News Update
May 16, 2011

NMSU Extension Helps Counties Develop Household Animal Evacuation Plans

Emergency response personnel know what actions they will take during a natural disaster or emergency. They have created emergency operation plans at all levels of government — local, county, state. They have had table-top scenarios and live exercises to practice their responses. They have planned for every contingency, from flood to wildfire, and know how they will deal with the mass evacuation of an area.

But one contingency that has been left out of the plans is what to do with domestic animals and pets of families who have to be evacuated from their homes and property.

“We don’t think about the number of animals involved when we have to evacuate a neighborhood,” said Charlie Siepel, New Mexico State University (NMSU) Cooperative Extension Service southern district director. “It’s not until a child approaches an emergency response person after the disaster happened and asks if they have seen their dog that it hits you, the emotional impact those pets have on people.”

Siepel is the agriculture plan and household pets and service animal plan coordinator with the Southwest Border Food Safety and Disaster Center (SWBFSDC) at NMSU.

He is working with Courtney McBride, local preparedness coordinator with New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, who is coordinating a program to help New Mexico counties add a pet emergency evacuation and transportation appendix to existing county emergency operation plans.

“FEMA has made it a requirement that counties have this section in their emergency operation plan if they apply for disaster funds after an incident that includes evacuation involving domestic animals and pets,” said Billy Dictson, director of SWBFSDC’s office of biosecurity.

Develop guidelines for evacuation and rescue of animals

McBride and Siepel have created templates to help counties address the many issues involved with pet evacuation and transportation, starting with guidelines for evacuation and rescue of animals.

“There’s a lot involved with this sort of scenario,” said Siepel. “Such as: Where are the animals going to be taken? Who will care for them while at the emergency shelter? How will they be fed, and by whom? What forms are needed to register the animals? Does the county have a pet abandonment policy or the necessary forms to keep track of which animal belongs to which humans? These are just some of the things needed to be planned before the disaster hits.”

“When we helped counties prepare the agricultural livestock annex to their emergency operation plan, we had them go through the process of realizing what the plan needed to include,” Dictson said. “With this section we want to make it as easy as possible for the counties to fulfill the FEMA requirement.”

Representatives from 13 counties will begin work on their plans May 25 during a meeting in Albuquerque. County emergency managers may contact McBride at 505-476-9608 or Siepel at 575-542-9207 for more information about the work session.

Harvest Stressed Alfalfa Before Leaf Drop Occurs

Alfalfa is under severe stress from drought and alfalfa weevil pressure in many parts of Kansas this spring, resulting in stunted growth and damaged leaves, said Jim Shroyer, K-State Research and Extension crop production specialist.

This will affect management plans, he said.

“Normally, the first cutting of alfalfa should be made when regrowth at the crown is apparent. In the spring, this occurs prior to bloom,” Shroyer explained.

“But this year, producers will have to consider taking their first cutting even if regrowth at the crown has not yet begun. Leaves contain more nutrients than stems, and it’s important to retain as many of the leaves as possible to produce high-quality forage,” he said.

If cutting is required before the optimum time, root reserves on newly-established stands or even older stands may not be satisfactory to permit rapid regrowth, he said. But left uncut, the hay crop may be lost and damage to the stand may occur, he added.

Because of the stresses on alfalfa this season, producers should evaluate the condition of older stands as the season progresses, Shroyer said. These fields may need to be replaced sooner than planned, he said.

— Release by Steve Watson for K-State Research and Extension.

Equine Herpesvirus Awareness

An outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) has been traced to horses that attended the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Western National Championships in Odgen, Utah, April 30-May 8, 2011. Affected horses have been identified in Colorado. Additional states have possible cases pending and/or are looking for animals that attended the event and returned home.

Texas does not currently have any confirmed positives. The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has identified all horses that attended the show in Utah and are currently working on contacting the equine owners and advising them to isolate exposed horses for at least two weeks, follow good biosecurity practices and watch for possible clinical signs.

EHV-1 information
Equine Herpesvirus is a common virus in equine populations worldwide. There are several strains of the virus, with EHV-1 and EHV-4 being most often involved in clinical disease. EHV-1 can cause respiratory disease, abortion and neurologic disease. The neurologic disease is sometimes referred to as Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Although EHV-1 is highly contagious among horses, it does not pose a threat to human health.

Transmission
EHV is transmitted primarily by aerosol and through direct and indirect contact. Aerosol transmission occurs when infectious droplets are inhaled. The source of infectious droplets is most often respiratory secretions. In the case of abortions, virus may be present in the placenta, fetal membranes and fluid, and aborted fetuses.

Direct horse-to-horse contact is a common route of transmission of the virus, but indirect transmission is also important. This occurs when infectious materials (nasal secretions, fluids from abortions, etc.) are carried between infected and noninfected horses by people or fomites (inanimate objects such as buckets, etc.).

Signs of EHV-1
Fever is one of the most common clinical signs and often precedes the development of other signs. Respiratory signs include coughing and nasal discharge. Abortions caused by EHV generally occur after 5 months of gestation. Neurologic signs associated with EHM are highly variable, but often the hindquarters are most severely affected. Horses with EHM may appear weak and uncoordinated. Urine dribbling and loss of tail tone may also be seen. Severely affected horses may become unable to rise.

It is important to remember that none of these signs are specific to EHV, and diagnostic testing is required to confirm EHV infection. Also, many horses exposed to EHV never develop clinical signs.

What to do if you suspect your horse has been exposed
If you suspect your horse has been exposed to EHV, contact your veterinarian. In general, exposed horses should be isolated and have their temperatures monitored twice daily for 10 days. If an exposed horse develops a fever or other signs consistent with EHV infection, diagnostic testing should be performed. Testing of healthy horses is generally not recommended.

Useful links/resources

• www.aqha.com

• www.nchacutting.com

• www.nchacutting.com/ag/shows/pdf/csu_20110515.pdf  

• www.aaep.org/pdfs/control_guidelines/Equine%20Herpes%20Virus.pdf 

• www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/ehv

— Release by Bonnie Ramirez for TAHC.

— Compiled by Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc.