WA State Vet, Dr. Eldridge, Hunts for Foreign Animal Disease FAD “Hits” in 2008

WASHINGTON ACTIVITIES

The legislative session is completed and it was a quiet year for the department compared to the
years when a budget needed to be crafted. Several pieces of legislation were introduced that would have
affected the veterinary community, but for a variety of reasons they did not become law. One item that was
passed at the eleventh hour was fee for service legislation that would allow WSDA to recoup at least some of the costs of set up and maintain oversight of quarantine facilities.

WSDA admits:  Washington was rapidly becoming a “dumping ground” for unvaccinated cattle. (from Canada)

Two laws to check that are already in force are RCW 16.52.225 and RCW 16.52.080 address situations that arise that will challenge your professional veterinary integrity, the proper disposition and handling of these questionable animals The memo describes what should be your role in these situations and if you have misplaced your copy or don’t think you received one, please let the office know and we will send you another copy.

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT NEWS

FAD – Dr. Kohrs

The FAD cooperative agreement, as are most of the Federal cooperative agreements, is hung up
in the farm bill legislation, so there has not been much activity in this area. We of course are responding to suspicious disease situations and fortunately have not had any “hits”.

Dr. Faux, our RVC coordinator, was able to attend the FADD training on Plum Island. Dr. Pospisil is planning on a trip to Plum Island later this spring. There will also be training offered in April under the RVC program.

SCRAPIE - Dr. Smith

The farm bill  provides funding to perform the “genotype testing and other activities outlined in our proposal for funds”.

AVIAN HEALTH PROGRAM – Dr. Davis

Over the past year, the Avian Health Program has been working hard to increase the number of
National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) participants in the state.

• At the beginning of 2007, we had nine commercial participants in the NPIP program
• 18 non-commercial participants, which include flockowners handling exhibition poultry, waterfowl, and game birds.

• 12 participants have elected to participate in the NPIP Avian Influenza (AI)-Clean program.

As of April 2008, Washington State has increased the number of state-wide non-commercial NPIP
participants to

• 26 with 46% participating in the AI-Clean program.
• We hope to have 100% of our NPIP participants on the AI-Clean program by the end of the year.

A short survey was sent out and 96/110 backyard poultry owners participating in the Avian Health
Program’s Sentinel Flock program, agreed to continue with the testing program for 2008.

Targeted recruitment efforts found additional flocks in several counties considered to be high risk for introduction of avian influenza from wild waterfowl.

• Since January, ten additional flocks have been added to the list.

• From January through March, 561 swabs for PCR and 338 eggs for antibody testing were collected fromthese flocks. All samples have tested negative for avian influenza.

JOHNES – Dr. Kinsel

You can invite other vets within your practice to participate if you’d like, just be sure they are aware of the
protocol and that we have limited the reimbursement to the first 100 samples received (1st come, 1st served). As you submit samples, please fax me a copy of the WADDL form at (509) 271-5177.

SWINE HEALTH – Dr. Pospisil

WSDA continues to focus on garbage feeding surveys and inspections. The number of inspections
accomplished this quarter has been low, with a

• Total of only 9 inspections completed.

RESERVE VETERINARY CORPS – Cynthia Faux, DVM, PhD

The Reserve Veterinary Corps sponsored the Kirkwood Community College AgroTerrorism
responder course training this April. Over 60 people participated in the two sessions, one at the WSU Puyallup campus and the other at the WSU Veterinary College in Pullman. Jodi and Cynthia thank the
attendees and those who helped make these events successful.

The RVC program will be sponsoring nine members to attend the Foreign Animal Disease -
Practitioner course in Riverdale, Maryland this June. The FAD-P course is taught in conjunction with the FAD-Diagnostician course at Plum Island.