News Update

News Update
April 16, 2008

USDA Implements Key Strategy from NAIS Business Plan

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced that it has implemented a key strategy from its Business Plan to Advance Animal Disease Traceability by providing National Animal Identification System (NAIS) compliant “840” radio frequency (RF) ear tags to animal health officials for use in the bovine tuberculosis (TB) control program.

NAIS-compliant “840” tags provide for individual identification of livestock through a 15-digit number beginning with the U.S. country code. Through the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, the “840” tags allow animal health officials to electronically identify an animal. This increases the efficiency of animal disease investigations that involve the tracing of exposed and potentially infected animals. RFID technology also increases the accuracy of recording the animal’s 15-digit animal identification number (AIN). USDA has purchased a total of 1.5 million “840” RFID tags to support animal disease control programs, including the bovine TB and brucellosis programs.

“Using NAIS-compliant tags with RF technology establishes a consistent data format across our animal disease programs. It will also increase the efficiency and accuracy of the on-ground animal health task force conducting bovine TB testing and response,” said Bruce Knight, undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs. “This effort supports a key strategy outlined in our business plan and is another step toward reaching NAIS’s ultimate goal of 48-hour traceability.”

Recently, USDA shipped 28,000 tags to California to support bovine TB testing as part of an ongoing investigation. So far, a total of 6,600 cattle in two California herds have been tagged with “840” devices. The goal is to link the cattle to their premises of origin, so if there is an outbreak in the future, the movements of the infected animals can be quickly traced.

Bovine TB investigations are currently occurring in several states. Since 2002, bovine TB detections in six states have required the destruction of more than 25,000 cattle. USDA has tested more than 787,000 animals in response to TB outbreaks since 2004.

RF tags have been used in beef and dairy operations for management and marketing purposes for several years. Incorporating AIN RF tags into animal disease programs promotes the standardization of identification methods and technology so that they can be used by producers and animal health officials for multiple purposes.

Currently, there are five USDA-approved manufacturers that produce eight devices for official NAIS use. Seven of these devices are RFID ear tags, while the other device is an injectable transponder to be used in horses and other farm animals not intended to enter the food production chain.

NAIS is a modern, streamlined information system that helps producers and animal health officials respond quickly and effectively to events affecting animal health in the United States. NAIS utilizes premises registration, animal identification and animal tracing components to both locate potentially diseased animals and eliminate animals from disease suspicion. It is a state-federal-industry partnership, which is voluntary at the federal level. For more information on NAIS, go to www.usda.gov/nais.

— Release provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Kansas Beef Council taking beef message to dietitians

Beef will be prominently discussed during this week’s Kansas Dietetic Association (KDA) annual meeting in Junction City. The Kansas Beef Council (KBC) has arranged to have WebMD Director of Nutrition Kathleen Zelman speak to the group about nutrient density. Beef is widely known as a nutrient-dense food. Zelman’s appearance is made possible through the checkoff-funded Nutrition Seminar Program.

KBC will complement Zelman’s presentation by providing Kansas dietitians with the latest research and nutrition information on beef. Checkoff dollars will sponsor lunch for the group featuring a healthy, lean beef entrée called “Steak Frites Salad.”

Similar messages about the benefits of nutrient-dense beef will be delivered by KBC staff during the Kansas Nutrition Council conference, which will take place in conjunction with the KDA meeting.

Debris in pastures potential health risk to cattle

Insulation and building debris present in pastures after high winds can cause problems for cattle producers, difficulties that potentially may have a significant effect on animal health and time management costs.

Cattle will eat just about anything that looks interesting in the pasture, cautions Dave Sparks, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service veterinarian and area food animal quality and health specialist.

“Producers are going to have to pick up as much debris from their pastures as possible,” he said. “This can be a painstaking, labor-intensive process given the potential amount of small debris.”

Insulation can cause bloat, impaction and gastrointestinal problems when consumed, including possible hemorrhaging of the rumen. Nails and other small pieces of metal can cause “hardware” disease, health problems associated with the consumption of metal.

Sparks said a single piece of wire consumed by a bull, cow, heifer or calf can drop down into the reticulum, the first stomach, where it potentially can pierce the heart.

Other problems sometimes associated with “hardware” disease are the shutting down of the rumen, depression, acute pain and decreased milk production.

“Cattle producers may want to use rumen magnets if there appears to be a significant amount of metal debris in pastures,” Sparks said. “A rumen magnet may be a health-care investment well worth the money.”

Local large-animal veterinarians have information on rumen magnets, including associated costs and availability.

“Insulation debris is more problematic, because of the small size,” Sparks said. “Producers are unlikely to rid their pastures of every bit of insulation. If animals exhibit symptoms of insulation-related problems, producers should contact their local veterinarians immediately.”

Treatment of cattle suffering from insulation problems is symptomatic.

“Your local veterinarian will treat on a case-by-case basis,” Sparks said. “This might mean employing a treatment with laxatives, mineral oil, fluid therapy or, in appropriate cases, surgery.”

Nails and other sharp metal objects of various sizes also create a significant hazard to the feet and legs of animals.

“It’s very common for these objects to cause puncture wounds and cuts in the feet and legs of livestock,” Sparks said.

Often these metal objects have been carried by wind or washed into water holes, ponds or other areas accessible to livestock and are a potential source of injury.

“It’s prudent for livestock owners to keep this in mind when they have animals showing lameness,” Sparks said. “If an animal is lame for more than one or two days and the lameness continues to worsen, it should be examined by a veterinarian.”

Additional information on after-the-storm cleanup practices is available through all Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension county offices at http://countyext2.okstate.edu.