The first case of west Nile virus in a horse this year has been reported. The four-year old unvaccinated gelding is recovering at Santa Anita, in Los Angeles County. West Nile virus is not transmissible from horse-to-horse. They contract the disease from infected mosquitoes.  Horse owners are urged to make sure their animals are vaccinated. For more information, please click on this link:  http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/animal_health/wnv_info.html

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=11-046

http://cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=11-045

SACRAMENTO, August 10, 2011 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is administering a treatment program for the Oriental fruit fly in the Westminster area of Orange County. This is the fourth treatment program for this pest underway in Southern California.

Two Oriental fruit flies were detected recently in the community. The treatment program will be carried out over approximately 18 square miles surrounding the sites where the insects were trapped. A map of the treatment area is available at: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/PDEP/treatment/treatment_maps.html

Treatment of the Oriental fruit fly primarily relies upon a process known as “male attractant,” in which workers squirt a small patch of fly attractant mixed with a very small dose of pesticide approximately 8-10 feet off the ground to light poles, street trees and similar surfaces.   Male flies are attracted to the mixture and die after consuming it.

 “Our system to detect invasive species like the Oriental fruit fly is working well, and according to design,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The key is to move quickly and take action before the pests can cause widespread damage.”

The Oriental fruit fly is known to target over 230 different fruit, vegetable and plant commodities.  Damage occurs when the female lays eggs inside the fruit. The eggs hatch into maggots that tunnel through the flesh of the fruit, making it unfit for consumption.

While fruit flies and other pests threaten California’s crops, the vast majority of them are detected in urban and suburban areas.  The most common pathway for these pests to enter the state is by “hitchhiking” in fruits and vegetables brought back illegally by travelers as they return from infested regions around the world. The Oriental fruit fly is widespread throughout much of the mainland of Southern Asia and neighboring islands including Sri Lanka and Taiwan.  It is also found in Hawaii.

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http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=11-044

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is announcing 13 vacancies related to the department’s Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services Branch.  The branch promotes the environmentally safe handling and sound use of fertilizer material through oversight and research.

Six vacancies are available on the Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board. The board oversees the department’s Fertilizing Materials Inspection Program which works to ensure that consumer fertilizing materials are safe, effective and meet the quality guaranteed by the manufacturer. Applicants should hold a current California Fertilizing Materials License or be a representative of a licensed firm.

Seven vacancies are available on the Fertilizer Research and Education Program’s Technical Advisory Subcommittee. This subcommittee reviews and recommends fertilizer research and education projects for funding and implementation to the department’s Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board.

Subcommittee applicants must demonstrate knowledge, technical and scientific expertise in the fields of fertilizing materials, agronomy, plant physiology, production agriculture, principles of experimental research, and environmental issues related to fertilizer material use.

The term of office for advisory board and subcommittee members is three years and members receive no compensation but are entitled to payment of necessary travel expenses. The advisory board and subcommittee are funded entirely through user fees and assessments. The application deadline is August 22, 2011.

Individuals interested in being considered for an appointment should sent a brief resume to Maria Hicks, California Department of Food and Agriculture – FFLDRS Branch, 1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA, 95814 or via e-mail at mhicks@cdfa.ca.gov.  Clearly indicate the advisory board or subcommittee vacancy for which you are applying.

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=11-042

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=11-043

SACRAMENTO, August 5, 2011 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is preparing for a treatment program for the Oriental fruit fly in the Alhambra area of Los Angeles County.

Three Oriental fruit flies were detected recently in the community. The treatment program will be carried out over approximately 20 square miles surrounding the sites where the insects were trapped. A map of the treatment area is available at: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/PDEP/treatment/treatment_maps.html

Treatment of the Oriental fruit fly primarily relies upon a process known as “male attractant,” in which workers squirt a small patch of fly attractant mixed with a very small dose of pesticide approximately 8-10 feet off the ground to light poles, street trees and similar surfaces.   Male flies are attracted to the mixture and die after consuming it.

