Archive
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports and Testimonies
Source: Government Accountability Office
Reports
1. Homeland Security: An Overall Strategy Is Needed to Strengthen Disease Surveillance in Livestock and Poultry. GAO-13-424, May 21.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-424
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654750.pdf
Podcast – http://www.gao.gov/multimedia/podcasts/654743
2. Funding for 10 States’ Programs Supported by Four Environmental Protection Agency Categorical Grants. GAO-13-504R, May 6.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-504R
Testimonies
1. Immigration Enforcement: Preliminary Observations on DHS’s Overstay Enforcement Efforts, by Rebecca Gambler, director, homeland security and justice, before the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, House Committee on Homeland Security. GAO-13-602T, May 21.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-602T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654753.pdf
2. Telecommunications Networks: Addressing Potential Security Risks of Foreign-Manufactured Equipment, by Mark L. Goldstein, director, physical infrastructure issues, before the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, House Committee on Energy and Commerce. GAO-13-652T, May 21.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-652T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654764.pdf
3. Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request: U.S. Government Accountability Office, by Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, before the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, Senate Committee on Appropriations. GAO-13-617T, May 21.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-617T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/654758.pdf
Bird-Friendly Building Design
Bird-Friendly Building Design (PDF)
Source: American Bird Conservancy
A unique publication that provides planners, architects designers, bird advocates, local authorities, and the general public with a clear understanding of the nature and magnitude of the threat glass poses to birds and solutions to eliminate the threat. This edition includes a review of the science behind bird collisions, real-world examples of solutions in action, and an investigation into what information is still needed.
Alleged Improprieties Regarding the Canine Program at the Department Of Energy’s Y-12 Site
Alleged Improprieties Regarding the Canine Program at the Department Of Energy’s Y-12 Site
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General
The Department of Energy’s (Department) Canine Program is an essential component of its efforts to identify and deter potential threats to infrastructure and personnel. At the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) and other nuclear material hosting sites in the Department, canines are used to detect explosives, narcotics, concealed humans and also track human presence at facilities that store, handle and maintain special nuclear material. As outlined in Department directives and adopted as best practices by law enforcement and security professionals, the performance of canine teams depends on continual reinforcement of skills through realistic performance testing, proficiency training and annual certifications. As required by their contract with the Department, canine services contractors are required to develop and implement a canine training and certification program that embodies these principles. Canine services at Y-12 were obtained through a 5-year contract that is valued at almost $15 million. Subsequently, in 2012, we received allegations that the Department’s Y-12 site: (1) possibly "rigged" testing for canine teams, and (2) worked canines beyond their physical capability to perform effectively. Because of conflicting testimony and a lack of supporting documentation, we could not conclusively determine whether there were instances of "rigged" testing. However, our inspection identified a number of issues that led us to question the efficacy of the processes used to test, train and certify canines at Y-12. For instance, performance testing, training and annual certifications of canine teams were not properly conducted and/or documented. We did substantiate the allegation that handlers had worked canines beyond their physical capability to perform assigned duties. Deficiencies associated with the management of a multi-layered contract structure for furnishing canine services at the Y-12 site contributed to the problems we observed. Finally, Federal officials and various contractor officials acknowledged that they had not reviewed the training and certification records for the canine teams because the Canine Program was not identified as a high-risk security area based on the Department’s graded approach for risk determination. Management concurred with the recommendations in the report and agreed to develop and implement standardized policies and guidelines for all National Nuclear Security Administration sites utilizing canine detection services.
