Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1971)
,V„ hi i Page 4 College Station, Texas Wednesday, July 21, 1971 THE BATTALION Entire horse industry affected VEE serious threat, prof says DISCOUNT MEAL COUPON BOOKS ARE (ft SALE AT THE FOOD SERVICES MANAGER'S OFFICE, MSC A veterinarian who worked on the development of a vaccine for Venezuelan Equine Encephalomy elitis (VEE) in 1945 believes the disease is a serious threat to the nation’s $12 billion horse industry. Dr. Fred D. Maurer, associate dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said VEE may be fatal if the infection reaches the brain and spinal cord. He reported VEE was first NOTICE As Of March 1, 1971 I Am No Longer Associated With Nelson Mobile Homes Inc., In College Station. Marvin Durrant Big car insurance dividends? State Farm is now paying eligible Texas policyholders a big 15% dividend on expiring six-month policies. See: U. M. Alexander '40 221 S. Main Bryan Phone: 823-0742 STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY Home Office: Bloomington, Illinois identified as a separate disease in Venezuela in the 1930s and its history has been tragic in South and Central America. The fatal strain struck the United States July 1 at Browns ville. In the past two weeks, Maurer said, an estimated 100 horses have died, another 500 are sick and 34 human cases have been suspected. Texas’ $1 billion horse industry was placed under a statewide quarantine July 13 and a volun tary statewide vaccination pro gram was authorized. Roughly 200,000 of the state’s half-million horse population has received the vaccine. Maurer said the vaccine is being used as quickly as it becomes available to distribution centers throughout the state. An addi tional 200,000-dose shipment will reach the state July 21. The only VEE vaccine avail able is an experimental one de veloped by the U. S. Army at Fort Detrick, Md., and produced under contract by National Drug Laboratories. It is a weakened live virus vac cine attenuated by serial dosage in tissue cultures. The present lot of vaccine is from the 83rd tissue culture passage, so it is desig nated “TC83.” Four Texas A&M faculty mem bers have had extensive experi ence with VEE while doing re search at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and at Fort Det rick. Drs. Maurer and Kenneth Kutt- ler were involved with the devel opment and production of an earlier killed virus vaccine from chick embryos. Dr. Chester Gleis- er was involved with a study of the pathology of VEE in a variety of animal species and Dr. Stewart McConnell with the development of the TC83 vaccine currently in use. In addition, the Institute of Tropical Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M, which Maurer heads and the others are associated with, has had a team of research men in Colombia where they have kept in contact with the prog ress of the disease since 1967. McConnell has also been in volved in the testing of TC83 vaccine in South America in 1967- 68 and 1970. Maurer said the disease nor mally cycles in rodents and mos quitoes, spreading to horses when there is a susceptible population. Man becomes a victim as a result of the high concentration of virus in horses, he explained. Once VEE moves into a non- immune horse population in an area with many mosquitoes, it will tend to spread raidly until all the horses are recovered, im mune or dead. Maurer said without suscep tible horses, the disease will die down and go back to cycling in rodents awaiting a new genera tion of susceptible horses. Or, until mosquitoes are carried or blown by a storm to a susceptible horse population. A tropical storm in 1944 blew infected mosquitoes off shore to the island of Trinidad, where the first human deaths from VEE were identified. In 1962-63, there was an out break in Venezuela and Colombia killing thousands of horses. VEE has been active in Colom bia and Venezuela since 1968, Maurer said, and the present out break came from Equador and Peru in 1969. It spread to Central America and Mexico, with more than 6,000 cases occurring in Southern Mex ico in 1970. June 19 of this year clinical cases were observed 35 miles south of Brownsville. Vaccine was released June 25 on the U. S. side of the border and by July 9 a 13-county quarantine was estab lished on a line south of Corpus Christi to Laredo. The U. S. Department of Agri culture, working with the Texas Animal Health Commission, is responsible for the vaccine dis tribution and quarantine regula tion, Maurer stressed. Last Sunday a five-state man datory vaccination program was announced by the USD A. Maurer said horses develop clinical signs of the disease with in three to eight days after in fection. In non-fatal cases, the i se’s temperature will return to normal in two to four days, bui convalescence is slow. Approximately 