- Email: [email protected]
Avian & Exotic News
Avian & Exotic News Edited by Flo Tseng, DVM
Association of Avian Veterinarians The 29th Annual Conference and Expo will be held in Savannah, Georgia, from August 9-14, 2008. The Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) has scheduled an aviculture program on Saturday, August 9, which has been structured to appeal to aviculturists, bird enthusiasts, and veterinarians. Practical labs will also be offered by the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians on Saturday, August 9, and by the AAV on Tuesday, August 12. The AAV preconference program will be held on Sunday, August 10, and will focus on the constantly evolving area of avian behavior and enrichment. The main conference opens Monday, August 11, with a keynote address by Dr. Irene Pepperberg in which she will describe the impact of her work with Alex, the African gray parrot, and the future of her research. As always, cutting-edge scientific sessions will follow and give attendees much to discuss and learn. In addition, the conference will also offer various master classes. A special technician program on avian and exotic pets returns to the AAV Conference for the first time in many years. The technician’s program has been developed to increase the knowledge base and skills for those individuals who work at an avian and exotic animal practice. For more
details, see www.conferenceoffice. com/aav.
Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians to Hold Joint Meeting with American Association of Zoo Veterinarians The annual meeting of the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians and American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV) will be held October 11-16, 2008, at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton in Los Angeles, California. The Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians meeting will include instructional laboratories and scientific sessions on topics ranging from diagnostic testing, therapeutics, anesthesia, surgery, and case reports. In addition, there will be master classes covering toxicology and the alimentary canal of reptile species. The AAZV meeting will also include instructional laboratories and workshops as well as conference sessions on infectious disease, conservation medicine, and pathology. The AAZV also sponsors postgraduate and student manuscript competitions as well as a poster session and awards. For more information, see www.arav. org or www.aazv.org.
Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, Vol 17, No 3 ( July), 2008: pp 161–163
Exotic Animal Medicine for the Clinical Practitioner The American Association of Zoo Veterinarians is presenting an indepth 2-day course on exotic, zoo, and wild animal medicine from October 11-12, 2008, at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, Los Angeles, California. Lectures will be geared to the private exotic animal practitioner and are expected to include exotic animal necropsy techniques, critical care, anesthesia, and nutrition with special species focus of primate, exotic felid, and marsupial medicine, as well as basic and advanced avian, aquatic, reptile, amphibian, and small mammal medicine. The class offers 14 hours of continuing education credits sponsored by the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians. Registration began April 15, 2008. For more information, see www.aazv.org.
American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians to Hold Joint Meeting with the Wildlife Disease Association and the Canadian Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians This conference is scheduled to be held at the University of Alberta in
161
162 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from August 3-9, 2008. There will be a preconference workshop on wildlife immobilization and a postconference workshop on chronic wasting disease. During the meeting, there will be a symposium called “Wildlife Health in a Changing North,” which will include lectures on the Ecology of Diseases in the North, Climate Change and Disease in Norwegian Wildlife, and Zoonoses at the Human/Wildlife Interface. For more information, see www.wda.org.
Bird, Reptile, and Small Mammal Diagnostic Endoscopy Course A bird, reptile, and small mammal diagnostic endoscopy course will be held December 5-6, 2008 at the University of Georgia, and is designed to teach theory and practical applications of diagnostic endoscopy when used on birds, reptiles, and small mammal patients. This is a basic to intermediate level course, and there will be a combination of lectures and video presentations pertaining to choice and care of equipment and endoscopy techniques, including biopsy, used in these animals. In addition, there are over 8 hours of practical laboratory time to practice and develop skills on research iguanas and pigeons. See www.georgiacenter. uga.edu/conferences/2008/Dec/ 05/exotic_endoscopy.phtml for more information.
AVIAN AND EXOTIC NEWS
became law in 2004 and has aided the development process of new drugs to treat diseases that affect fish, shrimp, sheep, and goats. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration issued final rules describing procedures for designating a product as a MUMS drug. Incentives for MUMS drugs include 7 years of exclusive marketing rights, as well as eligibility for grants to defray the costs of safety and efficacy testing for these drugs. The first 6 MUMS drugs to receive approval, plus a drug that received conditional approval, were products developed to treat fish or sheep diseases. Examples of therapeutic agents that have been released under the MUMS act are florfenicol for catfish and salmonids, and moxidectin to treat parasite infestations in sheep. New drugs in development under the MUMS guidelines include treatments for hyperadrenocorticism caused by adrenocortical tumors and the prevention of cisplatin-induced anemia in dogs. The Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act is another law that improved the availability of drugs for animals, through the extralable use of animal and human drugs under the guidance of veterinarians.
