EIGHT - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 20,1998
Equine anemia found in Oregon
Equine infectious anemia is a
blood-borne disease in horses
that veterinary officials in
Oregon would like to stop at the
border. But it is here-confirmed
in 11 cases this year- and now
the focus is on making sure the
problem isn't any larger. That's
why non-vetennanans associated
with horses are being asked to
get involved.
"We suggest that any gathering
of horses at shows, fairs, trail
rides, rodeos-whatever sort of
exhibition of horses takes place
in Oregon- that the management
of those events requires negative
Coggins tests on all horses which
are participating," says Andrew
Clark, state veterinarian with the
Oregon
Department
of
Agriculture.
The Coggins test is the
serologic test approved for
diagnosis of equine infectious
anemia— El A for short. State
and federal officials can't require
testing for horses that travel
within the state even though such
tests are mandatory for interstate
travel of horses.
Cases of EIA are common in
other states, primarily in the
southeastern U.S. In Oregon, an
infected horse may show up once
or twice each year. But 11 cases
is relatively high, according to an
Oregon
Department
of
Agriculture news release.
A
saddle horse from the Warm
Springs
Reservation
tested
positive for EIA last fall. Since
then, 308 horses from the
affected area have been tested
with the 11 coming up positive.
The
original animal
was
discovered because its owner was
taking it out of the state.
"Most of the animals we are
dealing with traveled throughout
Oregon for one reason or another
to the racetrack, rodeo, that kind
of thing," says Barb Progulske,
federal veterinary officer. "We
don't know where these animals
got infected."
Why all the concern over a
virus that doesn't spread all that
quickly?
"It can make a lot of horses sick
and impede their performance,"
says Clark. "It can make the
horse virtually worthless as it
doesn't have much strength or
stamina. Basically the disease
diminishes the worth of the horse
and the value to the owner."
There are essentially three
degrees of EIA infectiousness.
Some horses exposed to the virus
develop acute symptoms and die
within two to three weeks.
Others develop a chronic
condition that is often marked by
lethargy and anorexia. But a
majority of horses with the
disease are called inapparent
carriers, surviving as reservoirs
of the infection. They are the
biggest concern.
"That horse is not showing you
any symptoms at all and nobody
knows the animal is sick," says
Clark. "So no one does anything
to prevent contact with other
horses and that can be a real
problem."
If you know your horse is sick,
chances are the animal is not
going to travel and won't be
exposed to other horses. But the
horse with no symptoms can very
easily be taken to locations
where other horses are gathered,
making it relatively easy for EIA
to be spread by biting insects.
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture's
Animal
Plant
Health
Inspection
Service
(APHIS) writes about the
transmission of EIA in one of its
fact sheets:
"It is most frequently
transmitted between horses in
close proximity by large biting
insects, such as horse flies and
deer flies. The bites from these
flies
stimulate
defensive
movement by the horse, which
often results in an interruption of
the blood
feeding. When
interrupted, the fly is motivated
to complete the feeding as soon
as possible and attacks the same
or a second host and feeds to
repletion. In this manner, any
infective material from the blood
of the first host which is present
on the mouthparts of the insect
can be mechanically transmitted
to the second host."
The disease can also be
transmitted by using one needle
on multiple horses.
Alternatives for an infected
animal are limited. A horse
testing positive is isolated and
retested to make sure.
If
confirmed as having EIA, the
horse is either euthanized, sent to
a slaughterhouse or it can be
quarantined on the premises
away fronacther equine- usually
more than 200 yards away from
other horses or in a screened stall
that will prevent flying insects
We would like to invite Jonas’ friends and family
to an Open House after graduation on May 30th,
635 Hager Street, Heppner.
Come Share With Us At
Willow Creek Baptist Ch urch
Worship Service on Sundays at 11 a.m.
Meeting in the 7th-day Adventist Church
560 North Minor, Heppner
And a big WELCOME to our
new pastor and his wife
Brent and Jennifer Waldrep
from traveling to and from other
hosts.
ODA's
Animal
Health
Laboratory in Salem is geared up
to complete the Coggins Test of
all samples that are provided.
