Schmallenberg Virus ( SBV ) - better reporting in Britain

At last, a sensible report, from "The Yorkshire Post"  breaks the silence in Britain. This does not casually  dismiss Schmallenberg Virus  ( SBV ) as harmless to human health.

Defra and its veterinarians have obviously now brought their PR people under proper control and stopped them briefing the media with veterinary puff.

Current discussions with the government about new veterinary disciplinary procedures bring their benefits.

They are now well on the way to regarding  the midges as a theory rather than a fact ( it was mosquitoes, anyway, probably a mistranslation somewhere) and other remarks suggests that, live imports, the real source of CSF and FMD in 2000, long widely suspected in farming circles, has resurfaced as a likely route for the import of disease to Britain.

The second report, from Wales, below too, shows a similar grasp of reality.

Things have become so serious now, that group solidarity takes second place to real science. "You can fool some of the people…"

How different things would have been had Britain's corrupt government veterinarians told the truth in 2000-2001.

The reality of live imports as a probable source, known earlier, would have changed livestock farming in ways that would have helped protect human health, worldwide.

As it was, the world was misled on a significant scale to cover-up British veterinary incompetence, fraud and greed.

Anyway, very bad news, but now handled in a professional way.

The Yorkshire Post report here

and Wales Online here

Schmallenberg virus

As you can see, already Holland and Germany are getting the blame, in the first sentence, for the spread of this new disease from the Continent to England.

Further down, Britain's infamous agricultural ministry, Defra accept that “it is likely that the disease has been present in the UK since last autumn.” Exactly, the time when it was discovered on the Continent.

Having had some experience with Defra, it is just as likely they have been hiding it up for years.

They will give “straight bat” reports in writing and “blame someone else” explanations verbally and off the record, to the media. If they media don’t co-operate, they don’t get any more interviews.

It may be true. It is probably a veterinary disinformation campaign. They have not told the truth, about any animal disease, since they were all caught with amnesia by the Phillips Inquiry over BSE - Mad Cow and had to have their name changed in disgrace,

If it did get to Britain from the Continent, we do not believe the midge explanation, neither does the man or woman that prepared the map for the Guardian. Look at it.

Full report in Britain's daily newspaper The Guardian, complete with a map that suggests a different means of transit. There are similar moves of live exports from southern England to the Continent, unmapped at the moment.

The newspaper report and map is here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jan/23/schmallenberg-virus-confirmed-uk-farms

Schmallenberg virus confirmed on farms in the UK

The disease, which has spread from the Netherlands and Germany, causes abortions and birth deformities in farm animals

·        

A mysterious virus that causes abortions and birth deformities in farm animals including sheep and cattle has been confirmed in the UK. Four sheep farms in Norfolk, Suffolk and East Sussex are known to be harbouring the disease, which is believed to be transmitted by midges...

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Research by the University of Iowa tells a sorry tale of MRSA in pigs, and pork  in the USA. The position there is even worse than previously thought.

The research seems to carry no good news for the organic movement either.

It is amazing how Britain's state veterinary service, veterans of numerous previous animal epidemics, have managed to keep Britain's pigs and pork clear of MRSA, whilst the rest of the world continues to report a worsening situation.


Nobody has sought to claim a premium for British pork being MRSA free, isn't that strange?

The pigs have produced 20 percent less pork per sow than their continental competitors for years and yet nobody  gives any plausible reason.

The British government vets are all lined up for their generous pensions and gongs.

Wake up England!

The quote below is from a blog published today by Tara C Smith, a major researcher on MRSA in livestock in the USA.

The blog, in full, is here

MRSA in pork products: does the "antibiotic-free" label make a difference?

...What does the molecular typing tell us, speaking of contamination
source? We carried out analyses on all the MRSA and found that the
most common type of MRSA was ST398, the "livestock" strain that we
previously found on pig farms in the U.S. We also found two "human"
types were common: USA300 (a "community-associated" strain) and USA100
(typically considered a "hospital-associated" strain). In the simplest
analysis of these findings, these molecular types (a combination of
"human" and "pig" strains) suggests that MRSA on raw pork products may
be coming both from farms and from food handlers. However, in real
life, it's not quite so straightforward. USA100 types have also been
found in live pigs. So has USA300. As such, the source of
contamination and relative contributions of live pigs versus human
meat handlers currently isn't certain....

