ANIMALNET JANUARY 21, 2000 Bacteraemia and antibiotic resistance of its pathogens reported in England and Wales between 1990 and 1998: trend analysis Taiwan destroys 134 cattle in fresh virus outbreak Protection of birds: commission takes further steps against Spain and the Netherlands Greenpeace sounds alarm on `super' fish: future of species in danger, group warns Ginseng better than a bone for fido Novartis Pharma ag announces indirect acquisition of interest in Cobequid Life Sciences Inc. Vets play a key role in keeping us healthy too; There¼s more to åpet doctors¼ than meets the eye U.S. fish and wildlife service urges caution to protect trumpeter swans Transmission of vesicular stomatitis virus from infected to noninfected black flies co-feeding on nonviremic deer mice Update: raccoon rabies epizootic -- United States and Canada, 1999 Guidelines for surveillance, prevention, and control of West Nile virus infection -- United States Magnuson-Stevens act provisions; Atlantic highly migratory species; exempted fishing and scientific research permits AnimalNet is produced by researchers at the Agri-Food Risk Management and Communication Project at the University of Guelph, is edited by Wendy Powell (wpowell@uoguelph.ca) and Douglas Powell (dpowell@uoguelph.ca), and is supported by the Ontario Cattlemen's Association, the U.S. National Pork Producers, U.S. National Food Processors Association, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Pfizer Animal Health Group, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited (Canada), Canadian Animal Health Institute, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Meat & Livestock Australia, Canadian Pork Council, Ontario Farm Animal Council, the U.S. National Cattlemens Beef Association, the Rutgers University Food Safety Extension Program, Ag-West Biotech, Capital Health, Animal Industry Foundation, American Feed Industry Assn., the Ontario Soybean Growers Marketing Board, Food Indsutry Environmental Network, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors, Chicken Farmers of Canada, MDS Nordion, American Meat Institute, USDA Veterinary Services (Fort Collins) Alberta Farm Animal Council, and the Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt Program). archived at: http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/courses/ansc481/animal_net.html BACTERAEMIA AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE OF ITS PATHOGENS REPORTED IN ENGLAND AND WALES BETWEEN 1990 AND 1998: TREND ANALYSIS January 22, 2000 British Medical Journal 320:213-216 Editorial by Amyes Mark H Reacher, consultant epidemiologist a, Anita Shah, information officer a, David M Livermore, director b, Martin C J Wale, head d, Catriona Graham, statistician e, Alan P Johnson, clinical scientist b, Hilary Heine, head of information unit a, Marjorie A Monnickendam, editor f, Keith F Barker, senior medical adviser g, Dorothy James, information officer b, Robert C George, director c. a Public Health Laboratory Service Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, London NW9 5EQ, b Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring and Reference Laboratory, PHLS Central Public Health Laboratory, London NW9 5HT, c Respiratory and Systemic Infection Laboratory, PHLS Central Public Health Laboratory, d PHLS Antimicrobial Susceptibility Surveillance Unit, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, e PHLS Statistics Unit, London NW9 5EQ, f PHLS Headquarters, London NW9 5DF, g International Medical Department, SmithKline Beecham, SB House, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 9BD Correspondence to: M Reacher mreacher@phls.nhs.uk ABSTRACT Objectives: Determination of causes, trends, and antibiotic resistance in reports of bacterial pathogens isolated from blood in England and Wales from 1990 to 1998. Design: Description of bacterial isolates from blood, judged to be clinically significant by microbiology staff, reported to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre. Setting: Microbiology laboratories in England and Wales. Subjects: Patients yielding clinically significant isolates from blood. Main outcome measures: Frequency and Poisson regression analyses for trend of reported causes of bacteraemia and proportions of antibiotic resistant isolates. Results: There was an upward trend in total numbers of reports of bacteraemia. The five most cited organisms accounted for over 60% of reports each year. There was a substantial increase in the proportion of reports of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin, Streptococcus pneumoniae resistance to penicillin and erythromycin, and Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium resistance to vancomycin. No increase was seen in resistance of Escherichia coli to gentamicin. Conclusions: Reports from laboratories provide valuable information on trends and antibiotic resistance in bacteraemia and show a worrying increase in resistance to important antibiotics. TAIWAN DESTROYS 134 CATTLE IN FRESH VIRUS OUTBREAK January 21, 2000 Reuters TAIPEI -- A spokesman for Taiwan's quarantine department was cited as saying on Friday it had destroyed 134 cattle suspected of being infected with foot-and-mouth disease and ordered islandwide vaccination of some 600,000 cloven-hoofed animals. Officials were cited as saying the destroyed cattle included 132 milk cows and two farm cows at two southern feedlots. It was the first reported outbreak since July 1999 when the Council of Agriculture slaughtered 158 cows suspected of infection. The story notes that Taiwan's feedlots were devastated in 1997 by an islandwide outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, forcing farmers to destroy a quarter of the island's 14 million hogs and crippling what up to then was a US$1.6 billion-a-year pork export industry. Council officials were cited as dismissing worries the deadly virus could attack humans through milk consumption, saying there was no risk in drinking milk or eating other dairy products, adding, "Really, there is no risk in drinking fresh milk as long as the product has been pasteurised." Council officials said owners of the feedlots in the southwestern county of Yunlin reported in mid-January that some of their cattle bore the symptoms of food-and-mouth disease, and after inspection, agriculture experts found