A disease so fearsome it was given the name “cattle plague”, rinderpest left behind trails of devastation in the wake of outbreaks. The 1887-1892 Great Ethiopian Famine occurred when almost all of the cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats and wildlife species died from this disease (Morens, D. M., et al., 2011). In the 19th century, rinderpest killed 20 percent of all …
Leaping Across the U.S.: Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease
Imagine walking into a rabbitry one day and noticing multiple rabbits dead with nothing other than a little bit of blood on their nose. A highly contagious foreign animal disease by the name of rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is on the rise nationally, and is causing many rabbit farmers and owners to fear for their stock and pets. While it …
Sheep and Wool Supply Plan
The United States is fortunate that foot and mouth disease (FMD)—a highly contagious, devastating viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals—has not occurred in the country since 1929. Secure Food Supply Plans, including the Secure Sheep and Wool Supply Plan, were developed to assist producers, transporters and food processors in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak in the U.S., namely …
Updates on African Swine Fever
African swine fever (ASF) has the potential to destroy the U. S. pork industry by killing millions of pigs if it enters the country. A study from Iowa State University projected that if ASF spread to the United States and was not controlled within two years, the pork industry would lose $50 billion over ten years. Even in the best …
Salmonella: Don’t Eat the Cookie Dough
When making cookies, the best part for me was eating the raw cookie dough. However, my brother was never a fan of it. He would always tell me that he did not want to risk getting sick. I, on the other hand, did not mind taking a risk to enjoy the raw dough. Recently, I realized an important risk for …
International Travel: A Disease Risk for Livestock
During October 2019, Australia’s agriculture minister cancelled a Vietnamese woman’s visa after authorities found 22 pounds of undeclared food products in her luggage. The luggage contained pork, quail, squid, pâté, fruit, eggs and garlic (Griffiths, 2019). International travel and trade increases the risks of introducing a foreign/exotic disease or pest into another country. Australia had to develop an extensive eradication …
DUNS Number & Indemnity for FAD Disasters
African swine fever (ASF) is a foreign animal disease (FAD) that has been rapidly spreading across Asia and parts of Europe. When ASF is found on a premises, all of the animals must be culled to prevent further disease spread. If this disease is found in the United States, the federal government will offer compensation to owners of swine herds …