Reproductive Capability Is Associated with Lifespan and Cause of Death in Companion Dogs
Reproductive Capability Is Associated with Lifespan and Cause of Death in Companion Dogs
Source: PLoS ONE
Reproduction is a risky affair; a lifespan cost of maintaining reproductive capability, and of reproduction itself, has been demonstrated in a wide range of animal species. However, little is understood about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Most cost-of-reproduction studies simply ask how reproduction influences age at death, but are blind to the subjects’ actual causes of death. Lifespan is a composite variable of myriad causes of death and it has not been clear whether the consequences of reproduction or of reproductive capability influence all causes of death equally. To address this gap in understanding, we compared causes of death among over 40,000 sterilized and reproductively intact domestic dogs, Canis lupus familiaris. We found that sterilization was strongly associated with an increase in lifespan, and while it decreased risk of death from some causes, such as infectious disease, it actually increased risk of death from others, such as cancer. These findings suggest that to understand how reproduction affects lifespan, a shift in research focus is needed. Beyond the impact of reproduction on when individuals die, we must investigate its impact on why individuals die, and subsequently must identify the mechanisms by which these causes of death are influenced by the physiology associated with reproductive capability. Such an approach may also clarify the effects of reproduction on lifespan in people.
See: Spayed or Neutered Dogs Live Longer (Science Daily)
AVMA releases new stats on pet ownership, ranking top/bottom 10 states
AVMA releases new stats on pet ownership, ranking top/bottom 10 states
Source: American Veterinary Medical Association
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recently released its U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, revealing which states have the largest number of pet owners and which have the fewest.
The survey is conducted by the AVMA every five years and always includes a breakdown of pet ownership by state. The most recent survey, conducted in 2012 but based on December 31, 2011 numbers, reveals that the top 10 pet-owning states are: Vermont where 70.8 percent of households owned a pet, New Mexico with 67.6 percent, South Dakota with 65.6 percent, Oregon with 63.6 percent, Maine with 62.9 percent, Washington with 62.7 percent, Arkansas with 62.4 percent, West Virginia with 62.1 percent, Idaho with 62 percent, and Wyoming with 61.8 percent.
The 10 states in 2011 with the lowest percentage of pet-owning households are: Rhode Island where 53 percent of households owned a pet, Minnesota with 53 percent, California with 52.9 percent, Maryland with 52.3 percent, Illinois with 51.8 percent, Nebraska with 51.3 percent, Utah with 51.2 percent, New Jersey with 50.7 percent, New York with 50.6 percent, and Massachusetts with 50.4 percent. The District of Columbia had a far lower rate of pet ownership at 21.9 percent.
FDA Gives Tips to Prevent Salmonella Infection from Handling Feeder Rodents and Pet Reptiles and Amphibians
FDA Gives Tips to Prevent Salmonella Infection from Handling Feeder Rodents and Pet Reptiles and Amphibians
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is giving consumers, especially reptile owners, tips on how to prevent Salmonella infection from handling feeder rodents and reptiles. Feeder rodents are mice and rats—both frozen and live—used to feed some reptiles, such as certain snakes and lizards, as well as some amphibians. Feeder rodents, reptiles, and amphibians can be sources of Salmonella infection for people.
Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria called Salmonella. People get salmonellosis by ingesting Salmonella germs. Persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12-72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4-7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, the illness can be serious, even fatal, in some people. Children under 5 years of age, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for salmonellosis and may develop more severe illness.
Rodents and reptiles can naturally carry Salmonella in their intestines but show no signs of illness. The animals shed the bacteria in their feces and droppings. These, in turn, contaminate the environment with Salmonella, including the outside of the animals’ bodies and their habitats. Freezing does not kill Salmonella, so both frozen and live feeder rodents can be contaminated with these germs. Over 500 human cases of salmonellosis in three countries, including the U.S., were linked to frozen rodent exposure between 2008 and 2010.
People may become infected with Salmonella after handling feeder rodents, reptiles, or amphibians, surfaces that have been in contact with these animals, or the environment in which the animal lives.
