Vol. 12, No. 2, February 2016 |
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Taking Aim at Deadly Swine Diseases
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are stepping up their efforts to help fight deadly swine viruses that are prevalent in other countries and pose a threat to the United States.
Microbiologist Manuel Borca with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit, located at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in Orient Point, N.Y., is developing vaccines, diagnostic tests and other strategies to help control classical swine fever (CSF).
The highly contagious disease has been eradicated in the United States, but is still present in wild boars in Europe, where it can infect domestic pigs.
All pigs within close proximity of an infected animal must be destroyed to prevent spread of the disease.
Borca and his colleagues are developing CSF virus strains for vaccines that would make it possible to differentiate between animals that have been vaccinated and animals infected with a wild type of the virus.
In patented research, Borca introduced a genetically manipulated marker virus that can be distinguished from a wild virus.
Scientists also have developed a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) assay that detects the CSF virus in infected animals before signs of the disease appear.
Another disease of major concern is African swine fever (ASF), which is spreading in European and Asian countries. There is no cure or vaccine for this virus, which kills all infected pigs within a week.
Scientists at Plum Island have renewed efforts to help control ASF. In the past, they identified several genes that, if eliminated, would reduce the virus' ability to cause disease, and used the technique to develop less virulent viruses that protected animals against ASF.
Today, Borca is using this same approach to develop genetically modified viruses that could lead to vaccines to protect against the ASF strain that is killing thousands of animals in the Republic of Georgia and the Caucasus region. Testing is under way to discover if these viruses will make good vaccine candidates.
ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.
For more information, please visit http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2013/131216.htm.
Florida Forest Service Receives National Award During Prescribed Fire Awareness Week
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam announced last month that the Florida Forest Service has received the Wildfire Mitigation Fire Service Leadership award for its record-breaking prescribed fire program. This award comes just as Florida recognizes Prescribed Fire Awareness Week, which is from Jan. 24 through Jan. 30.
“The Florida Forest Service has worked tirelessly to protect Florida's citizens, natural habitats, and property through its prescribed fire program, and it is wonderful to see the Florida Forest Service recognized as a model for the nation,” stated Commissioner Putnam.
The Wildfire Mitigation Awards are the highest commendation for innovation and leadership in wildfire preparedness and mitigation, and they are awarded by the National Association of State Foresters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Fire Protection Association and the USDA Forest Service.
During the previous year, the Florida Forest Service treated more than 246,000 acres of state forests with prescribed fire, the highest number ever reported by a state forestry agency in United States history.
In addition to its efforts on state forest lands, the Florida Forest Service also oversees the issuance of prescribed burning authorizations and administers Florida's Certified Prescribed Burn Manager program.
Currently, there are more than 1,600 certified prescribed burn managers who manage more than 2.3 million acres of agricultural and natural lands annually with prescribed fire.
The Florida Forest Service has developed a prescribed fire program that encompasses a long-term, sustained approach to reducing wildfire risk, providing for resiliency across Florida's landscapes and keeping our forests healthy,” said Jim Karels, Florida State Forester.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than one million acres of public forest land while protecting 26 million acres of homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire.
Learn more about Florida Forest Service programs.
'60 Minutes' Exposes Italy’s Olive Oil Fraud
When it comes to knock-offs of Italian classics―you probably think of fake Guccis or Pradas―not food.
But in December, police in Italy nabbed 7,000 tons of phony olive oil. Much of it was bound for American stores. The oil was from North Africa, deodorized with chemicals and rebranded as more expensive Italian extra virgin. The scam was cooked-up by organized crime.
CBS News’ 60 Minutes investigated the copies of fine olive oil, wine, and cheese, which has fueled an explosion of food crime in Italy. It's estimated to be a $16 billion-a-year enterprise. The Italians call it "Agromafia"...and it's a scandal for a people whose cuisine is considered a national treasure.
Read the story and watch the clip at: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-agromafia-food-fraud/ .
