Weekly Update | Proper disposal of Christmas trees; Pet food recall; New variant strains of SARS-CoV-2
Addis Hunde Bedada

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LOCAL: Protecting Minnesota’s urban and rural trees through proper disposal of Christmas trees

Holiday greenery brings joy and delight; nevertheless, those trees and boughs can bring diseases and invasive species into our landscape, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture warns. Christmas is over, which means thousands of Christmas trees across Minnesota are nearing the end of their usefulness and the department requests the proper disposal of the trees and other decorative greenery.

Elongate hemlock scale is one of the invasive pests of concern. It is a small insect established in the eastern U.S., where many decorative Fraser firs are grown. Feeding damage from this invasive insect can cause the needles of hemlocks, firs, and spruces to yellow and prematurely drop. Also, boxwood blight and Oriental bittersweet, sometimes found on wreaths and centerpieces, can endanger native trees and other landscaping.

Heidi Ringhofer, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency planner, said that solid waste haulers are prohibited from dumping Christmas trees into landfills because they are considered yard waste. Trees are either composted at a high enough temperature to kill invasive species or burned. They’re never mixed with regular household waste. Thus, the state is asking residents to abide by the following guidelines for proper disposal of greenery and trees:

  • Use a curbside tree collection or bring it to a designated drop-off site. 
  • Don’t toss trees and greenery into the backyard woods or residential compost pile, which could allow hitchhiking pests to escape.
  • Be sure to remove all lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments, nails, stands, other non-organic decorative materials, and other materials that are not part of the original tree. 
  • If the city or county does not have an organized pick-up or drop-off, the last resort would be to burn the greens.Always check with local ordinances first and follow them.
  • If the greenery or tree are suspected to be infested with an invasive insect or disease, contact the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Arrest the Pest line at 1-888-545-6684 or [email protected].

In the state of Minnesota, the trees are mostly chipped and made into a mulch or compost which is usually made available, for free, to city or county residents.

​​​​​​MN Pollution Control Agency
​​​​​​Red Lake Nation News
​​​​​​SC Times

NATIONAL: Pet food recall attributed to aflatoxin

After reports of at least 28 dogs that have died and eight that have fallen ill, the United State Food and Drug Administration has recalled certain lots of Sportmix pet food products produced by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc., of Evansville, Indiana. Multiple product samples were tested by the Missouri Department of Agriculture and found to contain very high levels of aflatoxin. The recalled pet foods were distributed nationally to online distributors and retail stores.

Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus, which can grow on corn and other grains used as ingredients in pet food. The toxin could accumulate in the pet’s system as they continue to eat the same food. According to the FDA, high levels of the toxin—which can be present in the food even if there is no visible mold—could lead to illness and death in pets. Pets could show symptoms such as sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, yellowish tint to the eyes, gums, or skin due to liver damage, and diarrhea. Some pets suffer liver damage without showing any symptoms.

Retailers and distributors were informed to immediately pull the recalled lots from their inventory and shelves, and pet owners who have been feeding pets with the recalled products were asked to contact their veterinarians. The FDA also recommended destroying the products in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access them and to wash and sanitize pet food bowls, cups, and storage containers. 

Food Safety News
​​​​​​Daily Mail
​​​​​​FDA

INTERNATIONAL: The new variant strains of SARS-CoV-2 : threatening the world health care systems

A highly contagious new variant of the coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 or B.1.1.7 was discovered recently in the U.K. It continues to spread across the U.S. and around the globe, threatening to further strain overburdened health care systems just as vaccines are rolling out worldwide. As of January 5, at least 33 countries have detected cases of the new variant. Scientists have identified a similar version of the virus (known as 501.V2) in South Africa that shares some of the mutations seen in the British variant, and also appears to infect people more easily.

The variant has a mutation in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein at position 501, where amino acid asparagine (N) has been replaced with tyrosine (Y) increasing the protein’s ability to cling onto and enter human cells. These changes allow the mutation, known as N501Y, to spread 70% faster than earlier versions of the virus, according to British scientists. At this time, there is no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness or increased risk of death.

Researchers believe that the current COVID-19 vaccines will likely protect against the new strain, but data is needed. Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb on January 3 forecasted that the new strain of COVID-19 will account for the majority of cases in the US by March. Consequently, the situation creates more urgency around trying to get vaccines out more quickly. 

According to CNBC’s latest report, health officials in the U.K. would focus on giving more people one COVID-19 vaccine dose, which would likely delay (by up to 12 weeks) their second doses. Likewise, experts in the U.S. are discussing whether or not an approach like this is worth the risks of deviating from the original vaccine schedule.

CDC
USA Today
CNBC
The New York Post

Portrait of Addis Hunde Bedada

Addis Hunde Bedada

Addisalem Hunde Bedada is a veterinary public health resident at the University of Minnesota. Since graduating from Addis Ababa University, Dr. Hunde Bedada has worked as an instructor and researcher at Wollega University, and most recently, as a veterinary drug and feed inspector with the Ethiopian Veterinary Drug and Feed Administration and Control Authority. He is particularly interested in food safety and production systems, antimicrobial resistance, One Health, and zoonotic disease outbreak investigation and prevention. In his free time, Dr. Hunde Bedada can be found reading books, enjoying nature and watching soccer.