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Integration of livestock and wildlife may reduce the abundance of ticks in East Africa

A study, reported in the journal Nature Sustainability, has found that the integration of livestock and wildlife in a large region of central Kenya (Laikipia County) can have ecological benefits, reducing the abundance of ticks and improving forage. “Laikipia County hosts 10 percent of Kenya’s wildlife, but none of the country’s national parks or preserves,” […]

Project aims to boost productivity and health of village chickens

Adopting a more local and flexible approach to sustainable development could be key to improving the productivity of small-scale chicken farms in Ethiopia, according to a study published in Nature Sustainability. The research was led by the University of Liverpool, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, University of Nottingham, the Royal Veterinary College, Wageningen […]

Adaptation of Ugandan cattle to East Coast fever: landscape genomics analysis

Researchers have investigated the genetics of tolerance to theileriosis in indigenous cattle from Uganda. They first produced a map showing the areas of Uganda where the disease is most prevalent. The map is the result of a novel method compiling epidemiological data collected from 823 indigenous cattle along with their location. Using an environmental genomics […]

Lactic acid bacteria from badgers display inhibitory activity to BCG

The use of the human tuberculosis vaccine, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), in badgers has been suggested as a humane and long-term solution to reduce tuberculosis transmission from badgers to cattle. However, experimental studies show variable protection. Among the possibilities for this variation is that the resident gut bacteria may influence the success of oral vaccination in […]

Study traces FMDV escape from Indian subcontinent

The seven different serotypes of Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) can be split further into lineages which normally exist in specific geographical areas or ‘pools’. Over the past five years, the geographical range of a serotype O lineage, named Ind-2001, has dramatically expanded into many countries in Asia and North Africa. Pirbright Institute researchers from the […]

H7N9 and H7N2 highly pathogenic viruses detected in ducks

H7N9 low pathogenic Influenza A viruses emerged in China in 2013 and mutated to highly pathogenic strains in 2017, resulting in human infections and disease in chickens. To control spread, a bivalent H5/H7 inactivated vaccine was introduced in poultry (mainly chickens) in September 2017. Recent findings suggest that the vaccine largely worked, but researchers report […]

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 […]

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 […]