Avian Influenza, an International Concern

The spread of the virulent highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 Asian strain (HPAI H5N1) throughout Asia and into Europe and Africa since 2004 has resulted in the loss of millions of domestic birds and caused concern about its zoonotic potential. Though the significance of wild birds in the transmission of HPAI H5N1 remains unclear, wild birds are known to be the source of some outbreaks and can serve as an important sentinel for introduction of the virus to new areas due to expansive migration movements. The comprehensive HPAI H5N1 surveillance program, established in 2006 by the USDA and USDI Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with the states and tribes, monitors both wild and domestic bird populations to ensure the earliest detection of HPAI H5N1 incursion into the United States. Montana is a priority state in nationwide surveillance because it borders Canada and is divided by the Pacific and Central Flyways. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, and USDI Fish and Wildlife Service have conducted AI surveillance in Montana during the last 4 yrs using multiple sampling strategies to optimize the chance of detecting HPAI H5N1. Surveillance targets specific species spatially distributed across the state and temporally distributed across the sampling period. The primary emphasis on wild populations included systematic transects on populations of high priority for morbidity and mortality, along with opportunistically found dead birds, as well as the collection of swab samples from live and hunter-harvested waterfowl. Whereas low pathogenic avian influenza was found in samples each year as expected, no sample tested positive for HPAI H5N1

Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Feral Swine near Spinach Fields and Cattle, Central California Coast1

We investigated involvement of feral swine in contamination of agricultural fields and surface waterways with Escherichia coli O157:H7 after a nationwide outbreak traced to bagged spinach from California. Isolates from feral swine, cattle, surface water, sediment, and soil at 1 ranch were matched to the outbreak strain

Food Safety Risks and Mitigation Strategies for Feral Swine (Sus scrofa) near Agriculture Fields

Feral swine may harbor the causative agents of important foodborne diseases such as brucellosis, cryptosporidiosis, salmonellosis, and trichinosis. We described recently the isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from feral swine in the central California coast during an investigation of a nationwide outbreak associated with consumption of contaminated fresh baby spinach. Additionally, the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter was found in tissues and feces from the same population of feral swine. Feral swine are the most abundant free-roaming ungulate in the United States, and their range in California continues to expand, with the highest numbers reported on the central coast. The expansion of feral swine in mainland California and concomitant damage to agriculture and public health underscore the need for mitigation strategies. A number of lethal and non-lethal methods for feral swine management have been described, including hunting, depredation, trapping, and exclusion such as fencing. This paper reviews current concerns relating to food safety and feral swine. The advantages and potential pitfalls of mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of contamination of raw vegetable commodities by free-roaming feral swine are discussed

Food Safety Risks and Mitigation Strategies for Feral Swine (Sus scrofa) near Agriculture Fields

Feral swine may harbor the causative agents of important foodborne diseases such as brucellosis, cryptosporidiosis, salmonellosis, and trichinosis. We described recently the isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from feral swine in the central California coast during an investigation of a nationwide outbreak associated with consumption of contaminated fresh baby spinach. Additionally, the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter was found in tissues and feces from the same population of feral swine. Feral swine are the most abundant free-roaming ungulate in the United States, and their range in California continues to expand, with the highest numbers reported on the central coast. The expansion of feral swine in mainland California and concomitant damage to agriculture and public health underscore the need for mitigation strategies. A number of lethal and non-lethal methods for feral swine management have been described, including hunting, depredation, trapping, and exclusion such as fencing. This paper reviews current concerns relating to food safety and feral swine. The advantages and potential pitfalls of mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of contamination of raw vegetable commodities by free-roaming feral swine are discussed

Food Safety Risks and Mitigation Strategies for Feral Swine (Sus scrofa) near Agriculture Fields

Feral swine may harbor the causative agents of important foodborne diseases such as brucellosis, cryptosporidiosis, salmonellosis, and trichinosis. We described recently the isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from feral swine in the central California coast during an investigation of a nationwide outbreak associated with consumption of contaminated fresh baby spinach. Additionally, the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter was found in tissues and feces from the same population of feral swine. Feral swine are the most abundant free-roaming ungulate in the United States, and their range in California continues to expand, with the highest numbers reported on the central coast. The expansion of feral swine in mainland California and concomitant damage to agriculture and public health underscore the need for mitigation strategies. A number of lethal and non-lethal methods for feral swine management have been described, including hunting, depredation, trapping, and exclusion such as fencing. This paper reviews current concerns relating to food safety and feral swine. The advantages and potential pitfalls of mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of contamination of raw vegetable commodities by free-roaming feral swine are discussed

Plague Exposure in Mammalian Wildlife across the Western United States

Plague is caused by a bacterial pathogen (Yersinia pestis) that can infect a wide range of mammal species, but its presence in wildlife is often underappreciated. Using a large-scale data set (n = 44,857) that details the extent of Y. pestis exposure in wildlife, we document exposure in 18 wildlife species, including coyotes (Canis latrans), bobcats (Lynx rufus), and black bears (Ursus americanus). Evidence of plague activity is widespread, with seropositive animals detected in every western state in the contiguous United States. Pathogen monitoring systems in wildlife that are both large scale and long-term are rare, yet they open the door for analyses on potential shifts in distribution that have occurred over time because of climate or land use changes. The data generated by these long-term monitoring programs, combined with recent advances in our understanding of pathogen ecology, offer a clearer picture of zoonotic pathogens and the risks they pose