 “Fruit flies are a serious threat to our state’s crops, and also to our environment and our backyard gardens,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “Fortunately, we have a system in place to detect them quickly and take action before they can cause widespread damage.”

“We urge Californians who travel abroad not to bring back fruits, vegetables, seeds or other prohibited plant material,” Ross said. “Every invasive species we can keep out saves our state money, reduces pesticide use and protects our environment and food supply.”

The Oriental fruit fly is known to target over 230 different fruit, vegetable and plant commodities.  Damage occurs when the female lays eggs inside the fruit. The eggs hatch into maggots that tunnel through the flesh of the fruit, making it unfit for consumption.

While fruit flies and other pests threaten California’s crops, the vast majority of them are detected in urban and suburban areas.  The most common pathway for these pests to enter the state is by “hitchhiking” in fruits and vegetables brought back illegally by travelers as they return from infested regions around the world. The Oriental fruit fly is widespread throughout much of the mainland of Southern Asia and neighboring islands including Sri Lanka and Taiwan.  It is also found in Hawaii.
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What better way to savor the taste of summer than to enjoy delicious California grown watermelon. 

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross

I took this opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of CDFA employees in protecting California agriculture and assisting our farmers and ranchers in producing a safe and secure supply of food.

Last year California growers harvested approximately 11,000 acres of watermelons statewide. Mostly grown in the Central Valley and southern California deserts, this summertime fruit is the most-consumed melon in the United States.  Elizabeth Somer, nutritionist for the National Watermelon Promotion Board, has stated, “ Where else can you get a wealth of nutrition, help keep your heart healthy, stay hydrated, and satisfy a sweet tooth, all for so few calories!”

CDFA Watermelon Day - August 4, 2011

Nutrition is vital for all Californians and the nation. Yesterday, the USDA released food stamp data indicating that once again, food stamp levels rose to a record 45 million people in May.  Improving food access and expanding consumer choice in healthy food options (like watermelon) is key to better health and well being  for individuals across this state. From certified farmers markets accepting  CalFresh EBT payments to donations of farm products to local food banks –farmers support a healthy California.

CDFA Watermelon Day - August 4, 2011

Publisher’s Platform: ‘Dead’ Milk vs. ‘Magic’ Milk
by Bill Marler | Jul 31, 2011

“Dead Milk” 23, “Magic Milk” 202

So, who is winning?

I was asked to talk with Sally Fallon Morrell on the Kojo Nnamdi show on WAMU Public Radio in D.C. last week in what the host determined to be the “Raw Milk Wars.”  The producer who called me said that she had tried to find someone, anyone, in public health to go on the show, but everyone refused. So, she was left with me.

Sally, who has become famous for her pronouncement that raw milk is “magic” was pleasant enough, as were the host and the callers — even my friend Harry. Some of the comments on the WAMU were a bit harsh, but after two decades of being a lawyer, I am more than used to that. I especially warm to the comments by members of the “Teat Party.”

I was struck by a number of things Sally said during the show.  One assertion she said made me think I need to do the experiment she suggested of putting Campylobacter in raw milk, leaving it in the fridge for two days with the bottle cap off and, like magic, the Campylobacter disappears.

I was not at all surprised that she mentioned that between 3% of people in the U.S. consume raw milk — recent CDC’s FoodNet data supports that.  In comparison, 78.5% of people in the survey reported drinking pasteurized milk.  That is about 26 times more people drinking pasteurized milk than raw milk, so wouldn’t you expect most illnesses to be from pasteurized milk since so few people actually drink raw milk? This gets me back to the “Dead Milk” 23, “Magic Milk” 202 score — who is winning?

