News
Intestinal microbiota influences susceptibility to African swine fever
Faecal microbiota transplantation from African warthog to pig improved protection against an attenuated strain of African swine fever virus (ASFV), coinciding with a potent stimulation of mucosal immunity in transplanted animals. This is the conclusion of a study led by researchers from the Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) from the Institut de Recerca […]
Avian influenza viruses can combine two techniques to evade vaccine immunity
A study by researchers at The Pirbright Institute reveals more clues about how avian influenza viruses can evade vaccine immunity, aiding their spread in the field. The findings are published in Emerging Microbes and Infections. Influenza viruses are able to mutate, which can enable them to evade immunity generated by natural infection or vaccination. Influenza […]
Antibody response to PRRSV vaccination may help predict reproductive performance in sows
Measuring antibody response to vaccination against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) could better predict sow reproductive success than common genetic selection strategies, according to research conducted at Iowa State University. The findings are published in Frontiers in Genetics. Genetic selection in purebred herds is the primary strategy the pig industry uses to improve […]
Global Coronavirus Research and Innovation Network: Pre-announcement.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) are requesting proposals to coordinate coronavirus research in the following areas: pathogen biology (including the seasonality, transmission, ecology and evolution of coronaviruses); host response; and effective intervention strategies. The call is open to consortia of academics based internationally, with one UK principal investigator acting as the network director. Principal investigators […]
The future for antiparasitic agents
Antiparasitics acting on endo- or ectoparasites represent the second largest segment of the global animal health market, accounting for 23% of market share. However, relatively few novel antiparasitic agents have been introduced into the market during recent decades. One exception, and a groundbreaking 21st century success story, are the isoxazolines, whose full potential has not […]
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 […]