at least two cows had developed full-blown cases of the disease. The spokesman said the council had ordered that all 600,000 cloven-hoofed animals in Taiwan be vaccinated. In July 1999, the council slaughtered 158 cattle found with foot-and-mouth disease at two southern Taiwan feedlots, but did not order a vaccination of all hoofed animals. Council officials said the cattle destroyed in 1999 and recently all were found to have attacked by the so-called "Jinmen O-Type" virus. The outbreak of the deadly virus, categorised as "Jinmen O-Type," was first reported in outlying Jinmen island, which hugs the Chinese mainland. The story says that unlike the "Taiwan O-Type," which only attacks hogs and develop full-blown symptoms in two or three days, "Jinmen O-Type" can spread to other hoofed animals and stay in the infected animals for three years before killing them, health officials said. The virus would not attack people, they said. Council officials said the virus most likely came through smuggling of diseased cows to Jinmen, also known as Quemoy or Kinmen, from mainland China. PROTECTION OF BIRDS: COMMISSION TAKES FURTHER STEPS AGAINST SPAIN AND THE NETHERLANDS January 21, 2000 European commission DN: IP/00/68 Brussels -- The European Commission has decided to make an application to the European Court of Justice against Spain for failure to designate sufficient Special Protection Areas (SPAs) according to the Wild Birds Directive. On the same subject, the Commission also decided to send an Article 228 Reasoned Opinion to the Netherlands for failure to implement a Court ruling on this. Spain also infringe the Wild Birds Directive's requirements on hunting, and the Commission decided to send a Reasoned Opinion to Spain on this aspect of the Directive. The Wild Birds Directive (Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds) is the Community's oldest piece of nature conservation legislation. It creates a comprehensive scheme of protection for the Community's wild bird species, covering the conservation of the most important bird habitats as well as controls on hunting and other forms of exploitation. Migratory birds may not be hunted during their migration back to their rearing grounds. The Directive also includes a requirement for Member States to classify a network of protected areas (known as special protection areas or SPAs) for the most threatened species. Within SPAs, bird habitats must be protected from deterioration. The Directive also requires habitat conservation measures outside SPAs. At European level there exists an important inventory of sites which have been scientifically identified as the most suitable territories for protection as SPAs. Such sites, which are of great importance for the conservation of wild birds in the EU, are known as important bird areas (or IBAs). Decisions of the Court give particular weight to this inventory. The Netherlands was the first Member State to be condemned by the Court of Justice for failure to designate a sufficient number of SPAs on its territory (judgment of 19 May 1998, Commission -v- Netherlands). Further to this ruling, the Netherlands has committed itself to designate in addition to the 29 SPAs already existing - 60 new SPAs. In the absence of progress, the Commission decided to launch the procedure provided for by Article 228 of the EC Treaty which entitles the Commission to bring the Member State concerned a second time before the European Court Justice should the Member State not have complied with the first ruling of the Court. Since the Maastricht Treaty, the Court may impose a lump sum or penalty payment on the Member State at fault. To date, no new designation has taken place. Hence the decision to send an Article 228 Reasoned Opinion. Concerning Spain, the Commission's decision to make an application to the Court concerns the failure to designate a sufficient number of SPAs for the region of Murcia. Out of 15 IBAs in this region, only 3 have been designated and these 3 designations are incomplete. The deadline for Spain to designate SPAs expired on 1 January 1986. On the hunting provisions of the Directive, the Spanish authorities of Guipozcoa have authorized the hunting of migratory birds during their trip back to their rearing grounds (February to March), by way of an exception to the general prohibition of hunting under existing Community and Spanish legislation. Such an exception could only be authorised under the Wild Birds Directive in the absence of other satisfactory solutions. According to the information available to the Commission, the bird population concerned is adversely affected (the number of specimens decreases), and other possibilities exist for hunting the species in accordance with the Directive, such as authorising hunting in Autumn, outside the prenuptial migration period. Hence the decision to send a Reasoned Opinion. Welcoming the decisions taken, Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom said: "The above decisions reflect the Commission's continuing concern that, more than 20 years after the adoption of this key Directive for nature conservation, many Member States have still to take significant steps to complete the EU's SPA network, which has a key role to play in safeguarding Europe's biodiversity. It is not comforting in this respect to know that infringement proceedings are currently open against 13 Member States for breach of the Wild Birds Directive." THESE ANIMALS DON'T STAND A CHANCE January 21, 2000 Charlottown Guardian Tara Stewart of Stanchel writes that ever since she read the headline 'Non-human primate cloned for the first time,' she hasn't been able to get it out of her head. Tetra, a now healthy rhesus macaque monkey, was recently 'created' in Oregon, by splitting an early embryo into four pieces. Scientists call it "artificial twinning". Stewart says that this same method has reportedly been used on humans in the early '90s when the author saw a picture of Tetra, a beautiful rhesus monkey with big bright eyes, tufts of newborn hair sprouting on her little head, and a timid look on her face. She's a "genetically identical lab animal perfect for use in testing," so the scientists say. Just to read that quote makes her very ill and incredibly angry. Stewart concludes that these animals don't stand a chance in life. From birth, they're destined