Contaminated surfaces may include countertops, microwave ovens, refrigerators and freezers, kitchen utensils, and glasses and bowls used to store, thaw, and prepare frozen feeder rodents. Reptile and rodent habitats, including their cages or enclosures, bedding, basking rocks, food and water dishes, and other objects in their cages or enclosures may also be contaminated with Salmonella. Germs picked up from touching the animal or habitat can be spread to other people or surfaces. Therefore, people should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching these animals, their food, or anything in the area where they live and roam. Running water and soap are best, but hand sanitizers may be used if running water and soap are not available.
Bird Health Webinar Available Online – Around 300 Bird Enthusiasts Participated Live!
Bird Health Webinar Available Online – Around 300 Bird Enthusiasts Participated Live!
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
As part of Bird Health Awareness Week, USDA recently hosted a webinar on “Growing Chicks into Healthy Chickens.” Dr. Martin Smeltzer, Andy Schneider (aka the “Chicken Whisperer”) and Dr. Claudia Dunkley spent an hour helping backyard bird owners learn more about keeping their flocks healthy. Around 300 people participated in the webinar, most of who are just getting started with backyard birds.
Supplemental Feeding for Ecotourism Reverses Diel Activity and Alters Movement Patterns and Spatial Distribution of the Southern Stingray, Dasyatis americana
Source: PLoS ONE
Southern stingrays, Dasyatis americana, have been provided supplemental food in ecotourism operations at Stingray City Sandbar (SCS), Grand Cayman since 1986, with this site becoming one of the world’s most famous and heavily visited marine wildlife interaction venues. Given expansion of marine wildlife interactive tourism worldwide, there are questions about the effects of such activities on the focal species and their ecosystems. We used a combination of acoustic telemetry and tag-recapture efforts to test the hypothesis that human-sourced supplemental feeding has altered stingray activity patterns and habitat use at SCS relative to wild animals at control sites. Secondarily, we also qualitatively estimated the population size of stingrays supporting this major ecotourism venue. Tag-recapture data indicated that a population of at least 164 stingrays, over 80% female, utilized the small area at SCS for prolonged periods of time. Examination of comparative movements of mature female stingrays at SCS and control sites revealed strong differences between the two groups: The fed animals demonstrated a notable inversion of diel activity, being constantly active during the day with little movement at night compared to the nocturnally active wild stingrays; The fed stingrays utilized significantly (p<0.05) smaller 24 hour activity spaces compared to wild conspecifics, staying in close proximity to the ecotourism site; Fed stingrays showed a high degree of overlap in their core activity spaces compared to wild stingrays which were largely solitary in the spaces utilized (72% vs. 3% overlap respectively). Supplemental feeding has strikingly altered movement behavior and spatial distribution of the stingrays, and generated an atypically high density of animals at SCS which could have downstream fitness costs for individuals and potentially broader ecosystem effects. These findings should help environmental managers plan mitigating measures for existing operations, and develop precautionary policies regarding proposed feeding sites.
See: Tourist-Fed Stingrays Change Their Ways (Science Daily)
Long-Lasting Effects of Maternal Condition in Free-Ranging Cervids
Long-Lasting Effects of Maternal Condition in Free-Ranging Cervids
Source: PLoS ONE
Causes of phenotypic variation are fundamental to evolutionary ecology because they influence the traits acted upon by natural selection. One such cause of phenotypic variation is a maternal effect, which is the influence of the environment experienced by a female (and her corresponding phenotype) on the phenotype of her offspring (independent of the offspring’s genotype). While maternal effects are well documented, the longevity and fitness impact of these effects remains unclear because it is difficult to follow free-living individuals through their reproductive lifetimes. For long-lived species, it has been suggested that maternal effects are masked by environmental variables acting on offspring in years following the period of dependence. Our objective was to use indirect measures of maternal condition to determine if maternal effects have long-lasting influences on male offspring in two species of cervid. Because antlers are sexually selected, we used measures of antler size at time of death, 1.5–21.5 years after gestation to investigate maternal effects. We quantified antler size of 11,000 male elk and mule deer born throughout the intermountain western US (6 states) over nearly 30 years. Maternal condition during development was estimated indirectly using a suite of abiotic variables known to influence condition of cervids (i.e., winter severity, spring and summer temperature, and spring and summer precipitation). Antler size of male cervids was significantly associated with our indirect measure of maternal condition during gestation and lactation. Assuming the correctness of our indirect measure, our findings demonstrate that antler size is a sexually selected trait that is influenced–into adulthood–by maternal condition. This link emphasizes the importance of considering inherited environmental effects when interpreting population dynamics or examining reproductive success of long-lived organisms.
