FDA Launches New Pet Health And Safety Widget

(Washington, DC 12/9/2009) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched its pet health and safety widget for consumers as part of an ongoing effort to provide timely, user-friendly, public health information.

"Our new pet health and safety widget provides users with information to help them in managing their pet's health," said Joshua Sharfstein, M.D., FDA's principal deputy commissioner.

The widget, a portable application embedded in a Web page that can be copied onto any other Web site or blog, will include topics such as how to report a problem with your pet food, purchasing pet drugs online, and caring for your pet in a disaster. The widget allows users to access content on the FDA's Web site without having to leave another site or Web page.

"The pet health and safety widget allows users to add a new dimension to their Web site by providing consumers with the latest news and information from the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine," said Bernadette Dunham, D.V.M., Ph.D., director of FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine.

The widget has two tabs, one titled "tips" and, the other, "updates. The Tips tab highlights pet health and safety articles. The Updates tab will provide up-to-the-minute recall notices and veterinary drug news for consumers.

The pet health and safety widget is available at http://www.fda.gov/PetHealthWidget requires no technical maintenance on the part of the user. The FDA will provide updates to content displayed on the widget.

Courtesy ISVMA.

H1N1 Test for Dogs and Cats Now Available

(Westbrook, ME 12/8/09) IDEXX Reference Laboratories introduced its latest RealPCR™ test for canine and feline H1N1 influenza virus. The IDEXX H1N1 Influenza Virus RealPCR™ Test is offered in response to concern about the spread of this disease, helping veterinarians diagnose and manage patients with suspected respiratory infection.

H1N1 was confirmed for the first time in October as the cause of death of a ferret. H1N1 infection has since been confirmed as the cause of respiratory disease in a number of cats and ferrets, which are believed to have contracted the virus from their owners. While there is no evidence these pets spread the virus to other animals or people, the potential exists for the H1N1 virus to infect companion animals, including dogs, as a result of close contact with infected family members.

"The clinical signs of the H1N1 virus are likely to resemble other canine and feline respiratory infections," said Christian Leutenegger, DVM, PhD, FVH, Regional Head of Molecular Diagnostics at IDEXX Reference Laboratories. "Offering the H1N1 Influenza Virus RealPCR Test with the Feline Upper Respiratory Disease and Canine Respiratory Disease RealPCR™ panels will help practitioners identify and differentiate multiple causes of respiratory infection for improved diagnosis and patient management."

IDEXX recommends that veterinarians should consider running the H1N1 Influenza Virus RealPCR Test on patients with suspected respiratory disease or those with suspected H1N1 infection. Given the short shedding period of influenza viruses, samples should be submitted for testing within 7 days of the onset of clinical signs to avoid false-negative results. Test results are typically available within 72 hours.

The IDEXX H1N1 Influenza Virus RealPCR Test is included with the Feline Upper Respiratory Disease (URD) and Canine Respiratory Disease (CRD) RealPCR panels at no additional cost. A stand-alone test is also available.

Courtesy of ISVMA.

Rabies, Raccoon - USA: New York City Alert

Date: Mon 7 Dec 2009
Source: NYC Department of Health, press release [edited]
<http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr2009/pr080-09.shtml>

With the identification of 3 raccoons with rabies in Manhattan's Central Park in recent months -- 2 during the past week -- the Health Department is cautioning New Yorkers to stay away from raccoons, skunks, bats, stray dogs and cats and other wild animals that can carry rabies. The recent cluster of findings suggests that rabies is being transmitted among raccoons in the park. The Health Department is increasing surveillance efforts to determine the extent of the problem.

Raccoons are the most commonly reported rabid animal in New York City. Rabid raccoons are a relatively common occurrence in the Bronx, and many were found in Staten Island in 2006 and 2007. In Queens and Manhattan, rabid raccoons have historically been rare, and rabid raccoons have never been seen in Brooklyn. Bats with rabies have also been found in all 5 boroughs. So far this year [2009], 20 rabid animals have been identified in New York City: 14 raccoons from the Bronx, 4 raccoons from Manhattan, one raccoon from Queens and one bat from Staten Island.