to be "lab animals" for those who gave them life. How human is that? GREENPEACE SOUNDS ALARM ON `SUPER' FISH: FUTURE OF SPECIES IN DANGER, GROUP WARNS January 21, 2000 The Ottawa Citizen A4 Pauline Tam MONTREAL -- A Newfoundland company on the verge of bringing the first genetically modified fish to market is, according to this story, toying with a risky technology that can wipe out large populations of its unmodified relatives if released into the wild, Greenpeace says. In a report released yesterday, the environmental group Greenpeace was cited as accussing the firm, A/F Protein Canada Inc., of St. John's, of ignoring potentially disastrous impacts on the world's fish stocks in its rush to commercialize genetically engineered trout and salmon. The company, with U.S. financial backing, is leading a worldwide race to develop fish containing the genes of a hormone that occurs naturally in chinook salmon. The hormone can make the fish grow several times faster than their wild cousins. According to Greenpeace, the fish are already being bred in fibreglass tanks at farms in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. An A/F Protein spokesman contacted yesterday confirmed his company aims to have its first genetically engineered fish approved and available for breeding in commercial farms within two or three years. Garth Fletcher was cited as saying the company has also conducted a small-scale taste test of its genetically engineered trout to determine whether consumers eating the fish can tell the difference between modified and unmodified varieties (they could not). Greenpeace cited recently published research by Purdue University in the United States to support its position that the commercialization and research of genetically modified fish should be halted and banned. Greenpeace activist Louise Gale was quoted as saying, ``Genetically engineered fish know no borders. Once they're out there, they will travel around.'' The story says that a U.S. report published last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences raised alarm at what could happen if genetically modified fish confined to farms were to be accidentally released into the wild. Using a computer model to test the hypothetical situation, Purdue University researcher Howard Muir concluded that just a small number of genetically growth-enhanced fish could crossbreed with their wild relatives, affect mating behaviour and ultimately weaken the gene pool of their otherwise healthy, unmodified cousins. The result, researchers say, could lead to hybrid offspring that die at a young age. Over the long term, that could devastate fish stocks and put some species on the verge of extinction. Genetically modified fish can also harm the environment in other ways, a California State University plant geneticist told a Greenpeace-sponsored news conference. GINSENG BETTER THAN A BONE FOR FIDO January 21, 2000 The Calgary Herald L3 An Edmonton biopharmaceutical company has, according to this story, developed a new line of holistic medicines for the dogs touted as a natural pick-me-up for pets. The story says that CV Technologies has developed a range of mixtures made from ginseng, shark cartilage and ginko biloba that offer health benefits to humans. Its ginseng formulation for colds and influenza is now in a phase-two clinical trial in Virginia approved by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration. David Rogers, vice-president of marketing and sales for CV Apavet Inc, the marketing arm of the company, was quoted as saying, ``It's a natural evolution that it would move into the non-human realm. Why go to a pharmaceutical (product) if you feel something less obtrusive would have the same effect?'' The company was created after veterinarians pressed for the products. NOVARTIS PHARMA AG ANNOUNCES INDIRECT ACQUISITION OF INTEREST IN COBEQUID LIFE SCIENCES INC. January 20, 2000 from a press release VANCOUVER -- Novartis Pharma AG (``Novartis'') has acquired on January 19, 2000, Vericore Holdings Ltd. (``Vericore''), a Scottish company which owns 5,256,595 shares or approximately 40% of the issued and outstanding shares of Cobequid Life Sciences Inc. (``Cobequid''), a Canadian Venture Exchange-listed company which is a reporting issuer in British Columbia and Nova Scotia. The purpose of Novartis in acquiring Vericore is to enter the vaccine business and to strengthen its position in the U.K. animal health market. In addition to acquiring an indirect 40% interest in Cobequid through its acquisition of Vericore, Novartis has acquired indirect control over another 12% of the shares of Cobequid which represent the shareholdings of Gerri Greenham. The indirect control has been acquired through a shareholders' agreement between Vericore, Mr. Greenham and Cobequid dated July 14, 1998 (the ``Shareholder's Agreement'') in which Mr. Greenham agrees to vote his shares in accordance with Vericore's voting directions. The Shareholders' Agreement also provides Vericore with pre-emption rights with respect to Mr. Greenham's shares in the event that Mr. Greenham or his permitted transferees wish to sell or otherwise dispose of Mr. Greenham's shares. The pre-emptive rights exist until such time as the Shareholders' Agreement is in force and effect. VETS PLAY A KEY ROLE IN KEEPING US HEALTHY TOO; THERE¼S MORE TO åPET DOCTORS¼ THAN MEETS THE EYE. LANA CAPTAN EXPLAINS January 21, 2000 The Daily Star http://www.dailystar.com.lb:80/features/21_01_00_b.htm Mansour Kassab, according to this story, tells his assistant to keep his canine clients in the waiting room a few minutes more as he takes a brief cigarette break at his crowded Achrafieh pet clinic, adding, „This is what it¼s like all the time.¾ The story says that Kassab divides his time between the Ministry of Agriculture, where he is director of the Animal Resources Department, and his role as president of the Lebanese Veterinarians Association, quoting Kassab as saying, „What people fail to realize is that veterinarians aren¼t only responsible for caring for domestic animals. We have a much more significant role on a larger scale in the agro-industrial, health and economic sectors. We aren¼t even taken seriously as a professional association because people don¼t realize how significant our role is or that we even exist.