dispositions, as well as experience the various departments at ADDL.
If you know a current veterinary student who might be interested in this opportunity- please reach out to Kristy.shaw@agri.ohio.gov with questions and to receive a copy of the application.
Applications are due January 1, 2023 to HR@agri.ohio.gov.
Field Training and Exercise
ODA staff was invited to participate in a Pilot Train-the-Trainer Depopulation Exercise in Wooster, OH led by Dr. Andrew Bowman and OSU Graduate Student, Christine Snowden. This exercise allowed ODA to provide feedback on their exercise training program as well as become familiar with the process of depopulating and composting swine in the event of a Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) outbreak. The group had the opportunity to set up the foaming equipment, partake in the foaming process, and provide input on the carcass grinding and composting.
Pictured: ODA Staff Dr. Sara Fleckenstein, Danny Sweitzer, Kelsey Short, Dr. Leeza Bercaw, Molly Roberts and USDA Staff Dr. Karen Grube standing in some of the foam created during the depopulation exercise conducted Aug. 8 in Wooster, OH.
What's Up Doc!?
Animal Health staff veterinarians (Drs. Shaw, Fleckenstein, Yoakam, Frew, and Rospert) attended the 2022 Farm Science Review September 20-22. It was a great event and the VMOs were able to provide handouts on a variety of topics including Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, African Swine Fever, Drug Residue Prevention, and movement requirements for various food animal species. They gave out many FREE RFID tags to cattle producers and were able to discuss the importance of animal disease traceability. The event was well attended and very educational!
Interested in free RFID tags for you cattle? See the QR code in the left blue bar of this newsletter.
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