The lab normally completes
about 7200 tests each year for
horses
that
are
traveling
interstate. But since there is no
requirement for testing horses
that never leave Oregon, the
sampling
is
not
truly
representative of the state's horse
industry, said the release.
"You can see how there can be
an m-state reservoir of infection
that has not been disclosed
because horses that never leave
Oregon never get tested," says
Clark.
Tribal officials have been very
forthright and cooperative in this
issue, says.Clark. Even though
the current cases are confined to
the Warm Springs Reservation,
state officials are quick to avoid
pointing any fingers.
"Because the horses that have
tested positive have been
traveling to many places within
the state, we really do not know
where the infection came from,"
says Clark.
The state veterinarian is hopeful
that horse organizations and
exhibition managers will follow
the advice to have participating
horses tested for EIA, even
though it isn't required by law. It
may help answer questions as to
where other areas of infection in
Oregon might exist.
If it is present in other locations,
now would be a good time to
find out. Horse shows, rodeos,
and fairs will arrive soon. So
will the season of flies and biting
insects that can spread the virus
to even more horses in Oregon.
For more information, contact
Dr. Andrew Clark at (503) 986-
4680.
Noxious weeds require attention
As summer approaches,
attention needs to be focused on
controlling the spread of noxious
weeds, says Dave Pranger, with
the Morrow County Weed
Control District.
Noxious weeds are mandated to
be controlled in Morrow County
by the county court and include
the following: Yellow starthistle,
Rush skeletonweed, Scotch
thistle, Dalmation toadflax,
Tansy ragwort, Musk thistle,
Purple
loosestrife
and
Spikeweed.
By law it is the landowners
responsibility to keep these
weeds from going to seed each
Family dynamics workshop planned
Quilt show to be
held at Athena
Athena's first quilt show will
be held on Saturday, May 30,
from noon to 5 p.m. at the
Dudley House and gardens at
50413 Wildhorse road in Athena.
Cost for admission is $3. •
The show is being put on by
the
Caledonian
Games
Association.
For
more
information, call Sue Friese,
chairman, at (541)566-3880.
A variety of quilts will be on
display in the house and in the
garden. Pipers from the Weston-
McEwen High School pipe and
drum will be performing at noon.
Later on a quartet of Athena
musicians will perform.
Refreshments will be offered.
Donations for the "Welcome to
Athena" sign that is being
replaced for the Caledonian
Games will be accepted. The
Caledonian Games will be held
July 11 and 12.
We Print
Business Cards
Gazette-Times
676-9228
Family dynamics and the
creative
development
of
community-based supports will
be the focus of a family
community relations workshop
and symposium beginning on
Friday, May 29, at Pioneer Hall
at Blue Mountain. Community
College.
The goal of the event is to
explore and facilitate supportive,
reciprocal relationships, said a
BMCC news release. Community
partnerships include employers,
daycare
schools,
churches,
service
providers,
social
providers,
professional
organizations, legislators, service
groups and families.
rhe workshop is a collaborative
community effort initiated by
social science department at
BMCC. The partners include:
Head Start of Umatilla Morrow
County,
Umatilla
County
Commission on Children and
Families, Homestead Youth
Lodge, KidSafe, the East
Oregonian, BMCC Phi Theta
Kappa,
BMCC
Associated
Student Government and BMCC
continuing education.
Concurrent workshops will be
held from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. on
topics including substance abuse,
youths at risk, housing resources,
parenting, preventing problem
behaviors, single parenthood,
employers' perspective, disability
issues
and
family-school
relations. All sessions will be
held in Pioneer Hall.
Stephanie Coontz, "one of the
nation's
foremosC’’'" social
historians" will wrap up the first
day with a keynote presentation
at 7 p.m. in the Pioneer Hall
Theater. Among Coontz’ credits
are two books regarding the
American family, "The Way We
Never Were: American Families
and the Nostalgia Trap" and "The
Way We Really Are".
Coontz teaches history and
family studies at Evergreen State
College in Olympia, Wa. She
serves on the advisory board to
the National Family Index of
Family Circle and is a faculty
scholar for the National Faculty.
