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Working Group Talks
Audits, FMD and Trichomoniasis

by Troy Smith for Angus Journal

TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 7, 2013) — National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) members, including numerous bovine veterinarians serving with the Emerging Health Research and Issues Working Group, are charged with identifying emerging animal health issues and providing background information to NCBA’s Cattle Health and Well-being Committee. The Working Group met Thursday, Feb. 7, during the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention in Tampa, Fla. The agenda included presentations on Tyson Foods’ FarmCheck supply chain accountability program, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) preparedness, and new information related to bovine trichomoniasis.

 

Jim Lochner, Tyson Foods COO, said the company has launched its FarmCheck program to ensure that its cattle suppliers conform to production management standards. Lochner said a program for pork suppliers was initiated in 2010. Programs for beef and poultry are now beginning, and on-site audits will commence in 2014. Beef programs are designed for feedlots and auction barns, but only apply to ranches that supply cattle for certain specialty products bearing the Tyson label.

 

“The program is designed to teach, prevent and correct. It’s not about eliminating suppliers,” explained Lochner. “Its intent is to assure consumers of our producers’ commitment to quality, correct product use, animal well-being and the environment.”

 

Darrell Styles, veterinary medical officer for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of USDA, said the threat of FMD is growing and incidence of the disease, involving multiple strains of the causative organism, is increasing globally. Economic consequences of outbreaks can be severe, and while highly infectious among cloven-hoofed animals, humans are not susceptible to FMD infection.

 

“It may be more a question of ‘when’ than ‘if’ an FMD outbreak occurs in the U.S.,” stated Styles. “How to overcome misinformation and inform the public that it is not a threat to human health is a big challenge.”

 

Styles said safeguards against introduction of FMD through imported cattle are in place. The greater threat is introduction through “contraband.” He cited the illegal entry of improperly processed sausage as one way FMD has been introduced to another country.

 

University of Nebraska veterinarian and trichomoniasis researcher Jeff Ondrak said the disease persists as a recurring problem because of breakdowns in farm and ranch biosecurity practices. In spite of educational efforts, many producers remain uninformed about “trich.” Others, lamented Ondrak, don’t seem to care.

 

Ondrak said ineffective sampling of bulls for the causative organism may be part of the problem. Swabbing the fornix area, where a bull’s penis and prepuce join, was thought to be the best area for sampling. However, research suggests the tip of the penis is a more appropriate site for collecting samples.

 

“Regulation probably won’t get rid of trich. It hasn’t eliminated it in states where regulations have been in place for a very long time. Vaccination probably isn’t the answer either,” said Ondrak, noting that vaccination can help clear infection but doesn’t prevent it.

 

“Management is the better answer,” added Ondrak. “If more producers paid attention to where they get their bulls and how they manage their cows, trich wouldn’t be much of a problem.”