| This post is a continuation from yesterday’s H1N1 topic that explored Alberta Pork’s experiences at the centre of the H1N1 media storm earlier this year. The information is based on a presentation I attended by Lee Funke of Torque Communications at the recently held Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation conference in Edmonton. He outlined some of the challenges facing Alberta Pork’s response team – and their responses – at the height of the H1N1 crisis that struck Alberta when a herd of pigs was found to be infected with the influenza strain this past spring. Continue reading Alberta Pork’s H1N1 challenges, responses A freelance science writer from Egypt speaking at a conference for science journalists helped shed some light on that country’s extraordinary decision to slaughter its entire pig population when H1N1 influenza was first announced earlier this year. Nadia El-Awady, Program Manager with the Arab Science Journalists Association, spoke about the events that led up to the mass slaughter and how the weaknesses in Egyptian media and government contributed to the panic that gripped the country. Continue reading An inside look at Egypt’s reaction to pigs and H1N1  They’ve finally listened. Yesterday, the World Health Organization announced that they were re-naming what everyone’s been calling “swine flu” to H1N1 Influenza A.
Pandemic frenzy has taken hold as we grapple with this new flu that has emerged. It was quickly dubbed “swine flu” even though it really has nothing to do with pigs or pork – and that misnomer has led to all sorts of misinformation, dubious reports and irrational behaviours in countries right around the world. Continue reading Ending the flu frenzy over pigs and pork  Tough economic times and increased environmental awareness mean we’re seeing things we haven’t seen in decades. Things like the return of the laundry line, the resurgence of the vegetable patch and even the re-appearance of backyard chicken coops.
Municipalities are generally encouraging of anything that promotes environmental awareness and sustainability – but some are drawing the line at raising farm animals in the city. Continue reading Backyard chicken flap  Food safety in Canada received a boost today with the announcement that an e.coli vaccine with the potential to reduce risk to human health has been approved for use in Canada.
Econiche, a livestock vaccine that greatly reduces the shedding of e.coli O157:H7 by beef and dairy cattle, is now available to Canadian farmers.
Continue reading Canadian e.coli vaccine approved Outbreaks of the deadly e.coli O157:H7 regularly make headlines – and this time, the headlines are hitting close to home, right here in Ontario. We also have a made-in-Canada solution to this ongoing problem, but we need the government’s help to implement it.
Continue reading Solving the e.coli problem – gov’t listening? The following article was first published in Ontario Beef Farmer magazine, July 2008: It sickens thousands of people every year, killing some and leaving others with permanent health damage. But it doesn’t affect the animals that harbour and shed the bacteria, making the disease invisible to farmers. Now, a new, made-in-Canada cattle vaccine to reduce human risk of exposure to E.coli O157:H7 is coming onto the market in North America. But who should pay for this innovative new treatment? Continue reading A cattle vaccine with human health benefit – who should pay? | |
