|
|
January 10, 2000
A short-term research project to control a new respiratory disease in Minnesota
turkey flocks has been funded.
Funding is through the University of Minnesota's Rapid Agricultural Response Fund, created through a 1999 legislative appropriation to address short-term issues critical to Minnesota's agricultural industry. A total of $972,426 was allocated for five projects.
The "Turkey Respiratory Disease Prevention and Control project" received $492,546 for one year. The project will center on a new respiratory disease caused by an avian pneumovirus (APV), which has caused losses of over $20 million to Minnesota turkey growers since it was first diagnosed in late 1996.
Minnesota's poultry industry generates more than $1 billion of income per year and employs over 10,000 people in the state, according to Lawrence B. Schook, associate dean for research in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Schook says the industry generates another 15,000 jobs in crop production and other industries such as food processing, transportation and other business services. And, Minnesota is the only state where a majority of the turkey production-related income and employment are on "family farms," Schook says.
"The new disease has wreaked havoc in Minnesota's turkey flocks. It continues to spread at an alarming rate and threatens the viability of Minnesota's turkey industry," Schook says. The disease has spread through the turkey producing areas of Minnesota, but has not been found in any other turkey producing state. "One of the greatest potential risks," Schook says, "is the increased condemnation of birds and a ban of birds from Minnesota for foreign markets."
Clinical signs of the disease include depression, coughing, sinusitis and increased mortality rates of from two to 50 percent. And, there has been a sharp increase in condemnation of turkeys in processing plants by USDA inspectors
University of Minnesota scientists, working with emergency funding of $315,000 by the Minnesota State Legislature in 1998, have already progressed in three main areas:
--Developed a rapid diagnostic test to detect infected flocks.
--Developed a program to understand how the disease is spread, and are
beginning to develop a plan to contain the disease from spreading to uninfected flocks.
--Initiated a program to develop and field test vaccines to prevent the disease.
Web,P3MN,V2
Sources: Larry Schook (612) 624-7279, Fred Bergsrud (612) 625-3104
Writer: Jack Sperbeck (612) 625-1794, jsperbeck@extension.umn.edu
NOTE: News releases were current as of the date of issue. If you have a question on older releases, use the news release search (upper left-hand column of the News main page) or the main Extension search (upper right of this page) to locate more recent information.
URL: http://
www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnews/1999/preventionproject.html This page was updated May 21, 2002
.
Online Privacy Statement. Contact Information.
University of Minnesota Extension is an equal opportunity
educator and employer.
Copyright © Regents of the University of
Minnesota. All rights reserved.