See: The Maternal Effect: How Mother Deer Protect Their Future Kings
Devastating Decline of Forest Elephants in Central Africa
Devastating Decline of Forest Elephants in Central Africa
Source: PLoS ONE
African forest elephants– taxonomically and functionally unique–are being poached at accelerating rates, but we lack range-wide information on the repercussions. Analysis of the largest survey dataset ever assembled for forest elephants (80 foot-surveys; covering 13,000 km; 91,600 person-days of fieldwork) revealed that population size declined by ca. 62% between 2002–2011, and the taxon lost 30% of its geographical range. The population is now less than 10% of its potential size, occupying less than 25% of its potential range. High human population density, hunting intensity, absence of law enforcement, poor governance, and proximity to expanding infrastructure are the strongest predictors of decline. To save the remaining African forest elephants, illegal poaching for ivory and encroachment into core elephant habitat must be stopped. In addition, the international demand for ivory, which fuels illegal trade, must be dramatically reduced.
See: Extinction Looms for Forest Elephants: 60 Percent of Africa’s Forest Elephants Killed for Their Ivory Over Past Decade (Science Daily)
AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals
AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals
Source: American Veterinary Medical Association
The AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals are intended for use by members of the veterinary profession who carry out or oversee the euthanasia of animals. The overriding commitment of these Guidelines is to provide veterinarians guidance in relieving pain and suffering of animals that are to be euthanized.
The recommendations in the Guidelines are intended to guide veterinarians, who must then use professional judgment in applying them to the various settings where animals are to be euthanized.
Identifying Transmission Cycles at the Human-Animal Interface: The Role of Animal Reservoirs in Maintaining Gambiense Human African Trypanosomiasis
Identifying Transmission Cycles at the Human-Animal Interface: The Role of Animal Reservoirs in Maintaining Gambiense Human African Trypanosomiasis
Source: PLoS Computational Biology
Many infections can be transmitted between animals and humans. The epidemiological roles of different species can vary from important reservoirs to dead-end hosts. Here, we present a method to identify transmission cycles in different combinations of species from field data. We used this method to synthesise epidemiological and ecological data from Bipindi, Cameroon, a historical focus of gambiense Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT, sleeping sickness), a disease that has often been considered to be maintained mainly by humans. We estimated the basic reproduction number of gambiense HAT in Bipindi and evaluated the potential for transmission in the absence of human cases. We found that under the assumption of random mixing between vectors and hosts, gambiense HAT could not be maintained in this focus without the contribution of animals. This result remains robust under extensive sensitivity analysis. When using the distributions of species among habitats to estimate the amount of mixing between those species, we found indications for an independent transmission cycle in wild animals. Stochastic simulation of the system confirmed that unless vectors moved between species very rarely, reintroduction would usually occur shortly after elimination of the infection from human populations. This suggests that elimination strategies may have to be reconsidered as targeting human cases alone would be insufficient for control, and reintroduction from animal reservoirs would remain a threat. Our approach is broadly applicable and could reveal animal reservoirs critical to the control of other infectious diseases.
See: Wild Animals May Contribute to the Resurgence of African Sleeping Sickness (Science Daily)
FDA Report Regarding Jerky Pet Treats and Illnesses
FDA Report Regarding Jerky Pet Treats and Illnesses
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
As FDA investigates consumer complaints and other reported adverse event data from the public concerning jerky pet treats, it is important to remember that these data must be carefully interpreted. In most cases, information from these reports cannot be further confirmed or verified. This information is not data obtained from a controlled clinical trial or as part of an observational epidemiologic study, but rather are a series of reports of events believed by the reporting party to be associated with the consumption of jerky-type products.