People and unvaccinated animals can get rabies, most often from a bite by an infected animal. Infection leads to a severe brain disease that causes death unless the person is treated promptly. Despite the risk, there has not been a human case of rabies in New York City since 1953. To reduce the risk of rabies, New Yorkers should avoid all wild animals as well as any animal that seems sick, disoriented or unusually placid or aggressive. Report such animals by calling 311 [the emergency telephone number]. Animals that have attacked or may attack should be reported to 911. Any bite or scratch from a raccoon, or other animal capable of transmitting rabies, requires medical attention.

Number of Rabid Animals Identified in New York City, 2003-2009*

Borough: 2003 / 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009*
---------------------
Bronx: 6 / 13 / 26 / 6 / 14 / 13 / 14
Brooklyn: 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
Manhattan: 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 4
Queens: 0 / 0 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 1
Staten Island: 0 / 1 / 0 / 35 / 29 / 4 / 1
*1 Jan-3 Dec 2009

To protect yourself against rabies:

- Do not touch or feed wild animals, or stray dogs or cats.
- Keep garbage in tightly sealed containers.
- Stay away from any animal that is behaving aggressively or a wild animal that appears ill or is acting unusually friendly. Call 311 or your local police precinct to report the animal.
- If you find a bat indoors that may have had contact with someone, don't release it before calling 311 to determine whether it should be tested. For information on how to safely capture a bat, visit:
<http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/rabies/>.

To protect your pet against rabies:

- Make sure your dog or cat is up to date on rabies vaccinations.
- Keep your dog leashed while outdoors unless at a specified off-leash area or park.
- Do not leave your pets outdoors unattended.
- Do not try to separate animals that are fighting.
- If your pet has been in contact with an animal that might be rabid, contact your veterinarian, and report the incident to 311.
- Feed pets indoors.

If you are bitten or scratched by an animal:

- Immediately wash the wound with lots of soap and water. Seek medical care from your health care provider.
- If the animal is un-owned and can be captured, call 311.
- If the animal is a pet, get the owner's name, address and telephone number to give to the Health Department so they can ensure the animal is not rabid.
- Call the Animal Bite Unit (212-676-2483) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the week to report the bite. You can call 212-POISONS (764-7667) during after hours and on weekends. You can also file a report online at: <http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vet/vetegp.shtml>.

For information about medical follow-up, call 311 or your medical provider.

Note: Prevention information is tailored for NY residents. For specific phone numbers and contact information in your state, please visit your state public health department's website.

China reports two dogs with H1N1

The Chinese government reported last week that two dogs had tested positive for the H1N1 virus. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) said in a news alert that it had learned of the findings, and was investigating the validity of the reports.

“We have not been able to confirm the findings of H1N1 in dogs in China,” AVMA spokesman Michael San Filippo said. “We’ve reached out to the College of Veterinary Medicine at the China Agricultural University in Beijing, which reported that two dogs had tested positive, but have not heard anything back from them.”

The AVMA says the reports are no cause for panic, but veterinarians and pet owners should remain vigilant to flu-like symptoms in pets. The AVMA has an H1N1 resource and information page on its website, that will be updated as information becomes available.

The following are excerpts from an interview with a Ministry of Agriculture official regarding the dogs’ cases, translated from the official website of the Chinese government by NEWStat reporter Ben Williams.

Read full article.

Courtesy of AAHA.

Advanstar Presents Vetsymposium: Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance, MRSA to MRSP: A Growing National Problem

Presented by David Aucoin, DVM, DACVCP
CE credit available for veterinarians and veterinary technicians*

Discussion topics:
- Methicillin resistance is not just about zoonotic MRSA infections-it's also about losing cost-effective treatment options for common infections
- How did we get so bad so quickly? The role of antimicrobial use and misuse
- Steps you can take to slow the local spread and, more importantly, national increase in antimicrobial resistance.

Date and time
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
1:00 p.m. ET (noon CT, 11 a.m. MT, 10 a.m. PT)

Presentation time
Approximately 45 minutes followed by a 15-minute Q&A.

Register now for this FREE webcast at
www.dvm360.com/ev

Sponsored by Bayer Health Care, Animal Heatlh