50 per cent of infected horses will have central nervous system involvement, and such animals become abnormal in their disposition, posture and behavior, he said. If the disease is fatal, death usually will occur within three to four days after the first clinical signs, Maurer explained. Vet Medicine prof answers questions FAST CASH Pawn Loans On Anything of Value. We Buy 8 Track Tapes - Tape Decks - Guns - Golf Clubs. We Have Exceptional Values In New and Used Guns - Radios - Tapes and Diamonds. TEXAS STATE CREDIT CO. 1014 Texas Ave. — Bryan Weingarten Center THE EXCHANGE STORE WILL BE CLOSED FOR INVENTORY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY JULY 23 AND 24. Knock On Back Door For Emergency Requirements. State-wide distribution of a protective vaccine against the spreading Venezuelan Equine En cephalomyelitis (VEE) was an nounced last Wednesday by Dr. Fred D. Maurer, dean of research at Texas A&M University’s Col lege of Veterinary Medicine. Maurer said vaccine centers will be established throughout the state, beginning with the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Gulf Coast. Local veterinarians will be notified by the State Ani mal Health Commission and all vaccinations will be given by vet erinarians, he reports. Maurer is coordinating the pro gram between Dr. H. Q. Sibley, executive director of the State Animal Health Commission, and the U. S. Department of Agricul ture. Horse owners throughout the state are warned by Dr. Maurer to keep close watch on their stock and report any unusual health conditions to their veterinarian or public health officials. The disease has spread from South America through Mexico into the Lower Rio Grande Val ley. It is now on the Texas coast. Maurer said horses have no natural immunity to the disease. He gave the following report on the most common questions about VEE: Q. What can the horse owner do to protect his horses until the vaccine becomes available in his areas? A. Each horse owner should keep his horses at home, stop all horse movements and avoid contact with other horses. The owner should spray his horses and the premises with a mosquito repellent to protect his animals from mosquito bites. He should contact the local veterinarian and have his horses vaccinated as soon as the vaccine becomes available. Q. Will the vaccine currently used in the United States to pro tect against Western Equine En cephalomyelitis (WEE) and East ern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE) protect against VEE? A. No. These three diseases are caused by immunologically different viruses. A separate vacccine must be used for each disease. Q. Is the vaccine being made available throughout the state safe and effective against VEE? A. Yes. The vaccine available in Texas will protect against this disease provided horses are vac cinated at least 10 days before exposure to the virus. This is an experimental attenuated virus vaccine developed by the U. S. Army for human use, but it has been used with excellent success in some two million horses of South and Central America. As soon as current tests are com pleted, it is expected the vaccine will no longer need to be classi fied as experimental. Q. Since this is a live virus vaccine, do horses show any ad verse reactions to it? A. Reports on the reactions following the vaccination of some 14,000 horses in Southern Texas have shown less than two per cent mild reactions. Q. How soon will horses be protected after vaccination? A. Significant protection will have developed after seven to 10 days. Horses are known to be fully protected after 14 days. Q. Is it safe to vaccinate preg nant mares? A. The vaccination of preg nant mares is not without some risk to the foal. But we know that if the mare becomes infected with the natural disease, there is a 30 to 50 per cent chance that both she and her foal will be lost. So that both mare and foal in an infected area are relatively safer with the vaccine than with out it. Many pregnant mares have been vaccinated with no ill ef fects to the mare or foal. Q. Is it safe to vaccinate foals? A. Foals as young as three weeks of age have been vacci nated with no ill effects. Q. When will the vaccine be come available? A. State and federal authori ties have indicated the vaccine will be made available through out the state as soon as possible starting with the southern coun ties which are at greatest risk. Q. Is the vaccine available to horse owners or only to veteri narians? A. The vaccine will only be available to accredited veterinar ians for several reasons. It is still an experimental vac cine which requires that it be administered by a veterinarian who can determine the condition of the horse before and after use. The vaccine must be used prop erly after reconstitution and kept cold as well as administered in an