There are several limitations to interpreting passively reported adverse event data, and it is important to note that adverse event data consist of reports or complaints of illness or death and the subjective link with product exposure. The Center is carefully evaluating these reports to try and determine if they should be considered evidence of a causal relationship. The numbers in this report should not be used to calculate incidence rates or estimates of risk, because there is no accurate way to determine overall how many animals were exposed to a product, which is needed as the denominator in calculations of relative risk. It is also inappropriate to make use of adverse event data to compare the relative safety of different products, which may have different usage patterns and/or reporting rates.
It is possible that other food or drug exposures caused the signs and symptoms reported in these reports; thus, there is no certainty that the reported jerky treat caused the adverse event. There may be one or more concomitant diseases, conditions, medications or other foods that can better explain the clinical signs seen. Sometimes a significant amount of time elapses between the date the problem occurred and the date the problem is reported and the reporter does not remember specific details (which can include the brand name or the names of other brands fed at the same time or prior to the report), so the report may contain erroneous information. Reporting bias also may exist in passive reporting systems. For example, increased media attention to specific products may cause increased reporting for those products for some period of time, causing an apparent sudden increase in the number of reports received. CVM Updates were publicly released September 26, 2007, December 19, 2008 and November 18, 2011, and all were followed by increased reporting activity after the update was issued.
However, even with these limitations, CVM strongly believes that the reports, especially the numerous reports documenting Fanconi syndrome, warrant FDA’s continued in-depth investigation of the potential causes of the reported illnesses.
New Report Finds Illegal Hunting and Trade of Wildlife in Savanna Africa Could Result in a ‘Conservation Crisi s’ if Unchecked
Source: Panthera
A new report published today by Panthera confirms that widespread illegal hunting and the bushmeat trade occur more frequently and with greater impact on wildlife populations in the Southern and Eastern savannas of Africa than previously thought, and if unaddressed could potentially cause a ‘conservation crisis.’ The report challenges previously held beliefs of the impact of illegal bushmeat hunting and trade in Africa with new data from experts.
While the bushmeat trade has long been recognized as a severe threat to the food resources of indigenous peoples and to wildlife populations in the forests of West and Central Africa, far less attention has been focused on the issue in African savannas, in part due to the misconception that illegal hunting for bushmeat in African savannas is a small-scale phenomenon practiced for subsistence living.
See: Report — illegal hunting and trade of wildlife in savanna Africa may cause conservation crisis (Science Daily)
Incorporation of cigarette butts into nests reduces nest ectoparasite load in urban birds: new ingredients for an old recipe?
Source: Biology Letters
Birds are known to respond to nest-dwelling parasites by altering behaviours. Some bird species, for example, bring fresh plants to the nest, which contain volatile compounds that repel parasites. There is evidence that some birds living in cities incorporate cigarette butts into their nests, but the effect (if any) of this behaviour remains unclear. Butts from smoked cigarettes retain substantial amounts of nicotine and other compounds that may also act as arthropod repellents. We provide the first evidence that smoked cigarette butts may function as a parasite repellent in urban bird nests. The amount of cellulose acetate from butts in nests of two widely distributed urban birds was negatively associated with the number of nest-dwelling parasites. Moreover, when parasites were attracted to heat traps containing smoked or non-smoked cigarette butts, fewer parasites reached the former, presumably due to the presence of nicotine. Because urbanization changes the abundance and type of resources upon which birds depend, including nesting materials and plants involved in self-medication, our results are consistent with the view that urbanization imposes new challenges on birds that are dealt with using adaptations evolved elsewhere.
