Wildfire smoke endangers animal health By R. Scott Nolen, June 12, 2023 Veterinarians are reminding animal owners that poor air quality can be as hard on animals as humans, if not more so. Smoke from the worst wildfire season in Canada’s history has been drifting southward since March, triggering air quality alerts across the United […]
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Cases of tick-borne diseases in pets spiking in Maine Lyme, anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are increasing among dogs. By Vivien Leigh (NEWS CENTER Maine), June 1, 2023 Maine — As warmer temperatures draw more people to the Maine outdoors, veterinarians are warning that pets are also at risk for tick-borne diseases, just like […]
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By Sybille De La Hamaide PARIS, May 21 (Reuters) – Governments should consider vaccinating poultry against bird flu, which has killed hundreds of millions of birds and infected mammals worldwide, to prevent the virus from turning into a new pandemic, the head of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said. The severity of the current […]
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The current U.S. stockpile of H5N1 flu shots likely won’t offer much protection in the event of a pandemic, vaccine researchers said. By Aria Bendix Wild birds and poultry flocks alike continue to drop dead from the highly pathogenic bird flu that began spreading globally in 2020. Almost 59 million commercial birds have already been culled in the United States. It’s […]
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New veterinary medication regulations in effect June 11 News staff Come mid-June, many common livestock antibiotics will be more difficult to access. June 11, 2023, marks the start of a new regulation requiring a veterinarian prescription for previously over-the-counter drugs. This new rule is an extension of the existing 2017 Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD), which […]
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The Sagadahoc County resident is the first Mainer to contract the disease in 2023. By Eric Russell, Staff Writer A Sagadahoc County resident has died from exposure to the Powassan virus, a rare tick-borne illness. The adult developed neurologic symptoms after being exposed and died in a hospital, the Maine Center for Disease Control and […]
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Ticks found to harbor and release prions of chronic wasting disease By Pooja Toshniwal Paharia, Reviewed by Lily Ramsey, LLM In a recent study published in the Scientific Reports Journal, researchers combined experimental tick feeding with tick evaluations from wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to determine whether ticks may contain transmission-relevant amounts of chronic wasting disease (CWD)-associated […]
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Six Hooded Merganser Ducks Found Dead at the Outlet of Maranacook Lake Test Positive for HPAI AUGUSTA, ME — The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife was notified today that six hooded merganser ducks that were found dead at the outlet of Maranacook Lake tested positive for HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza). The National […]
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Backyard Flock and Commercial Operators Are Urged to Prevent Contact Between Domestic and Wild Birds AUGUSTA, ME — The risk for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) remains high in Maine, and backyard flock and commercial operators are urged to prevent contact between domestic and wild birds by bringing them indoors and ensuring their outdoor areas […]
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Update from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS): Contacts: APHISpress@usda.gov WASHINGTON, October 21, 2022 — The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry) in Newport […]
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