Animal Agriculture and Pathogens

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• Animal Agriculture and Pathogens

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• Terminal Learning Objective
• At the conclusion of this session, participants
  will identify locations in
• Georgia where specific threats to animal
  agriculture would have the greatest
• impact, recognize animal pathogens of concern to
  agriculture in Georgia,
• recognize BUDDIES - unusual signs in animals that
  may indicate serious
• disease or agroterrorism, and describe protocol
  for handling and reporting
• serious animal incidents.
• Enabling Learning Objectives
• 1.1 Identify locations in Georgia where specific
  threats to animal agriculture would have the
  greatest impact.
• 1.2 Recognize animal pathogens of concern to
  agriculture in Georgia
• 1.3 Recognize BUDDIES - unusual signs in animals
  that may indicate serious
• disease or agroterrorism.
• 1.4 Describe protocol for handling and reporting
  serious animal incidents.

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Objectives for Participants

• To identify locations in Georgia where specific
  threats to animal agriculture would have the
  greatest impact.
• To become familiar with animal pathogens of
  concern to agriculture in Georgia.
• To recognize BUDDIES, unusual signs in animals
  that may indicate serious disease or
  agroterrorism.
• To become familiar with the protocol for handling
  and reporting serious animal incidents.

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Georgia Poultry
ON AN AVERAGE DAY GEORGIA PRODUCES 24.6
MILLION POUNDS OF CHICKEN MEAT 8.2 MILLION
TABLE EGGS 5.7 MILLION HATCHING EGGS
Prepared by Georgia Poultry Federation Source
Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service
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Georgia Poultry Eggs
0 - 1,000,000 1,000,000 - 10,000,000 10,000,0
00 - 40,000,000 40,000,000 - 100,000,000 100,0
00,000 - 309,000,000
4.8 Billion
Data source 2004 Farm Gate Value Report, Center
for Agribusiness and Economic Development, The
University of Georgia
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For Activity 2
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All Other Animal Production
0 - 3,000,000 3,000,000 - 5,000,000 5,000,000
- 10,000,000 10,000,000 - 15,000,000 15,000,0
00 - 50,000,000
1.3 Billion
Data source 2004 Farm Gate Value Report, Center
for Agribusiness and Economic Development, The
University of Georgia
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All Other Animal Production
Data source 2004 Farm Gate Value Report, Center
for Agribusiness and Economic Development, The
University of Georgia
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Georgia Equine Industry

• 2nd most valuable commodity in animal ag
• 6th overall in farm gate value in Georgia
• One of the fastest growing segments of Georgia
  agriculture
• Over 1100 licensed facilities in Georgia
• Mostly pleasure

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Cattle Industry
Source Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service
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Milk Cows
Source Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service
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Swine
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Companion Animals

• Approximately 3,089,227 households in Georgia
• 59 of these households own companion animals
• Equals approximately 1.8 million pet owning
  households
• Estimated economic impact of over 3 billion
  dollars annually

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So What Does It All Mean?

• Strong animal industry vital to economy
• Close to states with strong animal industries
• Many companion animals with close contact with
  humans
• Could be target for animal diseases
• Know diseases that are most likely threat
• Know how they spread in order to control

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What is a pathogen?

• Pathogen is any biologic agent that causes disease

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Classes of biologic agents

• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Fungi
• Protozoa
• Parasites
• Prions

All biologic agents are not pathogens!
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Disease and Host

• Disease disruption of normal physiology,
  causing a negative effect on survival or fitness
• Host an infected animal or plant

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Viruses the basics

• Smallest infectious thing non-living
• Composed only of a string of DNA or RNA and some
  protein
• Cant reproduce on their own only increase in
  number inside living cells
• Sometimes cause rupture of host cell,
  dissemination to other cells

Examples of viral diseases the flu, common
cold, measles, foot-and-mouth disease, SARS,
AIDS, plum pox virus
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Bacteria the basics

• Microscopic, single-celled organisms
• Smallest living thing
• Also most numerous
• Can survive on their own, can survive in soil

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How bacteria cause disease

• Interfere with normal functioning
• Produce toxins
• Form clumps that inhibit normal circulation

Example of bacterial disease plague
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Fungi the basics

• Plant-like organisms, but without chlorophyll
• Live in dead or decaying organic matter
  natures recyclers
• Many plant diseases are caused by fungus diseases

Examples of fungal diseases rusts, mildews,
smuts, athletes foot, thrush
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Protozoa the basics

• Free-living single-celled organisms
• Protozoa-contaminated food
• Protozoa-contaminated water
• Cryptosporidium in water supplies