CRS — Endangered Species Act: A Primer
Endangered Species Act: A Primer (PDF)
Source: Congressional Research Service (via National Agricultural Law Center)
The Endangered Species Act (ESA, P.L. 93-205, 87 Stat. 884. 16 U.S.C. §§1531-1544) has a stated purpose of conserving species identified as endangered or threatened with extinction, and conserving ecosystems on which they depend. It is perennially controversial because the protections provided can make it the visible policy focal point for underlying situations involving the allocation of scarce or diminishing lands or resources, especially in instances where societal values may be changing. In response to past controversies, Congress has repeatedly considered minor amendments and major changes to the act. No action has been taken to date in the 112th Congress, but the issue is likely to resurface in the 113th Congress.
The purpose of the report is to describe the major features and controversies of the ESA as background for consideration of possible amendments in the 113th Congress. The major features of ESA and related controversies are briefly summarized as follows:
• ESA retains its authorities even though its authorization for funding expired in 1992, and funds may be and have been appropriated in the absence of a current authorization. ESA prohibitions and penalties remain in effect regardless of appropriations.
• ESA’s principal parts are the listing and protection of species, designation of critical habitat and avoidance of its destruction, and consultation by federal agencies regarding actions that may harm listed species. Each of these three principal parts is discussed in detail.
• Dwindling species are listed as either endangered or threatened according to assessments of the risk of their extinction. Once a species is listed, legal tools are available to aid its recovery and to protect its habitat.
• ESA has broad provisions for citizen suits to enforce the act, and lawsuits have played a major role in enforcement and interpretation of many, or perhaps most, of the act’s provisions.
• ESA provides for exemptions from the act for agency projects, but the provisions are little used for a variety of reasons.
• The act is administered primarily by the Fish and Wildlife Service, and by the National Marine Fisheries Service for certain marine and anadromous species.
• ESA is the implementing legislation for U.S. participation in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
• ESA often becomes controversial even where a particular species is not the focus of a controversy but a symptom of it.
CRS — Hunting, Fishing, Recreational Shooting, and Other Wildlife Measures: S. 3525
Hunting, Fishing, Recreational Shooting, and Other Wildlife Measures: S. 3525 (PDF)
Source: Congressional Research Service (via National Agricultural Law Center)
The House and Senate have been considering various approaches to open more federal lands to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting. S. 3525 addresses some of the same topics as H.R. 4089, which passed the House on April 17, 2012. Both concern hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting, but the bills take different approaches. While H.R. 4089 directs changes to federal land management and land planning, S. 3525 allows existing management to continue, requiring only that land managers assemble priority lists to improve access for those activities.
Several issues related to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting are addressed in S. 3525. Hunting and conservation have been linked since the advent of federal wildlife legislation, such as the Lacey Act of 1900 (making it a federal crime to ship game killed in violation of one state’s laws to another state) or the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (regulating the killing, hunting, buying, or selling of migratory birds). Even so, controversy exists about exactly what hunting, fishing, or shooting sports should be allowed on federal land, and when. A primary issue is whether opening more lands to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting should be balanced against good game management, public safety, resource management, and the statutory purposes of the lands. S. 3525 focuses on providing additional physical access to federal lands where these activities are already allowed. This would be accomplished through acquisition of lands or rights of way. S. 3525 would also expand or authorize certain sport fishing programs. In addition, it addresses the concerns of trophy hunters who killed polar bears in the months before the species was proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act or between the proposal and the actual listing. These hunters have not been allowed to import their trophies; the bill would allow specified imports of these trophies.
It would support a program of regional working groups to conserve populations of migratory birds. It would amend the duck stamp program, to allow the Secretary of the Interior to increase the price of the stamp at specified intervals. Such a change, which would provide additional funding for acquisition of waterfowl habitat, has been advocated among hunters for several years. S. 3525 would make funding changes for some of these activities, and reauthorize a number of conservation programs, as well as expanding an existing program to control nutria, a marshland pest.
