Category: News
Study confirms experimental transmission of African swine fever virus through feed
Researchers at Kansas State University are exploring how African swine fever virus (ASFV) could spread in feed and feed ingredients. A study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases details the dose necessary to transmit the ASFV when pigs ingest virus-contaminated feed or liquid. “Although feed and feed ingredients are a less recognized transmission route for African […]
Re-emerged strain of Bluetongue virus remains a threat in Europe
Scientists at The Pirbright Institute have shown that the strain of Bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) currently circulating in France poses a threat to susceptible animals in Europe, despite causing less clinical disease than the original BTV-8 strain responsible for the first UK bluetongue outbreak in 2007. The 2006-2009 European outbreak of BTV-8 was the […]
A single Influenza A virus protein can increase period of infection
Research led by scientists at The Pirbright Institute has shown how an Influenza A virus (IAV) accessory protein, PB1-F2, is able to shut down two pathways of the chicken immune response to increase the length of time the virus can be transmitted. The researchers say that the majority of avian IAV isolates are able to […]
Ministers promote digitalization of agriculture for efficient and sustainable food production
The agriculture ministers of 74 countries attended the 11th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference on the occasion of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) on 19 January 2019 to discuss how digitalization can strengthen the agricultural sector’s economic viability, sustainability, resource conservation, resilience and consumer orientation. The GFFA conference, organized by the German Federal […]
Launch of the ‘One Health Poultry Hub’
The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has announced the launch of the UKRI GCRF One Health Poultry Hub. The RVC is the lead organisation, with partners in Asia, Australia and Europe. Funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), this interdisciplinary Hub will address the need to meet rising demand […]
Cost of PPR vaccination in Ethiopia estimated
A study led by The Pirbright Institute has created the first framework for determining the true cost of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) vaccine campaigns based on case studies in Ethiopia. The new approach to cost estimation is important for the Global Control and Eradication Strategy launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and […]
Limiting the spread of bluetongue in northern Europe
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have used mathematical modelling to identify why the 2007 UK outbreak of bluetongue was smaller than it could have been and to predict the future impact of the disease in northern Europe as the climate warms. A paper published in Scientific Reports suggests that a combination of geographic location, […]
Genetically modified pigs resist infection with Classical swine fever virus
Researchers have developed genetically modified pigs that are protected from Classical swine fever virus (CSFV), according to a study published in PLOS Pathogens by Hongsheng Ouyang of Jilin University, and colleagues. Ouyang and colleagues generated CSFV-resistant pigs by combining the gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas9 with RNA interference (RNAi), a technique that silences gene expression. The researchers […]
EU report on trends and sources of zoonoses
There were only minor fluctuations in reported cases of three main zoonotic diseases in the EU in 2017 compared to 2016. The number of reported cases of salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis has remained stable over the past five years, although listeriosis continues to rise. After several years of decline, salmonellosis cases in the EU have flattened […]
Dogs play a key role in expansion of rabies in rural areas of China
Despite ongoing efforts to control transmission, rabies prevention remains a challenge in many developing countries, especially in rural areas of China where re-emerging rabies is under-reported due to a lack of sustained animal surveillance. Although dogs are known to be the primary reservoir and vector of human rabies in African and Asian countries, the epidemiology […]