The  full University of Iowa News Release is here

Highlights include:

...Jan. 20, 2012

UI study: High levels of MRSA bacteria in retail meat products

Retail pork products in the United States. have a higher prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) than previously identified, according to new research by the University of Iowa College of Public Health and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

MRSA can occur in the environment and in raw meat products, and is estimated to cause around 185,000 cases of food poisoning each year. The bacteria can also cause serious, life-threatening infections of the bloodstream, skin, lungs, and other organs. MRSA is resistant to a number of antibiotics.

The study, published Jan. 19 in the online science journal PLoS ONE, represents the largest sampling of raw meat products for MRSA contamination to date in the U.S. The researchers collected 395 raw pork samples from 36 stores in Iowa, Minnesota, and New Jersey. Of these samples, 26 -- or about 7 percent -- carried MRSA...

The abstract and full report is available on  Plosone here  titled:

MRSA in Conventional and Alternative Retail Pork Products

Foston - Protests delay pig farm plans

Councils have to take more notice of a more questioning electorate. That is what a planning consultation is all about.

People are asking questions - and the right ones too.

More by accident than design, Midland have actually admitted that they are testing their pigs for MRSA and say they have found nothing.

Why would they test? Defra's vets have told the world there is no MRSA in British pigs.

Defra don't do much testing and then only when ordered to do so by the EU.

But the veterinarians who screwed Britain up with  BSE, CSF, Foot and Mouth etc. seem confident enough not to need many tests before giving the world assurances that British pigs do not have MRSA.

Defra's veterinarians are not scientists or public servants to inspire much confidence!

And the people of England know that.

Full report here



Public response delays ruling on pig farm plans


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Derby Telegraph

A DECISION on whether controversial plans for a massive pig farm
should go ahead has been delayed because a public consultation into
the proposal attracted thousands of responses.

Midland Pig Producers applied to Derbyshire County Council for
permission to build the farm, which could house up to 25,000 animals near Foston.

The authority received more than 16,000 objections by letter, e-mail
or petition. A list drawn up by the council, outlining the main
objections, shows animal welfare, risk to human health and the spread of disease are among concerns...

Antibiotics lead us into death

Realism is beginning to creep into the English language farming media.

This is an animal feed publication with a finger on the button. We can do no better than copy their header.

“Pig Progress” is a part of the same group, published in the Netherlands but with much British contribution, not least from prominent pig veterinarians.

Change is in the air, in most places anyway. Britain remaining a stubborn, very stupid, exception, still following the advice of a corrupt, criminalised, drug revenue dependant, veterinary establishment.

MRSA st398 - "pig MRSA", although not admitted in pigs, is in Britain, but no precautionary measures are taken in British hospitals to deal with pig farmers, pork handlers or veterinarians.

It is a scandal about to break about the heads of Britain's hard pressed NHS (National Health Service) and traceable directly back to the deplorable agriculture ministry, now Defra, and their appalling veterinarians. 

These are the bunglers responsible for mishandling constant animal epidemics, many of which have human health implications and require vast contributions every year from the taxpayer to try to minimise the consequences.

The full article is here

Antibiotics lead us into death

//04 Jan 2012

Author: Dick Ziggers

More people in hospitals become infected with resistant bacteria that doctors cannot treat with antibiotics. In Europe it is estimated that 25,000 people die because of this. Some of the bacteria also occur in the livestock industry, such as MRSA and ESBL... 

...MRSA (Methicilline resistant Staphylocossus aureus) develops on pig farms and with transports of piglets and finishers the bacteria have spread rapidly. About 40% of the pig farmers in the Netherlands carry MRSA-bacteria and if they have to go to hospital they have to be cared for separately and quarantined...

...In order to avoid this horror scenario for other countries, antibiotic use in the livestock industry has to be minimised. This is possible with vaccinations against diseases, better feed and better housing....