Infectious Agent Stolen Put Pig Populations at Risk

Sept. 20, 2002

Doug Hamasaki <doughama@hawaii.edu
Source: National Pork Board News Release of 18 Sep 2002 [edited] <Mary.Wonders@porkboard.org


Pork Producers Urged to Review Biosecurity Procedures

The National Pork Board is urging producers to be on a heightened state of alert because of the recent theft from a laboratory of a bacterium that is known to cause neurologic signs and rapid mortality in pigs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced Tuesday that it had been notified that the infectious agent Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) had been stolen from a Michigan State University [MSU] research facility late last week. The stolen materials were part of a project to develop swine vaccines.

There are no known reports of APP cases related to this theft, but the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the National Pork Board are urging producers and veterinarians to pay specific attention to swine populations and to be alert to any unusual symptoms in pigs such as convulsions, acute pneumonia, and sudden death.

"The bacteria are not known to cause a threat to human health," said Beth Alexander, MSU physician, after consulting with experts in infectious disease. In addition, MSU already had tested the specific strains of bacteria used in the vaccine research and found no indication that the strains posed a threat to human health.

"Humans cannot be harmed by this," said Lonnie King, dean of MSU's College of Veterinary Medicine, "whether by direct contact with the bacteria, or by eating meat from an infected animal. This is strictly a disease that strikes pigs."

"APP can be a cause of a serious respiratory disease in swine," said Dr. Beth Lautner, vice president of science and technology at the National Pork Board. "It has been found internationally in swine herds including the U.S. since the mid to late 1970s. The organism formerly was called Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae or HPP. To minimize its impact, it is important to rapidly diagnose the disease and institute appropriate treatment. Veterinary diagnostic laboratories have a variety of diagnostic tools to make a rapid, definitive diagnosis. Typically, the disease can be treated with injectable antibiotics."

Specifically, the National Pork Board is urging producers to:

1. Review the biosecurity and security plans at their farms. The Pork Checkoff-funded Biosecurity Guide and Security Guide are available at <www.porkboard.org. There is a story and a link on the home page. Producers without Internet access can call 800-456-PORK for copies.

2. Report any suspicious activity or people around their farms or community to local law enforcement officials.

3. Contact their veterinarian about any unusual health situation on your farm. This could include [signs] in pigs such as cough, fever, reduced appetite, acute pneumonia, encephalitis, and sudden death. In some cases, frothy and bloodstained nasal discharge can also be seen.

"The Biosecurity Guide for Pork Producers offers a variety of ideas to keep me thinking about how to improve biosecurity on my farm, as well as today's best biosecurity practices," said Jim Niewold, a pork producer from Loda, Ill., and chairman of the Pork Checkoff Swine Health Committee.

****** [2] Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 From: Denise Derrer <dderrer@boah.state.in.us Source: MSU's press release, 18 Sep 2002 [edited] <denbow@msu.edu


Investigation Continues In Theft Of Research Materials

EAST LANSING, Mich. - MSU has joined with federal and state authorities in investigating the theft last week of swine vaccine research materials from a campus lab and in ensuring the safety of livestock.

Sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning, research materials, including small samples of a bacteria used to develop swine vaccines, were taken from the Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building. MSU police chief Jim Dunlap said there is no indication that the theft was related to political activism.

The stolen material is Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, or APP, a common [strain of] bacteria in swine that usually causes respiratory infection in young pigs. "The bacterium is not known to cause a threat to human health," said Beth Alexander, MSU university physician, after consulting with experts in infectious disease.

In addition, MSU already had tested the specific strains of bacteria used in the vaccine research and found no indication that the strains posed a threat to human health.

"Humans cannot be harmed by this," said Lonnie King, dean of MSU's College of Veterinary Medicine, "whether by direct contact with the bacteria, or by eating meat from an infected animal. This is strictly a disease that strikes pigs.

"MSU has been working to develop vaccines to protect swine in order to protect the health of the swine industry."

