Category: News
Pathogenic Leptospira strains identified in Uruguay cattle
Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonosis with worldwide distribution. Among many other mammalian species, Leptospira infects cattle, eliciting acute signs in calves, and chronic disease in adult animals often leading to abortions. In South America, beef and dairy export are leading sources of national income. Despite the importance of bovine health, food safety, and bovine-related dissemination […]
Vampire bats carry Bartonella at high rates
Bartonella are globally distributed bacteria that can cause endocarditis in humans and domestic animals. In Latin America, common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) are frequently infected by Bartonella, and their subsistence on blood creates a risk for bacterial transmission from bats to humans and livestock. A study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases by Daniel Becker […]
Countries reaffirm commitment to PPR eradication
Countries renewed their commitment to globally eradicate Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) by 2030 at the global conference: Partnering and investing for a PPR-free world, organised by OIE and FAO and hosted by the European Commission in Brussels, 7 September 2018. At the same time, countries urged resource partners and the development community to contribute […]
FMDV contagion in carrier cattle
Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is believed to be one of the most contagious pathogens of animals in its acute form; however, there is still controversy over whether it is transmissible from asymptomatic, long-term carriers. Despite the lack of evidence for transmission by direct contact with FMDV carrier cattle, there is demonstrable contagion associated with these […]
White-tailed deer are susceptible to Rift Valley fever virus
Although Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) has not reached the United States, a study by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Kansas State University (KSU) shows that white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are highly susceptible to the virus and could serve as a host. Rift Valley fever causes significant economic losses due to death and abortion […]
First complete genome of the biting midge may lead to advances in control of arboviruses
Reseachers at The Pirbright Institute and the European Bioinformatics Institute have generated and built the first complete Culicoides biting midge genome. These flies transmit a range of economically important animal viruses, including Bluetongue virus. “Providing the biting midge genome enables scientists to work out where important genes are located and in some cases what their […]
FAO warns African swine fever may spread in Asia
The rapid onset of African Swine Fever (ASF) in China, and its detection in areas more than one thousand kilometres apart within the country, could mean the virus may spread to other Asian countries anytime, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned. So far, in efforts to control the spread of the disease, […]
Detection of FMDV in milk samples: potential for disease surveillance
Researchers at The Pirbright Institute and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory have shown it could be possible to detect Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in pooled milk samples stored in bulk tanks. The results suggest that milk testing could contribute to disease surveillance both during and after […]
Research aims to lower the cost of IBV vaccine production
Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccines are currently produced in hen’s eggs – a cumbersome and expensive process – because most IBV strains do not grow in cell cultures. In a step towards making vaccine production more efficient and reducing costs, a team led by Dr Erica Bickerton at The Pirbright Institute identified the exact genetic […]
Peste des petits ruminants: model of transmission and elimination in Ethiopia
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is targeted for eradication through mass vaccination campaigns. While an efficacious vaccine exists, the level of PPR virus (PPRV) transmission in animal populations is unknown. By combining the results from a nationwide serological survey with a dynamic model simulating viral spread, researchers have estimated viral transmission potential in Ethiopia, where […]