I have been keeping track of “Outbreaks, Illnesses and Recalls Linked to Raw (Unpasteurized) and Pasteurized Dairy Products, United States since January 1, 2010 – July 30, 2011.”  Here is the breakdown:

Outbreaks
• 18 raw dairy outbreaks with 202 illnesses, 24 hospitalizations, and no deaths (16 fluid raw milk, 2 aged raw milk cheese)
• 1 pasteurized dairy outbreak with 23 illnesses, 2 hospitalizations, and no deaths
• 1 queso fresco Mexican-style cheese outbreak with 5 illnesses and hospitalizations, no deaths
• 3 sporadic illnesses and hospitalizations from illegal Mexican-style cheese, no deaths
Recalls (no illnesses reported)

For the full article and a spirited comments section, please visit http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/07/publishers-platform-dead-milk-vs-magic-milk/

SACRAMENTO, CA, July 28, 2011 – A small insect, native to South America, has been brought to California waterways thanks to its voracious appetite for water hyacinth, an invasive aquatic plant that chokes the sloughs and canals of the San Joaquin/Sacramento River Delta.

Scientists with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) have begun releasing hundreds of water hyacinth plant hoppers in the Delta to reduce infestations of the hearty and troublesome plant. The floating, exotic weed can grow so densely that thick “rafts” of the plants can completely cover a waterway’s surface, preventing access by boats and clogging water intake systems.

“Water hyacinth is a serious problem not just for agriculture and our state’s water supply, but for anyone who appreciates the natural beauty and recreational value of our waterways,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross.  “CDFA’s new biocontrol project will help reduce the impacts of this invasive weed in the Delta.”

Initial releases of 750 water hyacinth plant hoppers were made earlier this month in three locations:  Whiskey Slough in San Joaquin County, Willow Creek in eastern Sacramento County, and Seven Mile Slough in western Sacramento County.  Secondary releases have since been made in Whiskey Slough (1,500 insects) and Willow Creek (3,000 insects).  Scientists hope the plant hoppers will thrive in their new home, eventually resulting in self-sustaining colonies. This project shows CDFA’s ongoing commitment to the principles of integrated pest management – considering physical and biological approaches and using them whenever possible.

Before a biological control agent like the water hyacinth plant hopper can be released in California, the organism must be cleared by both federal and state regulatory officials through an exhaustive analysis that weighs risks. Biological control agents from outside the U.S. are shipped to a domestic quarantine facility where they are subjected to a series of tests. Only those organisms with high specificity to the target weed are approved for use as biological control agents.  The results of the pre-release tests are summarized into a petition requesting permission to release the organism into the field.  Once approved, the permitted biological control organism can be mass-reared to high numbers and released at field sites established by biologists.

The water hyacinth plant hopper, known to scientists as Megamelus scutellaris, is approximately 1/8 inch in length as an adult.  It feeds only on water hyacinth, making it an ideal candidate for release as a biological control agent. The insects feed on water hyacinth leaves by siphoning plant juices into their mouths, much like an aphid on a rose bush.  The damage caused by their feeding kills the small area where their siphons are inserted; high densities of plant hoppers and high levels of feeding can cause whole leaves to wilt and die, reducing the infestation and relieving pressure on the waterways.

Native to the Amazon region of South America, water hyacinth has spread to more than 50 countries on five continents. It was introduced into the United States in 1884 at the Cotton States Exposition in New Orleans when display samples were distributed to visitors and extra plants were released into local waterways. By 1895, water hyacinth had spread across the Southeast and was growing in 40-km-long mats that blocked navigation in the St. Johns River in Florida. Water hyacinth was first reported in California in 1904 in a Yolo County slough.

The California Department of Boating and Waterways leads an ongoing effort to reduce the abundance of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), limit its impact on boaters and keep waterways open.  CDFA’s releases of the water hyacinth plant hopper add another tool to the state’s cooperative effort to manage water hyacinth in the Delta.

Photos of the released plant hoppers are available online at http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/exec/public_affairs/WaterHyacinthBiocontrolInsects.html

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