Dealing with pinkeye is tough, there are no silver bullet solutions, only sound management and diligence.

(Author: James Rogers, Livestock Specialist)

West Nile Virus 

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito carried encephalitis disease. Mosquitoes are infected when they feed on birds with high levels of WNV in their blood. Wild birds are the most common carriers of this disease and are considered a reservoir. Humans, horses and other animals are considered occasional hosts. WNV was first recorded on the east coast in the United States in 1999 and in Missouri in late 2001 in a wild bird. To date, no infected horses or humans have been diagnosed in Missouri. Across the U.S., mosquitoes, birds, horses and humans are being screened to detect WNV. 

There is no evidence of animal to animal transmission without a mosquito carrier. However, people handling live or dead birds are encouraged to use protection like rubber gloves. Livestock other than horses and poultry do not commonly show symptoms of this illness.

Most humans infected with WNV do not exhibit symptoms. A small number of people develop mild symptoms that include fever, headache, body aches, skin rash and swollen lymph glands. Less than 1% of infected people develop more severe illness that includes meningitis (inflammation of the spinal cord) or encephalitis. The symptoms of these illnesses can include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. Of the few people with encephalitis, a small proportion die. Death is estimated to occur in less than 1 out of 1000. The highest risk is among the elderly and those with weak immune systems. Children are not at a higher risk than adults.

Horses appear to react in much the same way to WNV as humans and most do not exhibit symptoms. Symptoms may be indistinguishable from those produced by other forms of equine encephalitis. The most common signs of WNV infection in U.S. horses have been ataxia, weakness of limbs, recumbency, muscle fasciculation, and death. Fever has been detected in less than one-quarter of all confirmed cases. One in three horses that exhibit symptoms of WNV will die or need to be euthanized.

Reducing exposure to mosquitoes is the best way to prevent infection. The primary way to limit exposure is to eliminate stagnant water sources where most mosquitoes breed. Most mosquitoes identified as carriers are active from dusk till dawn. Stabling horses in the evening, and limiting evening and night activities, may help.

People should take the typical precautions to prevent mosquito bites. Wear clothing that covers as much of the skin as practical when outside. Use a recommended insect repellant like DEET on clothing and exposed skin. Permanone should be used only on clothing allowed to dry before wearing and does not protect exposed skin. Be cautious during the first ever application of DEET to young children. Other repellants may be effective but the length effectiveness is less than DEET or permanone. Limit outside activity from dusk till dawn when mosquitoes are most active.

Taxation Tidbits:  Charitable Contributions Are Not Always Deductible

A gift to a charity is one of the deductions allowed as an itemized deduction on Schedule A. Taxpayers that have greater itemized deductions than the standard deduction may file Schedule A. Some taxpayers, due to their filing status, are not eligible to take the standard deduction and are required to file Schedule A. The deductibility of certain charitable gifts is a common question raised in calculating the itemized expenses.

Giving financial assistance to individuals who are needy or worthy, while the right and good thing to do, is not a deductible contribution for tax purposes. Camouflaging a charitable gift to specific individuals by routing the transfer through a qualifying charitable entity, such as a church, does not make the gift deductible.

Occasionally checks are made payable to the “XYZ Church” with a memo notation “for the John Doe family”. The regulation dealing with this issue is a “no variance rule”: all gifts to specific individuals, directly or indirectly, are not tax deductible. This non-deductibility even applies to gifts made to an individual who provides service to a qualifying charitable entity (i.e. clergy or missionary), if the gifts can be spent as the individual desires, such as for personal expenses.

The important lesson in this example is - the IRS always has the right to consider the beginning and ending tax consequence of a series of transactions - ignoring any superfluous intermediary transactions.

(Author: Parman R. Green, Ag Business Management Specialist)

Staff Farewells

Two of our Central Missouri Agriculture Staff members are leaving us in the next few weeks. Tim Schnakenberg, Agronomy Specialist in Morgan County will be moving to Stone County in mid-July. James Rogers, Livestock Specialist in Benton County will be moving to Oklahoma to work as a Forage Specialist for the Noble Foundation.

Both Tim and James have been valuable members of the agriculture staff in Central Missouri. They have conducted excellent programs and have written many articles for Ag Connections. We will miss them and we wish them well as they move to their new positions.