Dear FDA - Who is Tracking Monensin Contaminated Horse Feed Deaths and Why No Recall Listed?

Email sent to the FDA -  AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov 

Good Morning -

I have some serious concerns about the Monensin contaminated horse feed we are currently seeing throughout many parts of the USA resulting in numerous equine mortalities.

Since the massive pet food recall years ago, what measures have been put into place to track animal deaths by tainted feed?  There were to have been animal death databases and tracking measures put into effect after that recall in 2007 which killed over 30,000 pets.  The only organization to track associated pet deaths at the time was Banfield.  

So far what I'm seeing is:

California: http://www.ratemyhorsepro.com/news/western-milling-knew-about-monensin-contamination-before-horses-deaths-fda.aspx

South Carolina:  http://www.examiner.com/article/three-horses-dead-s-carolina-from-suspected-monensin-poisoning

California and Arizona: http://equusmagazine.com/blog/horse-feed-recall-califohttp://equusmagazine.com/blog/horse-feed-recall-california-arizona-monensin-poisoning-29898

Georgia:  http://eventingnation.com/contaminated-horse-feed-causes-panic-in-georgia/

Florida:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-sick-horses-davie-20141121-story.html

Which claims the parent company is Alltech out of Nicholasville, Kentucky?  http://www.alltech.com/about/locations/north-america/alltech-global-headquarters

It has also caused problems with cattle:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1255593/

Have you tracked this to the source?  http://www.made-in-china.com/products-search/hot-china-products/Monensin_Sodium.html

Have all feed suppliers been notified of this tainted feed? Who has distributed this feed to date - where is the LIST.   Where is your notification system and recall page now?  This is all I am seeing:  http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm

and this:  http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/default.htm

Where are these horse feed recalls viewable?

Please advise.

Thank You,

Vicky VInch

(email sent 23 February 2016 - no response yet.  Left VM 24 February 2016 16:00)  Contacted via Twitter on Feb. 25th.  As of Feb. 26, 2016 - no response.

It's also interesting to note:  Monensin is used extensively in the beef and dairy industries to prevent coccidiosis, increase the production of propionic acid and prevent bloat.  Yet propionic acid is now added to many foods humans consume, most notably wheat and bread products, pizza doughs, etc...  - it is also an antibiotic:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monensin .  Are all these animals that are being fed Monesin labelled as such?

Monensin is a polyether antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces cinnamonensis.^[1] It is widely used in ruminant animal feeds.  

Streptomyces cinnamonensis is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces.^[1][3] Streptomyces cinnamonensis produces monensin A, monensin B,monensin C, monensin D, actithiazic acid.

Streptomycetes are infrequent pathogens, though infections in humans, such as mycetoma, can be caused by S. somaliensis and S. sudanensis, and in plants can be caused by S. caviscabies, S. acidiscabies, S. turgidiscabies and S. scabies.

"Monensin doesn’t just attack a horse’s heart. It affects all skeletal muscle in the body. Muscle cells begin to break down, releasing myoglobin into the blood stream, which, in an unfair irony, is toxic as well, outside the cell. Free myoglobin in the blood causes kidney damage and failure, so those that can make it through the cardiac effects of the toxicity then usually succumb to multiple organ failure as the kidneys and liver try to rid of the body of myoglobin from damaged muscle.

In other words, monensin toxicity in horses stinks. It’s painful, there’s no antidote, and survivors really don’t survive in the best sense of the word. They eventually succumb to the toxicity one way or another." - Dr. Anna O'Brien

And it's fed to the beef, dairy products and poultry for human consumption.

***************
Ok, I do now see one recall here:

Recall -- Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

 

Western Milling LLC Voluntarily Recalls Western Blend Horse Feed, Lot 5251 Due To Potential Monensin Contamination

Contact:
Consumer:
1-559-302-1062

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — September 25, 2015 — GOSHEN, CA — Western Milling announced today that it has voluntarily recalled 50 lb bags of Western Blend horse feed, LOT 5251, manufactured on September 8, 2015. This voluntary recall was initiated by Western Milling after it learned that an ingredient in the feed in question may contain monensin, an ionophore. According to the FDA, clinical signs of ionophore poisoning in horses vary depending on the dosage ingested, but can include poor appetite and feed refusal of the grain product, diarrhea, weakness, rapid heart rate, labored breathing, decreased exercise tolerance, depression, wobbly gait, colic, sweating, recumbency, and sudden death. The first clinical signs are often noted from 12 to 72 hours after ingesting a toxic dose and the clinical signs may linger up to about 8 days. Permanent cardiac damage is possible in horses which showed adverse effects, but then recovered.

The feed subject to this recall was distributed in September, 2015 to stores in California and Arizona. All stores where the bags were sold have been notified. Of the 1,100 bags being recalled, all but 67 bags have already been reclaimed by the company.

Consumers are urged to examine any bags of Western Blend horse feed purchased in September, 2015 to check and see if they have Lot 5251. Any bags with this lot number may be returned to the stores where they were purchased for a full refund.

The voluntary recall comes after notification that several horses who were reported to have consumed the feed being recalled while at the same equine facility have died.

For more information, please call the company at 1-559-302-1062.

****************

I did receive this response via email from: AskOSC AskOSC@fda.hhs.gov 
Fri, Mar 11, 2016 1:39 pm

Dear Sir/Madam:

Thank you for contacting FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). You left a message for us on or around 2/24…we’re not clear on what it was you were inquiring about and we apologize for the delay in responding.

If you’ve found what you needed, already, please disregard our email. If not, please let us know how we might assist you.

Sincerely,

CVM Compliance

This communication does not constitute a written advisory opinion under Title 21 CFR 10.85, but rather is an informal communication under Title 21 CFR 10.85(k) which represents the best judgment of the employee providing it.  This information does not necessarily represent the formal position of FDA, and does not bind or otherwise obligate or commit the agency to the views expressed.

I resent the above info.  Probably too much information.  Today if communication exceeds the limit of a Twitter line it may not compute.

#riphumanity