¾ The story says there are 120 licensed vets in Lebanon, who are part of the association that was established in 1994. According to Kassab, however, there are twice that number of foreign vets from neighboring countries and Eastern Europe working here without licenses. „They¼re the ones who give our profession a bad name,¾ argues Kassab, who graduated from a veterinary school in France in 1972. He is more concerned about the country¼s lack of conformity with internationally approved standards of food production, including meat, poultry and dairy products, which he believes do not meet adequate conditions to qualify for export. „Until the country does conform to them it will remain on a list of countries whose products aren¼t considered worthy of export,¾ he says. „Also, once animal by-products and processed foods are produced on a large scale, warehouses have to be monitored more closely so that products are well-kept and don¼t rot.¾ One of the first steps that Kassab and fellow veterinarians tried to do was support a ban on imported packed chicken. Three months ago, the Ministry of Agriculture announced a 105 percent Customs duty on imported eggs, poultry, milk and beef products. „We gave our support to help the economy,¾ says Kassab, „and that¼s what our objective was in presenting a research study on how to set high safety and quality-control standards.¾ Kassab says that the high incidence of foot-and-mouth disease in livestock here means that our meat is not suitable for export to Europe. Outbreaks of FMD, a highly contagious airborne virus that affects sheep, goats and cattle, reached epidemic proportions in the Baalbek-Hermel region last year. The debilitating disease causes high fever and paralysis in the mouth, making it impossible for livestock to eat. The animals eventually die of starvation. FMD cases are common in the area and occur every year, but in 1999 the number of cases, especially among sheep, was exceptionally high. The disease took farmers by surprise because instead of breaking out in spring as it usually does, it struck in January. The Animal Resources Department at the Agriculture ministry has conducted surveys on ways of improving the quality of animal products and improving the country¼s food industry: Recommendations to improve the quality of animal products: Ä improve breeding Ä care for animals in their habitats Ä monitoring quality of animal feed Ä ensuring good health of animals Recommendations to improve the food industry: Ä developing existing regulations and laws concerning food production Ä applying international standards of production Ä measures to improve hygiene and quality control Ä continuously updating technical facilities at factories Ä proper labeling and offering a wide variety of products U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE URGES CAUTION TO PROTECT TRUMPETER SWANS January 20, 2000 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Each winter, rare trumpeter swans can be seen in Illinois, and each year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and state conservation officials investigate illegal killings of the huge birds. The year 2000 has seen little change from previous yearsã five trumpeters have fallen victim to shootings. The toll: three dead and two wounded. Trumpeter swans are protected, and Service special agent Timothy Santel reminds the public that killing trumpeter swans, even accidentally while hunting sport species, violates several State and Federal laws. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking that hunters be sure of their target to avoid killing trumpeters; and that the public report any intentional shooting of trumpeter swans. „Every year, we thrill to the sight of these magnificent birds as they migrate into Illinois. But every year we witness the same tragedyãthe irresponsible actions of a few people,¾ Santel said. „We want everyone to know about trumpeter swans, that they are protected, and that the Service and our state partners intend to pursue cases of illegal killings, accidental or otherwise.¾ Santel reports that the killer of one trumpeter in Mason County, Illinois, has already been prosecuted in state court. The shooter received fines totaling nearly $1,000. State charges are also pending against shooters at a private hunt club in Fulton County where two swans were killed and one injured. The trumpeter injured in the incident is now recovering at Treehouse, a wildlife rehabilitation facility located in Brighton, Illinois. Another trumpeter was reported injured in a shooting at Lake Jacksonville in Morgan County. The incident was reported by witnesses, and the suspect later confessed to the shooting. The bird, which survived the shooting and was located two days later, was also treated by Treehouse. This trumpeter has been moved to a larger rehabilitation facility at the Raptor Rehabilitation Center at the University of Minnesota. The bird wore a yellow neckband „E-72,¾ indicating it is part of a reintroduction effort by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The swan did have its wing tip amputated as a result of the injury. Santel notes that several of the trumpeters now in Illinois can be seen with yellow neck collars to identify them as part of the Wisconsin DNR¼s trumpeter project. Some of these birds also wear tiny radio tracking devices to help follow their movements. „The tracking devices indicate that most of these swans are now in central and southern Illinois with the goose seasons in full swing, when risks to the swans are increased,¾ said Santel. Trumpeter swans are considerably larger than other sport-hunted waterfowl, weighing up to 38 pounds and measuring 5 feet in length. The trumpeter's plumage is snowy white, and the bird's wingspan can reach 8 feet. By comparison, the largest Canada geese weigh about 12 pounds. Said Santel, "If you see a bird with an 8-foot wingspan, it is definitely not a goose. Hunters who aren't sure should not pull the trigger." Trumpeter swans are slowly making a comeback from low populations. In some states, including Wisconsin, efforts are underway to reintroduce trumpeter swans to bolster their populations. They often migrate through Illinois, along major waterways such as the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. It is during winter migrations, which coincide with sport hunting seasons, that trumpeters are at