aseptic manner with fresh sterile equipment for every horse. Officials records must be main tained by the veterinarian who also must get a release signed by the owner. Q. How is VEE transmitted? A. Transmission occurs pri marily through the bite of in fected mosquitoes. Essentially all types of mos quitoes and some biting flies are capable of transmitting the dis ease. Although infrequent, trans mission can also occur from con tact with fluids from infected horses at the height of tempera ture when the concentration of virus is usually highest. ‘Disabled Vet 9 auto tags planned AUSTIN—A new program will provide free 1972 automobile license plates to some disabled veterans, the Texas Highway De partment said last week. The program was set up by an act of the 62nd Legislature. To qualify, an applicant must: —Be a Texas resident; —Be a veteran of the armed THE NEW BAND ALBUM IS HERE! “Big! Brassy! Beautiful!” TEXAS AGGIE BAND IN STEREO/VOLUME II Featuring: Macarenas • Washington Post • Olympia Hippodrome Wall of Brass • The Footlifter • Impact Patton Theme • The Southerner • Somewhere My Love From Tropic to Tropic • Gig ’Em • Aggie War Hymn Stereo Recording 8-Track Cartridge MSC GIFT SHOP forces of the United States; —Have a disability rating of 70 per cent or more; —Be drawing compensation from the federal government as the result of service-connected disability. A qualified veteran is entitled to register one passenger car or light commercial vehicle with a manufacturer’s rated carrying capacity of one ton or less for Highway Department in Austin. As a prerequisite, the veteran’s disability rating must be verified by the Veteran’s Administration or the branch of the armed forces from which he draws his disability compensation. Also, the Texas title to the vehicle must be issued in the name of the veteran. Application forms and instruc tions may be secured from the his own use without paying the prescribed registration fee. There is a statutory fee of $1 which must accompany each application. Specially designed license plates will be issued with the letters “DV” appearing as either a pre fix or suffix to the license num- Texas Highway Department, Mo tor Vehicle Devision, 40th and Jackson Avenue, Austin, Texas 78703. The forms also will be avail able from Motor Vehicle Division district offices in Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Port ber. The words “Disabled Vet” also will appear on the plates. The license plates will not be available until the beginning of the 1972 registration year. The law provides that the disabled veteran must make application by Oct. 1 preceding the registra tion year for which the plates are requested. All Disabled Vet plates will be issued directly from the Motor Vehicle Division of the Texas Arthur, El Paso, Fort Worth, Dallas, Lubbock, Amarillo and Longview, as well as county tax offices; county veteran service officers; American Legion head quarters in Austin and Veterans of Foreign Wars headquarters in Austin.- FOR BEST RESULTS TRY BATTALION CLASSIFIED ROBERT HALSELL TRAVEL SERVICE AIRLINE SCHEDULE INFORMATION FARES AND TICKETS DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL CALL 822-3737 1016 Texas Avenue — Bryan 1 MONDAY EVENIM SPECIAL BROILED SALISBURY STEAK W/SAUTEED ONIOJVS B amj Choice of two vegetables Rolls - Butter Tea or Coffee $0.99 TUESDAY .EVENING] SPECIAL YANKEE BEEF POT ROAST Potato Pancake Choice of One Vegetable Rolls - Butter Tea or Coffee $0.99 [arin Te 1 JA Ma WEDNESDAY EVENING students special CHICKEN FRIED STEAK Marine WITH CREAM GRAVY leads th an infor Rolls - Butter I rial < Tea or Coffee j|comm and officers Choice of |l the 1 any two vegetables l atoon progran $0.99 Course THURSDAY EVENING SPECIAL ITALIAN CANDLELIGHT DINNER ITALIAN SPAGHETTI Served with Spiced Meat Balls & Sauce Parmesan Cheese Tossed Green Salad Choice of Salad Dressing Hot Garlic Bread Tea or Coffee ores s^t n< The 3 liortcoi S< uthwe ige oi rson, 1 The ( ixas 1 ixas P prov: udenti >y See try s itural $0.99 FRIDAY EVENING SPECIAL OCEAN CATFISH FILET Tarter Sauce Cole Slaw Grandma’s Cornbread Rolls - Butter Tea or Coffee and Choice of any two vegetables $0.99 elp Keith at the aidi School i the eir n< “Bec£ Bi SATURDAY SPECIAL NOON AND EVENING TWO TENNESSEE SMOKED-CURED PORK CHOPS WITH SPICED CRAB APPLE Choice of Two Vegetables Rolls - Butter Tea or Coffee $0.99 SUNDAY SPECIAL NOON AND EVENING ROAST TURKEY DINNER Served With Cranberry Sauce Cornbread Dressing Rolls - Butter Tea or Coffee Giblet Gravy and your choice of any two vegetables $0.99 MSC ^ For your protection we purchase meats, fish and poultry from Government inspected plants. ‘Quality First’ 4 hy-; lue, v chool c liforir lid, “a have tganiz Cindj Mn, an bonsoi ay lur Foot two Nor: rd L ood erial Laci ining o Fr< irectc nt n tudei “W St 8:1 A Try k plan smi —