Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
WORLAND – Livestock health and the latest disease report highlighted Wyoming State Veterinarian Hallie Hasel’s, DVM, presentation on the opening day of the 2022 WESTI Ag Days in Worland.
Hasel, who replaced Jim Logan, DVM, last July, came to Wyoming from Kansas and Texas. She grew up in Kansas and raised Angus. She worked in private practice for about 20 years and then had lengthy career with U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Inspection Service Veterinary Services, including as director of the cattle fever tick eradication program on the Texas/Mexico border for six years.
She joked that no one can talk about the border unless they have lived there.
One of her goals in coming to Worland this week, Hasel said, was to “reintroduce you to the Wyoming Livestock Board. We’re trying to put a more personal face on the livestock board.”
She said they have had an open field veterinarian position for about six months. Currently the state has two veterinarians, herself and the assistant state veterinarian.
She said in the past two years, 32 of the 50 states have hired new state veterinarians and there is “twice as many field vet positions open.”
Hasel said they work with the U.S.D.A. who have three veterinarians.
They also have two animal health specialists that handle permitting.
The Wyoming Livestock Board, according to its website has four main divisions:
Brand Renewal: A certain percentage of brands are renewed every two years. Residents can apply for new brands or abandoned brands through this division.
Brand Inspection: Per the website, “Brand inspection exists to verify livestock ownership.”
Law Enforcement: Livestock law specialists can work across county lines, they collaborate with other states’ livestock investigators and partner with county sheriff offices on cases.
Animal Health: Per the website, “The Wyoming Livestock Board Animal Health Unit exercises general supervision over and protection of the livestock interests of the state from disease by implementing board rules and regulations, assisting in enforcement, monitoring the import of livestock and biologic agents into the state and disseminating lawful and accurate information.”
“You’ll see us out and about quite a bit more, trying to meet one-on-one with people,” Hasel said. “Work through different animal health challenges that we have in Wyoming.”
Regarding animal health, Hasel discussed several diseases for Big Horn Basin residents to be aware.
Hasel said, “Our primary purpose is to make sure that your livestock is worth something outside of Wyoming and in the state. Wyoming is primarily an export state for livestock.”
One way the Wyoming Livestock Board protects livestock is through the Brucellosis designated surveillance area on the western side of the state. The area is shared with Montana and Idaho.
The area is where “brucellosis infected wildlife (Yellowstone National Park wild bison and infected elk) exist and can expose cattle and domestic bison to the disease of brucellosis,” according to the Montana Department of Livestock.
She said they work closely with the Wyoming Game and Fish, especially on testing for 0% prevalence.
Livestock in the surveillance area must be tested regularly.
Brucellosis causes abortions in the animals, and while there is a vaccine that will prevent the abortions it does not prevent other symptoms of the disease, Hasel noted.
AVIAN INFLUENZA
Hasel said that as of Tuesday, eight states reported avian influenza along wild bird migratory routes. She said the states right now are on the east coast in the in the Atlantic Flyway. Wyoming is in the Pacific and Central flyways.
“Stay aware of where it is at. Be aware of your chickens,” Hasel said, noting symptoms include runny eyes, snotty nose, sneezing or coughing. If you find chickens dead, “Call us and we will come, pick them up and test them at no cost to you.” She said you can also contact your local veterinarian who will contact her office.
Be aware, she said, the entire flock may have to be quarantined or killed if avian flu is detected.
She noted the last outbreak in Minnesota resulted in a lot of turkey and chickens being euthanized.
There is a Defend The Flock Program through USDA APHIS to help people know how to keep their flocks safe.
EQUINE INFECTION ANEMIA
Moving from birds to horses, Hasel discussed equine infectious anemia (EIA) in which there is no treatment for horses. There was 87 new cases in 2021 in 14 states and the majority of them, 74, were found in quarter horses.
While there is currently no reported cases in Wyoming, the nearest case is southern Utah, she said horses come through Wyoming all the time for races, rodeos and other events.
Horses diagnosed with EIA are either quarantined alone for life or euthanized.
One of the reasons of the high prevalence in quarter horses, Hasel said is the increase in racing in bushtracks, illegally sanctioned races. She said there are no rules on these dirt tracks and doping is common.
Quarter horses do go into use in other industries so it is something horse owners should be concerned about. “It’s getting worse and it is not going away,” she said.
EHV
Last month, the Wyoming Livestock Board reported a lab confirmed case of equine herpes virus-1 in a horse in Park County. Hasel said the disease is not uncommon in Wyoming and has been found in the past in Cody, Sheridan and Gillette. She said one of those reasons is the trail rides. Older horses are usually used on these rides and they have likely had more exposure to equine herpes and can be latent carriers.
She said they have also seen a prevalence in barrel racing horses.
Unlike EIA, equine herpes horses need to be quarantined for 20 to 21 days typically.
While it is not always fatal it is “not a pretty disease,” Hasel said. Symptoms include loss of tail tone, hind limb weakness and leaning against a wall or head pressing against a wall, runny nose and coughing.
Other diseases on the Wyoming Livestock Board watchlist and other information on the board can be found online at http://www.wlsb.state.wy.us.