risk. The trumpeter is one of three species of swans which may be found in Illinois, and all three are protected by state law. Other species include the tundra swan and the non-migratory mute swan. Both the trumpeter and the tundra swan are also protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Unlike many other species of waterfowl, trumpeters may not be hunted at any time. Even accidental shootings are misdemeanor violations of the Act and carry penalties of up to $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, up to 6 months in prison, and possible loss of hunting privileges. http://midwest.fws.gov/ext_affr/news_rel/ea00_02.html TRANSMISSION OF VESICULAR STOMATITIS VIRUS FROM INFECTED TO NONINFECTED BLACK FLIES CO-FEEDING ON NONVIREMIC DEER MICE January 21, 2000 Science Volume 287, Number 5452, pp. 485 - 487 Daniel G. Mead, 1* Frank B. Ramberg, 1 David G. Besselsen, 1,2 C. John MarÈ SUMMARY Vesicular stomatitis is an economically important arboviral disease of livestock. Viremia is absent in infected mammalian hosts, and the mechanism by which insects become infected with the causative agents, vesicular stomatitis viruses, remains unknown. Because infected and noninfected insects potentially feed on the same host in nature, infected and noninfected black flies were allowed to feed on the same host. Viremia was not detected in the host after infection by a black fly bite, but because noninfected black flies acquired the virus while co-feeding on the same host with infected black flies, it is concluded that a viremic host is not necessary for an insect to be infected with the virus. Thus co-feeding is a mechanism of infection for an insect-transmitted virus. 1 Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology, and 2 University Animal Care, 1117 East Lowell, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. UPDATE: RACCOON RABIES EPIZOOTIC -- UNITED STATES AND CANADA, 1999 January 21, 2000 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Vol. 49/No. 2 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr In 1977, an outbreak of raccoon rabies was detected in an area on the West Virginia-Virginia border (1). Since then, the area affected by this distinct variant of rabies virus associated with raccoons has spread to Ohio in the west and New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine in the north (Figure 1). In addition, the once separate epizootics of rabies among raccoons in the southeastern and mid-Atlantic states converged in North Carolina. In July 1999, the raccoon rabies virus variant was reported from Ontario, Canada, on the New York border. This report describes the spread of this epizootic of raccoon rabies through mid-Atlantic and northeastern states and into Canada. Canada. On July 14, 1999, the first case of rabies caused by the raccoon-associated variant was diagnosed in a raccoon across the St. Lawrence River from Ogdensburg, New York, in a village northwest of Prescott, Ontario. A second case was identified on July 26, 9 miles west of the first case. A third case was diagnosed on September 17, approximately 9 miles north of the other two cases. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) has been conducting trap-vaccinate-release programs for several years at the major border crossings in the St. Lawrence and Niagara areas to build defensive zones of vaccinated raccoons to minimize the spread of epizootic rabies. These first cases occurred outside the vaccinated zone. A total of 880 raccoons, 220 striped skunks, and one red fox, captured within a 3-mile radius of each of the first two cases, were negative for rabies by immunofluorescence test (OMNR, unpublished data, 2000). In approximately 3 miles around the point-control area, raccoons and skunks were caught in live traps, vaccinated with an inactivated vaccine, and released. Raccoons with rabies probably crossed the St. Lawrence through or near the international bridge between Ogdensburg-Johnstown, New York, and Prescott, Ontario. Maine. In August 1994, the raccoon-associated variant of rabies virus was first detected in Maine. During August 1994-August 1999, 857 rabid animals were identified, 85% of which were infected or presumed infected with the raccoon rabies variant. As of August 1999, 13 of 16 Maine counties were affected by the raccoon rabies variant. This variant also is occurring with increasing frequency in skunks. New Hampshire. Cases of rabies believed caused by the raccoon-associated variant of rabies virus peaked in 1994 with 140 raccoons testing positive for rabies. Since 1994, the number of rabies cases decreased to 26 in 1996 and to 18 in 1997, with a slight increase to 23 in 1998. Reports in 1999 include two cats confirmed with the raccoon rabies variant and 18 raccoons. New York. Since 1990, the raccoon-associated variant of rabies virus has spread to all but one northern county, two counties on eastern Long Island, and one New York City borough. In 1998, New York reported 1096 laboratory-confirmed rabies cases in animals; this marked the eighth consecutive year with greater than 1000 cases. This epizootic has been associated with raccoon rabies in domestic and wild animals, including one black bear and 31 white-tailed deer. North Carolina. The raccoon rabies epizootic continues to spread to the east and west and affects greater than 80% of North Carolina counties. Rabies has been found in western North Carolina in Watauga County, approximately 6 miles from the Tennessee border. No cases of rabies among raccoons have been reported from neighboring Tennessee counties. Ohio. In early 1997, rabies among raccoons was first reported from northeastern Ohio. By the end of 1997, three counties bordering Pennsylvania reported 62 rabid animals, including 59 raccoons. Within 2 months of confirmation of the outbreak, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), with support from CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, implemented an oral rabies vaccination (ORV) program in counties along the Pennsylvania border. In May and September 1997 and in April and October 1998, ORV treatment was delivered. In May and September 1999, ODH distributed 1,459,442 vaccine-laden baits for animals; the treatment area covered 4037 square miles. After implementing ORV, reported cases of animals infected with the raccoon-associated