Example of protozoal disease stage of
trypanosomes in the blood
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Parasites the basics

• Parasites and hosts parasite benefits, host is
  harmed
• Parasites can be internal or external

Examples of parasitic diseases worms, ticks,
mites on animals
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Parasites pests

• Insects that feed on plants and animals

Examples of pests boll weevil and screwworm
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Prions the basics

• The most unusual infectious agent
• Consists of PROTEIN ONLY
• Resistant to usual forms of sterilization such as
  chlorine, autoclaving, etc.
• Cause specific brain diseases
• (Examples scrapie,
• Mad Cow Disease,
• Chronic Wasting
• Disease, Human CJD)

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Infectious and Contagious

• Infectious any disease caused by a pathogen
• Contagious can spread directly from one
  human, animal or plant host to another
• Zoonotic can spread between humans and
  animals

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TRANSMISSION of pathogens

• Aerosol spread through air
• Direct Contact spread by rubbing, biting,
  contact with fluids
• Fomite spread by contact with contaminated
  objects
• Vector spread by other organisms (biological
  vs. mechanical)

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Incubation period

• Time between infection and presence of clinical
  signs
• Dangerous time when disease could spread without
  noticing it
• Daily biosecurity practices are best prevention

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How diseases could enter the U.S.

• Smuggled animals
• Wild birds
• Importation from a country where disease is not
  yet recognized
• On people

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Monkeypox Virus
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Classical swine fever, Netherlands

• 8M hogs killed
• 3.4B in losses
• Entry via contaminated vehicle

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Highly pathogenic avian influenza, Asia

• Several hundred million chickens killed over past
  several years
• Strain spreads to humans, cats, pigs
• World Health Organization warns that pandemic is
  imminent

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Exotic Newcastle Disease - California

• More than 4M birds depopulated
• 4 states affected
• 15,000 premises quarantined
• 1,600 person task force
• gt100M in containment costs

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Pathogen lists and international controls

• CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  list
• World Organisation for Animal Health (a.k.a. OIE)
  list

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CDC Category A Biothreat agents

• Humans and Animals
• Anthrax
• Plague
• Botulism
• Tularemia
• Viral hemorrhagic fevers
• Humans Only
• Smallpox

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• Fourth International Conference on
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Atlanta, March 2004
• "Three-fourths of the new diseases that have
  menaced mankind over the past 20 years, and 11 of
  the 12 most dangerous bioterrorism agents, are
  animal diseases that have gained the ability to
  infect humans.

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High Consequence Livestock Pathogens

• Foot-and-mouth disease
• Classical swine fever
• Rift Valley fever
• Highly pathogenic avian influenza
• Exotic Newcastle disease

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Foot-and-mouth disease

• Caused by a virus
• EXTREMELY contagious
• SHORT incubation period
• Salivation, lameness
• LOST PRODUCTION

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Classical swine fever

• Caused by a virus
• VERY contagious
• Depression, diarrhea
• Neurologic signs

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Rift Valley fever

• Caused by a virus
• Spread by mosquitoes as vectors
• Results in liver failure and abortions
• Zoonotic - INFECTS HUMANS ALSO!

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Highly pathogenic avian influenza

• Caused by a virus
• Spread by contact, aerosol
• Swollen, hemorrhagic combs
• Rapid death approaching 100 death loss
• Can be zoonotic
• Some strains infect
  humans

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Exotic Newcastle disease

• Caused by a virus
• Spread by contact, aerosol
• Depression, diarrhea, death

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It pays to remember your BUDDIES!

• BUDDIES are unusual clinical signs in animals
  that may indicate serious disease or
  agroterrorism
• Blisters mouth, nose, teats or hooves
• Unusual ticks or maggots
• Deaths/Downers unusually high number of deaths
  or animals that can not rise and walk
• Diarrhea
• Illness (high number sick, high number of
  abortions)
• Eating abnormally (will not eat)
• Staggering strange neurological signs,
  including spasms

Be aware of situations when both owners and
animals are ill!
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If you spot any of these clinical signs

• Notify your local veterinarian!
• If you cannot reach your local veterinarian or
  believe that any of these diseases exist,
  contact
• 404-656-3667 or 800-282-5852 (State Veterinarian)
• 800-TRYGEMA (Nights Weekends)
• 770-922-7860 (USDA Area Veterinarian in Charge
  -24/7)

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Reference List For More Information

• See Your Textbooks
• Protecting Georgias Agriculture and Food
  Agrosecurity. Chapter 1.
• Protecting Americas Agriculture and Food
  Agrosecurity. Chapters 1 and 4.

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