November 17, 2006

Report: State's Efforts at Fighting CWD in Deer Aren't Working
Channel3000.com
16 Nov 2006

Deer Hunting Season Starts Saturday

The Legislative Audit Bureau's report said that the Department of Natural Resources has spent more than $32 million battling the disease since it was discovered in Wisconsin in 2002. The DNR has been working to thin the deer herd in areas where the disease has been found. Those efforts include increasing the length of hunting seasons, requiring hunters to shoot a doe before a buck, banning baiting and feeding deer in 26 counties and using sharpshooters to kill more deer.

The audit finds the number of deer in the special CWD zones has actually increased from about 26 deer per square mile in 2002 to about 38 deer in 2005. The report also said that 651 free-ranging deer statewide have tested positive for CWD. All of those deer were found in the southern part of the state with roughly 90 percent in Dane and Iowa counties.



Unseasonably Mild Weather Raises Lyme Disease

The Enterprise (Posted by southofboston.com)
17 Nov 2006
Kelly Fernandes


It is not every year Amy Hughes looks forward to the onset of cold weather, but this season it will be a welcome relief. The Wareham resident, who owns two cats and two dogs, is tired of the toll deer ticks have taken on her pets. “I just pulled one off my cat, Baby Lucky Boy, last night and I'm sure it was a deer tick. Once in a while, I see one crawling around, but not attached. Usually, Frontline or Advantage repels them, but it's not working this time, even on the fleas,” said Hughes.

She is one of many residents seeing a surge in deer ticks because of the unusually warm fall weather. Carver veterinarian Dr. Samuel Rice said clients are coming in daily with deer ticks attached to their pets. “Sometimes I have 20 cases, sometimes less, depending on the amount of surgeries I have scheduled. Usually, people see ticks in the early spring, but the ticks are very active right now because of the weather, and it's been damp. We had a very wet spring, which also may be contributing to it,” said Rice



Biologists' Test Birds For Avian Flu
abc7news.com
16 Nov 2006
Leslie Brinkley

Researchers have identified two key genetic markers that could tell them whether bird flu might begin to pose a threat to humans. The markers would have to mutate before the flu could spread easily among people, but they are now being watched closely.

Tomorrow President Bush visits a laboratory in Vietnam where there have been 42 bird flu deaths. And there is growing concern at home tonight about its impact on the poultry industry.

>>>FULL ARTICLE

Other Information Available
TV News Video on Bird Flu (Embedded with article - No link)


West Nile Virus Update 2006 - Promed Archive Number 20061116.3282
International Society for Infectious Diseases - ProMED-Mail
16 Nov 2006

This is a Western Hemisphere 2006 West Nile virus update. The report focuses on regional mammal, wild bird, and mosquito infections of the West Nile virus. Links to other 2006 West Nile virus reports are available.

In this update:
[1] Canada - human surveillance
[2] Canada - bird surveillance
[3] USA - CDC/Arbonet
[4] USA - USGS/CDC maps
[5] Mexico - suspected, RFI



WV Rabies Free Zones Soon to be Declared

Sun Star Publishing (Posted by www.sunstar.com)
17 Nov 2006
James Earl E. Ogatis

Considering that positive rabies cases are clustered in some areas in Western Visayas, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit 6 through the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) plans to declare rabies free zones/areas in the region.

According to OIC Regional Executive Director Jindra Linda L.Demeterio, the high incidence of human and canine rabies in the region must be reduced by employing measures such as sustained vaccination, elimination of stray dogs and massive information campaign about the disease and responsible pet ownership.



Wildlife Disease Related Journal Article


Spongiform Encephalopathy in a Miniature Zebu [CDC - Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal]

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