rabies variant decreased to 26 (20 raccoons) in 1998. As of November 11, five raccoons and a chipmunk infected with the raccoon-associated rabies variant have been reported in 1999. Vermont. The raccoon-associated variant of rabies virus was first identified in Vermont in 1994. By 1998, the epizootic had progressed into the north central counties of the state. An ORV campaign along the Canadian border initiated in 1997 appears to have decreased the reported number of rabies cases in that region, and no rabies has been reported associated with this variant across the Canadian border. Virginia. In 1978, raccoon rabies was first identified in Virginia in a county bordering the West Virginia county that initially reported the new outbreak in 1977. Counties in southwestern Virginia continue to be affected by raccoon rabies. In 1998 and 1999, cases have been reported as far west as Russell and Washington counties. West Virginia. Raccoon rabies became established in eastern West Virginia in approximately 1977. The Appalachian Mountains presented a barrier to the westward spread of the raccoon-associated rabies variant; however, in 1997, a rabid raccoon was found in Ritchie County, one county east of the Ohio River. In 1999, 23 rabid raccoons were identified from Monongalia and Marion counties on the northwestern border. Reported by: AI Wandeler, PhD, Center of Expertise for Rabies, Animal Diseases Research Institute, Canadian Food Inspection Agency; RC Rosatte, Rabies Unit, Wildlife Research Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. D Williams, TK Lee, DrPH, KF Gensheimer, MD, State Epidemiologist, Maine Dept of Human Svcs. JT Montero, MD, Bur of Communicable Disease Control, New Hampshire Dept of Health and Human Svcs. CV Trimarchi, DL Morse, MD, M Eidson, DVM, PF Smith, MD, State Epidemiologist, New York State Dept of Health. JL Hunter, DVM, North Carolina Dept of Health and Human Services. KA Smith, DVM, Ohio Dept of Health. RH Johnson, DVM, Vermont Dept of Health. SR Jenkins, VMD, Virginia Dept of Health. C Berryman, DVM, Div of Surveillance and Disease Control, West Virginia Dept of Health and Human Resources. Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Br, Div of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases; and an EIS Officer, CDC. Editorial Note: Raccoons have accounted for the largest percentage of animal rabies cases reported to CDC since 1990. In 1998, 44% of all rabies cases among animals in the United States occurred among raccoons. From 1990 to 1998, 35,264 cases of raccoon rabies were reported in the United States. Of those 35,033 (99.3%) occurred in eastern states where raccoon rabies is enzootic. Since the start of the mid-Atlantic epizootic of rabies involving the raccoon-associated variant of rabies virus, the epizootic front has progressed at approximately 18-24 miles each year (2-4). The progress of the epizootic appears most rapid in preferred raccoon habitats; however, major physiographic barriers, such as rivers and mountain ranges, can impede the epizootic advance (3-5). Although the Appalachian Mountains slowed the westward progression of the epizootic for more than a decade, counties in western Virginia and western North Carolina are reporting raccoon rabies cases. The threat of rabies introduction into counties in eastern Ohio soon may include much of the border with West Virginia in addition to the border with Pennsylvania. Once raccoon rabies becomes established in the Ohio River valley, few physio-graphic barriers remain to prevent its spread throughout the midwestern United States. In the northern United States, the raccoon-associated variant of rabies virus has crossed the St. Lawrence River and reached Canada. As of January 2000, eight cases of raccoon rabies have been found in Ontario (RC Rosatte, OMNR, personal communication, 2000). Whether Canadian attempts at outbreak intervention (6) involving local raccoon population control and establishing an immune barrier are successful will require ongoing active surveillance. However, incursions of infected raccoons into Canada from other sites along the U.S. border where rabies is endemic will continue to occur unless control efforts on both sides of the border are effective. Although human rabies is rare in the United States and Canada, the costs associated with rabies prevention are substantial (2,7). Where epizootics of raccoon rabies have occurred, the number of costly human postexposure treatments has increased dramatically (8). Although ORV immune barriers to prevent epizootic spread of wildlife rabies exist in several states, their maintenance requires substantial annual expenditures (9). Even when economic arguments for the use of wildlife rabies control in certain circumstances exist, active intervention to control wildlife rabies and public support for these activities in the United States are limited. The usefulness of ORV showed that targeting raccoon habitats with ORV increased vaccination rates to 63%, which was sufficient to halt the spread of rabies in free-ranging raccoons (10). However, ORV or other methods for eliminating or reducing rabies cases among raccoons after the disease has become endemic are generally unproven and need further assessment. In addition to educational initiatives and effective public health surveillance, prevention of human and domestic animal rabies primarily relies on the public to keep pets vaccinated and to reduce the number of stray animals. References 1. Jenkins SR, Perry BD, Winkler WG. Ecology and epidemiology of raccoon rabies. Rev Infect Dis 1998;10(suppl)4:S620-S625. 2. Rupprecht CE, Smith JS. Raccoon rabies: the re-emergence of an epizootic in a densely populated area. Semin Virol 1994;5:155-64. 3. Wilson ML, Bretsky PM, Cooper GH, et al. Emergence of raccoon rabies in Connecticut, 1991-1994: spatial and temporal characteristics of animal infection and human contact. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1997;57:457-63. 4. Moore DA. Spatial diffusion of raccoon rabies in Pennsylvania. Prev Vet Med 1999;40:19-32. 5. Carey AB, Giles RH, McLean RG. The landscape epidemiology of rabies in Virginia. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1978;27:573-80. 6. Rosatte RC, Howard DR, Campbell JB, MacInnes CD. Intramuscular vaccination of skunks and raccoons against rabies. J Wildl Dis 1990;26:225-30. 7. Fishbein DB, Arcangeli S. Rabies prevention in primary care: a four-step approach. Postgrad Med 1987;82:83-90,93-5. 8. CDC. Update: raccoon rabies epizootic--United States, 1996. MMWR 1997;45:1116-20. 9. Meltzer MI, Rupprecht CE. A review of the economics of the prevention and control of rabies. Part 2: rabies in dogs, livestock and wildlife. Pharmacoeconomics 1998;13:481-98. 10. Robbins AH, Borden MD, Windmiller BS, et al. Prevention of the spread of rabies to wildlife by oral vaccination of raccoons in Massachusetts. JAVMA 1998;213:1407-12. GUIDELINES FOR SURVEILLANCE, PREVENTION, AND CONTROL OF WEST NILE VIRUS INFECTION -- UNITED STATES January 21, 2000 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Vol. 49/No. 2 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr The introduction of West Nile (WN) virus in the northeastern United States during the summer and fall of 1999 raised the issue of preparedness of public health agencies to handle sporadic and outbreak-associated vectorborne diseases (1-3). In many local and state health departments, vectorborne disease capacity has diminished. Because it is unknown whether the virus can persist over the winter, whether it has already or will spread to new geographic locations, and the public health and animal health implications of this introduction, it is important to establish proactive laboratory-based surveillance and prevention and control programs to limit the impact of the virus in the United States. On November 8 and 9, 1999, CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cosponsored a meeting of experts representing a wide range of disciplines to review the outbreak and to provide input and guidance on the programs that should be developed to monitor WN virus activity and to prevent future outbreaks of disease. This report summarizes the guidelines established during this meeting. Surveillance Because of bird migration patterns, enhanced surveillance is a priority in those states already affected or having a potential for being affected, including areas from Massachusetts to Texas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts*. Active surveillance activities should be implemented through the winter in southern states where mosquito activity continues throughout the year, or implemented early in the spring in northern states where mosquito activity ceased with the onset of cold weather. Surveillance activities that should be emphasized in the catchment area include the following: 1. Active bird surveillance to detect the presence of and to monitor WN virus activity in both wild and sentinel bird populations (4). In particular, surveillance for dead crows may be a sensitive means to detect the presence of WN virus in an area. 2. Active mosquito surveillance to detect and monitor WN virus activity in mosquito populations and to help identify potential vectors (4). 3. Enhanced passive veterinary surveillance by general alerts to veterinarians for reporting neurologic illness in animals, with emphasis on horses as a backup system to monitor the extent of WN virus transmission outside the bird-mosquito cycle. 4. Enhanced passive human surveillance by general alerts to health-care providers to report viral encephalitis and, if resources permit, aseptic meningitis in humans. Laboratory Diagnosis Diagnosis of WN or other virus infections requires specialized laboratory diagnostic tests (4). Surveillance activities require the availability of laboratories that can provide the following minimal laboratory diagnostic support: 1. Serology. Using CDC and USDA protocols and reagents, the IgM and IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for WN virus should be established in all state public health and veterinary laboratories to provide initial testing for human and animal specimens (5). State health, veterinary, and reference laboratories with biosafety level 3 facilities should have the capability to conduct neutralization tests to identify specific flavivirus antibodies. 2. Virus isolation and detection. Regional state public health laboratories and reference laboratories with biosafety level 3 facilities should have virus isolation and identification capabilities. Selected other laboratories also should have reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) capability to detect viral RNA (5-7). Antigen-capture ELISAs to detect WN and other arboviruses in mosquito pools should be developed and made available to state and local laboratories. Regional state public health and reference laboratories should have the capability to use immunohistochemistry to detect virus in autopsy tissues. Prevention and Control Mosquito control is the most effective way to prevent transmission of WN and other arboviruses to humans and other animals, or to control an ongoing outbreak (4). Mosquito-control methods should include the following: 1. Mosquito abatement districts. The most effective and economical way to control mosquitoes is by larval source reduction through locally funded abatement programs that monitor mosquito populations and initiate control before disease transmission occurs. These programs also can be used as the first line emergency response for mosquito control if disease is detected in humans or domestic animals. 2. Public outreach. Public education about vectorborne diseases, particularly about modes of transmission and means of preventing or reducing risk for exposure, is a critical component of a prevention and control program. Public Health Infrastructure Effective surveillance, prevention, and control of vectorborne diseases, including WN virus, require designated resources in local and state health departments. Few state and local health departments have trained personnel or the resources to address adequately vectorborne diseases. At a minimum, each state health department should have functional arbovirus surveillance and response capability, including entomology and laboratory support. Geographic location and risk for WN transmission will determine the extent of a state's capability to handle arboviral diseases. Interjurisdictional Data Sharing WN fever is a zoonosis that affects numerous animal species, including humans. Effective surveillance and response will require coordination and data exchange between federal, state, and local agencies including