After discovering the theft, MSU immediately notified appropriate state and federal authorities according to established protocols. Appropriate advisories were issued to affected Michigan groups, including veterinarians and pork producers.

MSU Department of Police and Public Safety is investigating the unauthorized entry and theft from the secured lab. In addition to the samples, research notebooks and computer disks were taken.

Tuesday, MSU worked with the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service to notify veterinarians and pork producers.

"It's just a common-sense precaution," King said.

Sept. 20, 2002
From: Denise Derrer <dderrer@boah.state.in.us
Source: Indiana State Board of Animal Health announcement, 18 Sep 2002 [edited]


Board Of Animal Health: Michigan Laboratory Theft Prompts Need For Vigilance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued an advisory to animal health officials in all 50 states, related to a theft that occurred a few days ago at a research facility in Michigan.

The Indiana State Board of Animal Health is issuing this advisory to encourage vigilance within the Hoosier swine industry to watch for usual signs of disease in hogs and to report such occurrences to the agency for further assessment. Contact the BOAH Swine Division to report unusual clinical signs, as noted below, by calling (toll-free) 877/747-3038 ext. 310. A BOAH veterinarian will evaluate the situation by phone and determine if further follow-up needs to be completed (at no charge to the producer).

The following facts were provided to BOAH by APHIS. More information will be provided, as it becomes available.

1. USDA APHIS has been notified by Michigan State University [MSU] that sometime between the night of 12 Sep 2002 and the morning of 13 Sep 2002, research materials, including small samples of a bacteria used to develop swine vaccines, were taken from the Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building. Research notebooks and computer disks were also taken.

2. The stolen material is Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, or APP, a common strain of bacteria in swine that usually causes respiratory infection in young pigs.

3. APP is not known to cause a threat to human health. In addition, MSU already had tested the specific strains of bacteria used in the vaccine research and found no indication that the strains posed a threat to human health. APP is known to affect only swine.

4. MSU officials immediately notified appropriate state and federal authorities upon discovering the theft, including USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

5. Working with MSU officials and Michigan animal health officials, USDA APHIS has sent out a nationwide alert to state animal health authorities, industry and producer groups and cooperators to make them aware of this situation.

6. USDA is asking producers and veterinarians to pay specific attention to swine populations and be alert to any unusual symptoms in pigs such as encephalitis, acute pneumonia, and sudden death.

7. The endemic strain of APP causes outbreaks of respiratory disease in grower and finishing pigs. Clinical signs of the endemic strain of APP are dyspnea, fever, reduced appetite, and rapidly occurring death. Cough and, in some cases, frothy and blood-stained nasal discharge can also be seen.

8. Any APP diagnosis that causes unusual clinical conditions, encephalitis, and sudden death should be reported to the State Veterinarian and/or Area Veterinarian in Charge.

9. Typically APP can be treated with injectable antibiotics. For some endemic APP serotypes there are vaccines available as aides in prevention.

10. Most cases of infection occur by nose-to-nose contact after the introduction of infected carrier pigs. APP can be found in the tonsil, necrotic tissue, and nasal cavity of recovered carriers or sub-clinical cases. Some reports concerning indirect transmission via contaminated clothing and airborne transmission do exist, but the major mode of transmission of APP infection is by the introduction of a carrier pig.

As always, BOAH encourages all livestock producers to report any cases of specific clinical signs that may indicate a foreign or emerging animal disease (not just related to APP). The five key clinical signs include:
1. Sudden, unexplained death loss;
2. 2. Severe illness in a high number of animals within a herd/production system;
3. 3. Blistering or lesions, particularly around the membranes and feet;
4. 4. Unusual ticks, maggots, or other insect pests; and
5. 5. Unexplained signs of a central nervous system disorder, including staggering, falling, tremors.

Contact BOAH at 317/227-0300 or via email at <animalhealth@boah.state.in.us>

n Denise Derrer Public Information Director Indiana State Board of Animal Health Indianapolis, IN <dderrer@boah.state.in.us
n ....................mhj/as/tg/pg/lm