Author: Rachel Wood
Study of PRRS in pigs shows the value of breeding for disease resilience
Emerging technologies and new statistical methods offer novel approaches to breed livestock that are resilient to disease, with potential significant cost savings to industry, according to a study published in Genetics Selection Evolution. Improved statistical methods to quantify how animals respond to infection, and to what extent this is controlled by genes that give rise […]
Swine coronavirus shows potential to spread to humans
Research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) has the potential to spread to humans. The researchers report in PNAS that the virus efficiently replicated in human airway and intestinal cells. SADS-CoV emerged from bats and has infected pigs throughout China since it was first […]
Marek’s disease virus hijacks the cholesterol pathways of poultry cells to replicate
A study by scientists from The Pirbright Institute has confirmed that cholesterol production and transport play a crucial role in how Marek’s disease virus (MDV) infects poultry cells. Researchers also found that inhibiting a protein involved in this pathway can reduce virus replication and spread between cells. Researchers in Pirbright’s Avian Immunology Group took an […]
Markers for key health and productivity traits identified in Ethiopian chickens
A study by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), University of Liverpool, the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute and partners of the Centre of Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), has found that birds from two distinct indigenous chicken populations (ecotypes) in Ethiopia share several genetic regions linked to important productivity and disease resistance traits. This […]
Role of the stable fly as a vector of pig pathogens
A Vetmeduni Vienna study investigated stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) from Austrian pig farms for the presence of defined swine pathogens. The findings are published in Microorganisms. The blood-sucking insect is frequently found on farms and has direct and indirect influences on animal health. Direct influences can include restlessness, pain due to biting, stress, loss of […]
Genome study will be used to breed more productive and resilient African cattle
Scientists have discovered a set of detailed genetic markers in African cattle that are associated with valuable traits such as heat and drought-tolerance, the capacity to control inflammation and tick infestations, and resistance to trypanosomiasis. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, emerged from a collaborative effort to sequence the genomes of 172 indigenous cattle by […]
Bovine respiratory syncytial virus: novel mechanism of immune evasion discovered
A study by scientists at The Pirbright Institute has revealed that both bovine and human respiratory syncytial viruses (bRSV and hRSV, respectively) capture a protein that is important for the antiviral response, preventing cells signalling for help from the immune system. bRSV causes respiratory infections in cattle, which can result in severe illness associated with […]
Study identifies potential candidate genes for resistance to Marek’s disease
Scientists have identified genes strongly associated with resistance to Marek’s disease in chickens, providing a large number of potential targets for future therapies or techniques to manage the disease. Findings from the analysis also reveal details about the biology behind susceptibility to Marek’s disease virus (MDV), which could lead to more precise selective breeding strategies. […]
Environmental transmission of foot-and-mouth disease virus
Scientists at The Pirbright Institute and Wageningen Bioveterinary Research have demonstrated that environments contaminated with foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) could potentially infect animals up to 14 days after removing infected cattle, providing evidence that should lead to more effective outbreak containment methods. While FMDV is spread through direct contact between animals, the virus can also […]
Small molecules block PRRSV from infecting pig cells
Researchers at the University of Connecticut have identified compounds that can block porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) from infecting pig cells, creating a promising pathway to an alternative treatment. Their findings are published in Virology Journal. CD163, expressed in pig monocytes and macrophages, is a key receptor for PRRSV infection. The University of […]