departments of health, agriculture, and wildlife. A system of secure e-mail list servers and/or World-Wide Web sites will be necessary to facilitate the rapid and efficient exchange of data and other information between authorized users. Research Priorities Targets of applied research include understanding how and why the 1999 WN virus epidemic occurred, the public health and animal health implications of this introduction to the Western Hemisphere, and developing effective prevention strategies. High-priority research topics include defining current and future geographic distribution; bird migration as a mechanism of virus dispersal; vector relations and range; vertebrate host relations and range; virus persistence mechanisms; mosquito biology and behavior; mosquito control methods; mosquito surveillance methods; developing and evaluating disease prevention strategies; improving laboratory diagnostic tests; clinical spectrum of WN virus illness and long-term prognosis in humans; determining risk factors in enzootic areas; viral pathogenesis; genetic relations and the molecular basis of virulence; WN virus vaccine development for animals and humans; antiviral therapy for flaviviruses; and economic impact of the northeastern outbreak. Reported by: Animal, Plant, and Health Inspection Svc, US Department of Agriculture. Div of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, CDC. Editorial Note: The 1999 WN virus epidemic in the New York City (NYC) metropolitan area resulted in 61 human cases (55 confirmed and six probable), including seven deaths (1-3). Exotic zoo birds, American crows, and horses also were affected and had high death rates. In addition to NYC, epidemic/epizootic transmission was detected in surrounding New York counties. Emergency surveillance programs detected epizootic transmission in New Jersey and Connecticut but no cases in humans. The surveillance and laboratory efforts required from NYC, surrounding counties, and adjacent states consumed considerable resources and demonstrated a need to enhance state and local health department programs to combat vectorborne infectious diseases. In December 1999, CDC announced the availability of fiscal year 2000 supplemental funds to support WN virus surveillance, prevention, and control projects. The 19 state and local health departments eligible to apply for these funds represent those areas where WN virus transmission already has occurred or where transmission would be more likely to occur based on bird migration patterns. The focus of these cooperative agreements enables state and local health departments to increase surveillance activities and enhance laboratory capacity for detecting WN and other arboviruses. In the initial year, surveillance activities will be focused to determine whether WN virus survived the winter and, if so, to ascertain its geographic distribution along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. References 1. CDC. Outbreak of West Nile-like viral encephalitis--New York, 1999. MMWR 1999;48:845-9. 2. CDC. Update: West Nile-like viral encephalitis--New York, 1999. MMWR 1999;48:890-2. 3. CDC. Update: West Nile virus encephalitis--New York, 1999. MMWR 1999;48:944-6,955. 4. CDC. Guidelines for arbovirus surveillance in the United States. Fort Collins, Colorado: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, CDC, 1993. 5. Lanciotti RS, Roehrig JT, Deubel V, et al. Origin of the West Nile virus responsible for an outbreak of encephalitis in the northeastern United States. Science 1999;286:2333-7. 6. Anderson JF, Andreadis TG, Vossbrinck CR, et al. Isolation of West Nile virus from mosquitoes, crows, and a Cooper's Hawk in Connecticut. Science 1999;286:2331-3. 7. Jia XY, Briese T, Jordan I, et al. Genetic analysis of West Nile New York 1999 encephalitis virus [Letter]. Lancet 1999;354:1971-2. Ä Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. MAGNUSON-STEVENS ACT PROVISIONS; ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES; EXEMPTED FISHING AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PERMITS January 21, 2000 Federal Register (Volume 65, Number 14) [Notices] [Page 3419] [DOCID:fr21ja00-30] Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Exempted Fishing and Scientific Research Permits AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Applications for Exempted Fishing and Scientific Research Permits; request for comments. SUMMARY: NMFS announces the receipt of applications for exempted fishing permits (EFPs) and scientific research permits (SRPs) regarding collection of Atlantic highly migratory species. If granted, these EFPs/SRPs would authorize collections of a limited number of tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks from Federal waters in the Atlantic Ocean for the purposes of scientific data collection and public display. DATES: Written comments on these collection and research activities will be considered by NMFS in issuing such EFPs/SRPs if received on or before January 31, 2000. ADDRESSES: Send comments to Rebecca Lent, Chief, Highly Migratory Species Management Division (F/SF1), NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. The EFP/SRP applications and copies of the regulations under which EFPs/SRPs are issued may also be requested from this address. Comments also may be sent via facsimile (fax) to (301) 713-1917. Comments will not be accepted if submitted via e-mail or Internet. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sari Kiraly or Steve Meyers, 301-713- 2347; fax: 301-713-1917. To subscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: (subscription is free) listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca leave subject line blank in the body of the message type: subscribe animalnet-L firstname lastname i.e. subscribe animalnet -L Doug Powell To unsubscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca leave subject line blank in the body of the message type: signoff animalnet-L For more information about the AnimalNet research program, please contact: Dr. Douglas Powell dept. of plant agriculture University of Guelph Guelph, Ont. N1G 2W1 tel: 519-824-4120 x2506 fax: 519-763-8933 dpowell@uoguelph.ca http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/riskcomm archived at: http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/courses/ansc481/animal_net.html