Animal Diseases

If a seatmate smells bad, come clean to the crew -- quickly

2005-12-04 00:00:00

Question: On a packed, 16-hour flight to Japan, my three children and I were seated in a row next to a family that had not bathed recently. The odor was very strong. The flight attendant would periodically come by and spray air freshener, and the...

Are Amtrak's days numbered?

2005-12-11 00:00:00

IN the last several weeks, while the news was full of disasters and discussion of avian flu, Amtrak was dealt two quiet blows. The president of Amtrak — the nation's long-distance passenger rail system — was fired, and the profitable...

Death by numbers

2007-08-18 00:00:00

On any given day, an average of 148,000 people will die. That means over a million people have died in the last week. Nearly 5 million have died since around this time last month, which, incidentally, was exactly when we were briefly bombarded with the...

Killer flu may not be the one we've feared

2007-06-04 00:00:00

"Pandemic," the Hallmark Channel, May 26. The premise: On an island off the north coast of Australia, as surfer Charley Williams begins to cough, he is unaware that several dead seagulls and a dead dog lie near him. They are infected with a new form of...

NY town eyes limited use for Plum Island, site of federal animal disease research lab

2013-05-19 21:34:00

MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — Selling an island where scientists have experimented with infectious animal diseases since the dawn of the Cold War was going to be difficult enough. But it now appears any prospective buyer won't be able to do much with Plum...

South Dakotans serve as national delegates

2013-03-15 01:05:50

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Seven South Dakotans made a big impact on National Farmers Union policy during the family farm organization's 111th anniversary convention held at Springfield, Mass., March 2-5. Based on membership totals, South Dakota Farmers Union...

USDA issues final rule for animal disease traceability

2013-01-11 01:05:31

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a final rule establishing general regulations for improving the traceability of U.S. livestock moving interstate. "With the final rule announced today, the United States now has a flexible,...

Cattle illness associated with epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD)

2012-09-28 01:05:33

PIERRE - More than 40 cattle herds in southeastern South Dakota have been reported to the state veterinarian with signs of illness, including fever, ulcers in the mouth and gums, excessive salivation, and lameness or stiffness when walking. State...

Health of nation's herd influenced by regulatory, diagnostic vets

2011-10-07 01:05:43

As an Extension veterinarian, I get the chance to travel to national meetings a bit more often than I did in practice. Today, I'm sitting in the airport in Buffalo, New York, taking advantage of some waiting time to think about this week's column. Our...

Vets have a reason to be vigilant

2011-07-11 14:12:00

A few weeks ago I enlisted the assistance of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in a case involving a sick calf. The calf was showing signs consistent with a contagious exotic disease. This was done out of an abundance of caution. The...

After trip abroad, rethinking foreign animal diseases

2011-11-18 01:05:36

A couple weeks ago, I had a great opportunity to visit South Korea and meet with veterinarians across their country. We spent time with some of the principal national officials who had been immersed in their country's largest animal health emergency in...

Disaster training on the farm

2011-06-20 15:28:00

Every so often, an opportunity arises to train for a disaster. Granted, the training feels like the real thing, but people who work with livestock have to be constantly vigilant about recognizing exotic, contagious diseases. They are considered exotic...

Bird flu has struck an area of northeast India, leading to a culling operation. Here, members of a rapid response team conduct a culling operation in the village of Sarpara, about 30 miles from Guwahati city.

2008-12-04 00:00:00

A health worker removes a rooster from a Hong Kong street market, where all poultry was being slaughtered to protect against the spread of bird flu virus.

2008-06-12 23:23:24

A health worker gathers a rooster for slaughter in a market in Hong Kong, China. Health workers slaughtered all live poultry in Hong Kong's street markets after detecting the dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

2008-06-11 00:00:00