More Animal Drugs for Minor Uses, Minor Species (J Am Vet Med Assoc News 232(2): 2008)
Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Infections Associated with Exposure to Turtles—United States, 2007 to 2008 (MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 57(03):69-72, 2008)
The Minor Use and Minor Species (MUMS) Animal Health Act
This report describes the results of the epidemiologic and laboratory
investigation conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local health departments during October 2007-January 2008. The findings document an ongoing, multistate outbreak of Salmonella paratyphi B var. java infections, with the first reported illness onset occurring on May 4, 2007. As of January 18, 2008, a total of 103 cases with isolates indistinguishable from the outbreak strain had been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 33 states. Of the 100 patients for whom age information was available, 56% were aged ⱕ 10 years. Among the 78 patients for whom clinical information was available, 65% reported bloody diarrhea with a median duration of illness of 7 days. Among the 80 patients questioned about turtle exposure, 59% reported turtle exposure during the 7 days before illness onset. This report once again emphasizes the risks associated with purchasing small turtles (⬍ 4 inches in length), especially to young children.
Comments Invited on Proposed Reptile and Amphibian Specialty (J Am Vet Med Assoc News 232(5): 2008) The American Veterinary Medical Association’s American Board of Veterinary Specialties has received a proposal for recognition of the Reptile and Amphibian Practice specialty under the auspices of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. In compliance with American Board of Veterinary Specialties procedures for recognition of a new specialty, comments from the public and profession are being sought regarding the pro-
163
AVIAN AND EXOTIC NEWS
posal. The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners and the organizing committee for the proposed new specialty believe that the diverse and unique veterinary requirements of reptiles and amphibians are substantial enough to warrant separate specialty recognition. The petition further indicates that there are more than 175 current members of the Associa-
tion of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians who would pursue board certification once it was recognized. Comments must be signed and received no later than November 1, 2008, and sent to Beth Sabin, AVMA Education and Research Division, 1931 N. Meacham Rd, Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360 or via email to [email protected].
FLO TSENG, DVM ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DIRECTOR Wildlife Clinic Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine N. Grafton, MA 01536 © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1557-5063/08/1703-$30.00 doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2008.05.001
Association of Avian Veterinarians The 29th Annual Conference and Expo will be held in Savannah, Georgia, from August 9-14, 2008. The Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) has scheduled an aviculture program on Saturday, August 9, which has been structured to appeal to aviculturists, bird enthusiasts, and veterinarians. Practical labs will also be offered by the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians on Saturday, August 9, and by the AAV on Tuesday, August 12. The AAV preconference program will be held on Sunday, August 10, and will focus on the constantly evolving area of avian behavior and enrichment. The main conference opens Monday, August 11, with a keynote address by Dr. Irene Pepperberg in which she will describe the impact of her work with Alex, the African gray parrot, and the future of her research. As always, cutting-edge scientific sessions will follow and give attendees much to discuss and learn. In addition, the conference will also offer various master classes. A special technician program on avian and exotic pets returns to the AAV Conference for the first time in many years. The technician’s program has been developed to increase the knowledge base and skills for those individuals who work at an avian and exotic animal practice. For more
details, see www.conferenceoffice. com/aav.
Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians to Hold Joint Meeting with American Association of Zoo Veterinarians The annual meeting of the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians and American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV) will be held October 11-16, 2008, at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton in Los Angeles, California. The Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians meeting will include instructional laboratories and scientific sessions on topics ranging from diagnostic testing, therapeutics, anesthesia, surgery, and case reports. In addition, there will be master classes covering toxicology and the alimentary canal of reptile species. The AAZV meeting will also include instructional laboratories and workshops as well as conference sessions on infectious disease, conservation medicine, and pathology. The AAZV also sponsors postgraduate and student manuscript competitions as well as a poster session and awards. For more information, see www.arav. org or www.aazv.org.
Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, Vol 17, No 3 ( July), 2008: pp 161–163
Exotic Animal Medicine for the Clinical Practitioner The American Association of Zoo Veterinarians is presenting an indepth 2-day course on exotic, zoo, and wild animal medicine from October 11-12, 2008, at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, Los Angeles, California. Lectures will be geared to the private exotic animal practitioner and are expected to include exotic animal necropsy techniques, critical care, anesthesia, and nutrition with special species focus of primate, exotic felid, and marsupial medicine, as well as basic and advanced avian, aquatic, reptile, amphibian, and small mammal medicine. The class offers 14 hours of continuing education credits sponsored by the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians. Registration began April 15, 2008. For more information, see www.aazv.org.
