News
ASFV stability in feed compared at three different storage temperatures
An article published in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases details the length of time African swine fever virus (ASFV) remains stable in feed at different storage temperatures. The study was conducted by a research team led by Megan Niederwerder, Associate Director of the Swine Health Information Center, USA. “Previous estimates of ASFV stability in feed were […]
Genes influence risk for bovine digital dermatitis
Two mutations in the genome of cattle likely cause some animals to be significantly more susceptible to digital dermatitis. The two candidate genes were discovered by an international team of researchers from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the University of Göttingen and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The findings, published in Frontiers in Genetics, could help […]
STAR-IDAZ IRC Newsletter now published
The latest Newsletter on the activities of the STAR-IDAZ IRC is now published. It includes an update on the continued funding that the Secretariat (SIRCAH) has been granted ensuring the support the IRC for another 4.5 years. The newsletter can be found on this site for reading or downloading.
Variation in chicken interferon genes may account for susceptibility/resistance to viral pathogens
A study of different lines of chickens, known to be either more resistant or more susceptible to common poultry viruses, has uncovered dozens of variations in genes with a central role in the chicken immune response to infection. The findings, published in Animal Genetics, may point to genetic variations that determine birds’ response to infection, […]
Does intensive livestock farming increase the risk of pandemics?
It has been suggested that intensive livestock farming may increase the risk of pandemics of zoonotic origin because of long-distance livestock movements, high livestock densities, poor animal health and welfare, low disease resistance and low genetic diversity. However, data on many of these factors are limited. In a paper in Royal Society Open Science, a […]
Rapid on-farm test developed for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus
Researchers at McMaster University (Ontario, Canada) have developed a new form of rapid test to detect porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in pigs that they say can be adapted to test for other pathogens, and in other animals. Their findings are published in the journal Angewandte Chemie. The test, created by biochemist Yingfu Li and […]
Study provides new insight into the immune pathogenesis of FMDV
Researchers at the Pirbright Institute and the Roslin Institute have discovered how foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) interacts with immune cells in lymphoid tissues, helping the virus to persist in animals such as African buffalo. Their findings are reported in PLoS Pathogens. In studies in mice, they found that FMDV binds to follicular dendritic cells, which […]
Influenza Virus Gap Analysis Workshop,
The Influenza Virus Gap Analysis Workshop reviewed the current state of knowledge on animal influenza, the gaps in our knowledge and where future research should be focused. The meeting was held in the light of more than 3000 outbreaks of H5N1 strain of the virus in poultry in dozens of countries, and more than 77 […]
PIG-PARADIGM project aims to reduce the need for antibiotics
Researchers from universities in Denmark, the United States and the Netherlands are collaborating on a project to improve intestinal resilience in developing piglets, with the aim of advancing knowledge on how to prevent bacterial infections and reducing the need for antimicrobials. The 5-year project, called Preventing Infection in the Gut of developing Piglets – and […]
Genetic locus linked to tolerance to East Coast fever
Researchers from the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), Roslin Institute, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the University of Glasgow sought to understand whether regions of the cattle genome might predict the likelihood that an animal can survive East Coast fever, a disease caused by the parasite Theileria parva, transmitted by […]