S. 3525 was not referred to a committee, and consequently lacks a committee report. It was placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders on September 11, 2012; on September 20, 2012, a cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure was presented in Senate.
It’s West Virginia Again; Mountain State Leads State Farm’s(R) List Of States Where Deer-Vehicle Confrontati ons Are Most Likely
Source: State Farm
For the sixth year in a row, West Virginia tops the list of states where an individual driver is most likely to run into a deer. Using its claims data and state licensed driver counts from the Federal Highway Administration, State Farm, the nation’s leading auto insurer, calculates the chances of a West Virginia motorist striking a deer over the next 12 months at 1 in 40, compared with 1 in 48 the year before.
South Dakota moved from third to second on the list. The likelihood of a licensed driver in that state hitting a deer within the next year is 1 in 68. Iowa (1 in 71.9) drops from second to third. Michigan (1 in 72.4) is a close fourth jumping one position from fifth. Pennsylvania (1 in 76) drops one spot to fifth. In each of the top five states the rate of deer-related collisions per driver went up from a year ago.
The state in which deer-vehicle mishaps are least likely is still Hawaii (1 in 6,801). The odds of a driver in Hawaii colliding with a deer between now and 12 months from now are approximately equal to the odds that any one person will be struck by lightning during his or her lifetime.
Health Assessment and Seroepidemiologic Survey of Potential Pathogens in Wild Antillean Manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus)
Source: PLoS ONE
The Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus), a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, inhabits fresh, brackish, and warm coastal waters distributed along the eastern border of Central America, the northern coast of South America, and throughout the Wider Caribbean Region. Threatened primarily by human encroachment, poaching, and habitat degradation, Antillean manatees are listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The impact of disease on population viability remains unknown in spite of concerns surrounding the species’ ability to rebound from a population crash should an epizootic occur. To gain insight on the baseline health of this subspecies, a total of 191 blood samples were collected opportunistically from wild Antillean manatees in Belize between 1997 and 2009. Hematologic and biochemical reference intervals were established, and antibody prevalence to eight pathogens with zoonotic potential was determined. Age was found to be a significant factor of variation in mean blood values, whereas sex, capture site, and season contributed less to overall differences in parameter values. Negative antibody titers were reported for all pathogens surveyed except for Leptospira bratislava, L. canicola, and L. icterohemorrhagiae, Toxoplasma gondii, and morbillivirus. As part of comprehensive health assessment in manatees from Belize, this study will serve as a benchmark aiding in early disease detection and in the discernment of important epidemiologic patterns in the manatees of this region. Additionally, it will provide some of the initial tools to explore the broader application of manatees as sentinel species of nearshore ecosystem health.
See: Manatees Reflect Quality of Health in Marine Ecosystems, Longterm Study Finds (Science Daily)
FDA Announces Draft Compliance Policy Guide on Labeling and Marketing of Nutritional Products Intended for Use to Diagnose, Cure, Mitigate, Treat or Prevent Disease in Dogs and Cats
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Today, FDA is announcing the availability of a draft compliance policy guide (CPG) entitled, “Labeling and Marketing of Nutritional Products Intended for Use to Diagnose, Cure, Mitigate, Treat or Prevent Disease in Dogs and Cats.” The CPG provides guidance to FDA staff and industry on how FDA intends to use its enforcement discretion with regard to the labeling and marketing of these therapeutic diets.
These nutritional products or therapeutic diets are pet foods that are specially formulated to address specific disease conditions (for example urinary tract disease in cats). The products were originally sold through and used under the direction of licensed veterinarians.
Recently, FDA has observed an increase in marketing directly to pet owners over the internet and in supermarkets or pet stores. This shift in marketing directly to pet owners without veterinary direction, concerns FDA because these products are formulated for specific needs and may not be tolerated by all animals.
The draft CPG sets out the factors FDA will consider when determining whether or not to initiate enforcement action if the products are sold or marketed inappropriately.