In 1995 she received the Dale
Richmond Award from the
American Academy of Pediatrics
for
her
"outstanding
contributions to the field of child
development."
On Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1
Where others saw no potential, we see infinite possibilities.
%
So, like you. we’re surrounded
Open spaces can conjure up
contrasting images. Depending
on where you’re coming from,
by unlimited opportunity, in a
place where Iresh air fuels fresh
they can be places where any
thing can happen, or nothing
ideas. We’ve helped people in our
home town seize opportunities for
ever will. We at Klamath First
come from a growing small town.
over 60 years. And while other
institutions are abandoning small
year, says Pranger. Penalties for
noncompliance may include fines
along with the cost of treatment
by the county, he says. State law
also includes the possibility of a
quarantine which would halt the
movement of livestock or other
products such as hay from
entering or leaving the affected
area until it is inspected and
found clean of noxious weed
seed, Pranger added.
The Morrow County Weed
Control District can assist
landowners with identification
and control methods. Those
seeking help or more information
may contact the office at 989-
9502.
towns, we re expanding. We now
have 33 offices in towns through
out the state. Come visit the one
near you today
Together, our
possibilities
are endless.
Klamath
at Federal
p.m., participants will share ideas
on community mobilization and
action planning. Coontz will
open the morning by discussing
community support research.
This will be followed by
preliminary community action
planning.
government
Local
including
representatives,
Nelson,
Senator
David
Representative Bob Jonson,
Mayor Bob Ramig and Tribal
Leader Antone Minthom will
present their perspective on
family-community needs.
The final activity for the day is
the development of action plans
to carry planning strategies
forward.
Other speakers at
the
symposium will include Martha
Miller,
Carondelet/Lourdes
Alcohol/Drug Treatment; Bob
Ehman, attorney; Bob Resner,
Senior and Disabled Services
Division; Glenda Cole, Adult and
Family Services manager; Elisa
Doebler-Irvine,
Homestead
Youth Lodge; Paul Kershisnik,
USDA
Rural
Development
manager;
Cheryl
Price,
Umatilla/Morrow Head Start;
Yvonne Iwasa and Debbie
Skounsen,
Treasure
Valley
Community College; and Wilma
Hepker, Walla Walla College.
Participants who are interested
may receive one college credit
for participating in the workshop.
For more information regarding
course credit or workshop
ipJbrmatioi^XüO^L.the BVJ.ÇC
(Continuing Mucatiôn office at
541/278-5762.
Kathryn Gem
SarahBa
Adam Doherty
College tax
credits now
available
The Taxpayer Relief Act of
1997 created new tax credits for
students (or their parents) who
attend college or vocational
schools in 1998. These credits »
can be claimed on 1998 tax
returns filed in 1999.
"Therefore, as tuition and fees
are paid in 1998, be sure to keep
the records that substantiate the
amounts you paid," said Carol
Michael, Oregon State University
Extension home economist in
Morrow and Umatilla counties.
During the first two years of
college, a scholarship tax credit,
called the HOPE tax credit,
allows parents or students to
deduct 100 percent of the first
$ 1000 of tuition and mandatory
fee expenses, and 50 percent of
the second $ 1000 of tuition and
mandatory fee expenses.
The credit applies to classes
starting on or after January 1,
1998, according to Alice Mills
Morrow, Oregon State University
Extension family economics
specialist.
For education beyond the first
two years of college or
vocational school, the "Lifelong
Learning Credit," available after
July 1, 1998, allows the
deduction of up to 20 percent of
the first $5,000 in tuition and
fees for undergraduate and
graduate school, and for classes
to acquire or improve job skills.
Both credits are phased out for
taxpayers with modified adjusted
gross incomes between $40,000
and $50,000 (between $80,000
and $100,000 for joint filers).
Morrow advises keeping good
records of 1998 expenses for
tuition and fees. As more details
about the tax act become
available, parents, students and
their tax advisors can make
decisions about what credits they
may claim.
We’d be honored.
We make
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