American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians to Hold Joint Meeting with the Wildlife Disease Association and the Canadian Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians This conference is scheduled to be held at the University of Alberta in
161
162 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from August 3-9, 2008. There will be a preconference workshop on wildlife immobilization and a postconference workshop on chronic wasting disease. During the meeting, there will be a symposium called “Wildlife Health in a Changing North,” which will include lectures on the Ecology of Diseases in the North, Climate Change and Disease in Norwegian Wildlife, and Zoonoses at the Human/Wildlife Interface. For more information, see www.wda.org.
Bird, Reptile, and Small Mammal Diagnostic Endoscopy Course A bird, reptile, and small mammal diagnostic endoscopy course will be held December 5-6, 2008 at the University of Georgia, and is designed to teach theory and practical applications of diagnostic endoscopy when used on birds, reptiles, and small mammal patients. This is a basic to intermediate level course, and there will be a combination of lectures and video presentations pertaining to choice and care of equipment and endoscopy techniques, including biopsy, used in these animals. In addition, there are over 8 hours of practical laboratory time to practice and develop skills on research iguanas and pigeons. See www.georgiacenter. uga.edu/conferences/2008/Dec/ 05/exotic_endoscopy.phtml for more information.
AVIAN AND EXOTIC NEWS
became law in 2004 and has aided the development process of new drugs to treat diseases that affect fish, shrimp, sheep, and goats. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration issued final rules describing procedures for designating a product as a MUMS drug. Incentives for MUMS drugs include 7 years of exclusive marketing rights, as well as eligibility for grants to defray the costs of safety and efficacy testing for these drugs. The first 6 MUMS drugs to receive approval, plus a drug that received conditional approval, were products developed to treat fish or sheep diseases. Examples of therapeutic agents that have been released under the MUMS act are florfenicol for catfish and salmonids, and moxidectin to treat parasite infestations in sheep. New drugs in development under the MUMS guidelines include treatments for hyperadrenocorticism caused by adrenocortical tumors and the prevention of cisplatin-induced anemia in dogs. The Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act is another law that improved the availability of drugs for animals, through the extralable use of animal and human drugs under the guidance of veterinarians.
More Animal Drugs for Minor Uses, Minor Species (J Am Vet Med Assoc News 232(2): 2008)
Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Infections Associated with Exposure to Turtles—United States, 2007 to 2008 (MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 57(03):69-72, 2008)
The Minor Use and Minor Species (MUMS) Animal Health Act
This report describes the results of the epidemiologic and laboratory
investigation conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local health departments during October 2007-January 2008. The findings document an ongoing, multistate outbreak of Salmonella paratyphi B var. java infections, with the first reported illness onset occurring on May 4, 2007. As of January 18, 2008, a total of 103 cases with isolates indistinguishable from the outbreak strain had been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 33 states. Of the 100 patients for whom age information was available, 56% were aged ⱕ 10 years. Among the 78 patients for whom clinical information was available, 65% reported bloody diarrhea with a median duration of illness of 7 days. Among the 80 patients questioned about turtle exposure, 59% reported turtle exposure during the 7 days before illness onset. This report once again emphasizes the risks associated with purchasing small turtles (⬍ 4 inches in length), especially to young children.
Comments Invited on Proposed Reptile and Amphibian Specialty (J Am Vet Med Assoc News 232(5): 2008) The American Veterinary Medical Association’s American Board of Veterinary Specialties has received a proposal for recognition of the Reptile and Amphibian Practice specialty under the auspices of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. In compliance with American Board of Veterinary Specialties procedures for recognition of a new specialty, comments from the public and profession are being sought regarding the pro-
163
AVIAN AND EXOTIC NEWS
posal. The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners and the organizing committee for the proposed new specialty believe that the diverse and unique veterinary requirements of reptiles and amphibians are substantial enough to warrant separate specialty recognition. The petition further indicates that there are more than 175 current members of the Associa-
tion of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians who would pursue board certification once it was recognized. Comments must be signed and received no later than November 1, 2008, and sent to Beth Sabin, AVMA Education and Research Division, 1931 N. Meacham Rd, Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360 or via email to [email protected].
FLO TSENG, DVM ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DIRECTOR Wildlife Clinic Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine N. Grafton, MA 01536 © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1557-5063/08/1703-$30.00 doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2008.05.001