- Author: Devii R. Rao
The Grazing and Prescribed Burning for Fire Safety workshop will be on July 2. Remember to register by Friday, June 26!
During this one-hour virtual meeting, you will hear results from a study investigating how livestock grazing influences fire safety. We will also discuss development of a Prescribed Burn Association in San Benito, Monterey, and Santa Cruz counties. Click here for the flyer.
Date: Thursday, July 2, 2020
Time: 9:00 am to 10:00 am
Location: This will be a virtual meeting. You can join by Zoom or by telephone.
Cost: Free, but registration is required.
Register here: http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=30242 or contact Devii Rao at drorao@ucanr.edu or 831-205-3125. Registration deadline is June 26. I will email you the Zoom/call-in information by June 30.
- Author: Devii R. Rao
Please join us for a virtual meeting to hear results from a study investigating how livestock grazing influences fire safety. We will also discuss development of a Prescribed Burn Association in San Benito, Monterey, and Santa Cruz counties. Click here for the flyer.
Date: Thursday, July 2, 2020
Time: 9:00 am to 10:00 am
Location: This will be a virtual meeting. You can join by Zoom or by telephone.
Cost: Free, but registration is required.
Register here: http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=30242 or contact Devii Rao at drorao@ucanr.edu or 831-205-3125. Once you register, you will receive Zoom/call-in information. Registration deadline is June 26.
This 1-hour workshop will provide updates on two grants related to fire:
- UCCE San Benito County has been conducting research on how much forage/fuels livestock consume in counties across California, and how grazing influences fire safety in the State. We will share results from the study. This research is supported by a grant from the California Cattle Council.
- UCCE San Benito County and the RCD of Monterey County (RCDMC) were recently awarded a CAL FIRE grant to develop a Prescribed Burn Association (PBA). We will discuss next steps to develop a PBA in San Benito, Monterey, and Santa Cruz counties; new collaborative burning and potential research opportunities with CAL FIRE; and working with a burn boss to lead your prescribed burn on private or public land.
Speakers will include Devii Rao (UCCE), Jamie Tuitele-Lewis (RCDMC), Jonathan Pangburn (CAL FIRE), Phil Dye (Prometheus Fire Consulting), and Felix Ratcliff (LD Ford, Consultants in Rangeland Conservation Science).
FireSafetyMeetingFlyer
- Author: Devii R. Rao
County of Monterey is now accepting applications for the following position(s):
Agricultural Inspector/Biologist I/II
Applications are due June 1
Regular Full-Time - $4,059.47 - $6,376.93 Monthly
To view the full job posting for any opening at County of Monterey, click here:
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/montereycounty
Click on a job title to view the complete job posting of any position listed. After you have reviewed the job posting, you can apply for the position by clicking on the 'Apply' button and completing the online application.
- Author: Devii R. Rao
The USDA Farm Service Agency has a full-time temporary position open in the Hollister office located at 2337 Technology Parkway, Suite A. The application deadline was extended to May 22.
The position consists of processing federal program applications plus general office work. This requires computer literacy and competency in math along with excellent communication and organizational skills. Agriculture experience and/or education is a plus.
The USDA Farm Service Agency serves the farmers and ranchers in both San Benito and Santa Clara counties, providing various Farm Program monetary assistance. The successful candidate will acquire valuable skills working in an agricultural office environment and all training is provided.
If you are interested in the position, please click here for information on how to apply.
Temporary position ad 5.01.2020
- Author: Gabriele Ute Maier
Coronaviruses in human and animal health
Gabriele Maier, CE Specialist for Beef Cattle Herd Health and Production
March 30, 2020
Now that we are in the midst of the Covid19 outbreak, you might wonder about how this virus is different from coronaviruses that infect livestock and other animals. Let's try and answer some questions you might have with regards to this topic.
How widespread are coronaviruses?
Disease from coronaviruses is very common in humans and animals. Many species have their own version of coronavirus. In fact, one of the causes of the common cold in people is a coronavirus. What's important to understand is that in general, these viruses stick with a species based on how their surface proteins fit receptors on the cells of their target species, in a lock and key fashion. The reason this novel corononavirus is such a threat is because it is new to our species, there is no immunity to it in the population, it spreads easily, and it can cause severe disease.
What is the source of the novel coronavirus?
SARS-CoV-2, the official name of the new coronavirus, is thought to have jumped from animals to humans. The exact source is still unknown, but, at the moment, the most likely explanation is that it came from bats. You probably remember the SARS outbreak from 2003, which was caused by a similar coronavirus. Bats were found to be the likely source of the virus in the 2003 SARS outbreak, and probably passed it on to other animals that were sold in markets in China, such as the palm civet, a cat-like animal. Along the way the virus underwent mutations and finally was able to infect a new host – humans. Most importantly, it was able to spread from person to person. A similar mechanism was likely at play for this new coronavirus outbreak but with new information coming forward, this idea may change.
How is the novel coronavirus different from coronavirus in cattle?
The good news is that the bovine coronavirus we have in the US belongs to a different strain of coronaviruses than the SARS-CoVs that have jumped to humans during the 2003 SARS and the current Covid19 outbreaks. Bovine coronavirus is a cause of calf diarrhea, winter dysentery in adult cattle and is thought to cause respiratory disease, for example as part of the shipping fever complex. There is no expectation that the novel coronavirus can infect cattle or that the bovine coronavirus that is endemic in the US causes disease in people. There is also no evidence that imported animals or animal products pose a risk for spreading Covid19, according to the CDC. Overall, there is no connection between coronavirus in cattle and SARS-CoV-2.
What about coronaviruses in other animals?
Epidemiologists are often worried about pigs as a mixing vessel for viruses that affect people and animals, e.g. for influenza viruses. Pigs have their own versions of coronaviruses that are the cause of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) and Transmissible Gastroenteritis (TGE). However, just like in cattle, the coronaviruses in pigs are different and there is no evidence that pigs can get infected with SARS-CoV-2 or that they can transmit and spread it.
Should I worry about my pets?
At this time, there are also no reports that pets can get infected with or transmit SARS-CoV-2. However, the CDC cautions to restrict contact with pets while you are sick from Covid19 because there is still a lot we don't know about this new virus.
Would the coronavirus vaccine we have for cattle work in people?
Unfortunately, the corona virus vaccine for cattle would not work for people in the current pandemic because of the difference in strains. In fact, intentional or unintentional injections of animal vaccines in people can have adverse effects such as toxic inflammation or allergic reactions and must be avoided.
Additional resources
It is hard to escape information about Covid19 during this time. While there is a lot of information out there, not everything may be accurate. A reliable and up to date source is the CDC webpage including a page about animals:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html
As time goes by, we may find out more about the source of the virus and other important facts, so check back occasionally for the latest information and recommendations.