News
OIE calls for increased surveillance of avian influenza
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is urging countries to maintain their surveillance efforts and to continue timely reporting of avian influenza, as outbreaks in poultry and wild birds intensify. Since the beginning of May 2021, outbreaks of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed in more than 40 countries from different regions […]
Deer may be a reservoir host for SARS-CoV-2
Following a USDA study showing that 40% of white-tailed deer in the USA had antibodies against Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), researchers tested the hypothesis that infection and subsequent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 of deer occurs in nature. In a study posted on the pre-print server bioRxiv, yet to be peer-reviewed, a total of […]
Bovine TB: genetic contact tracing could help control outbreaks
The use of genetic contact tracing to identify the source of a bovine tuberculosis (TB) outbreak could signal a new approach in managing the disease, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. In response to a rise in TB rates among wildlife in the eastern part of the county of Cumbria […]
Genotype I African swine fever virus isolated in China
Two non-haemadsorbing genotype I African swine fever virus isolates (HeN/ZZ-P1/21 & SD/DY-I/21) have been discovered in pig farms in Henan & Shandong provinces, China – posing a potential problem for control and prevention of ASF. The emergence of genotype I virus is in addition to the Georgia-07-like genotype II ASFV with high virulence that has been prevalent in China since 2018. The isolation of the strains, including […]
Bovine respiratory disease: study of bacterial outer membrane proteins
Scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are studying outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of bacteria commonly associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) to identify unique proteins that can be used for future interventions against the disease. In a study published in Genome, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center microbiologist Emily […]
Research aims to improve enzootic abortion vaccines
A vaccine being developed against ovine enzootic abortion by scientists at the Moredun Research Institute has shown promising results in laboratory trials, being able to protect against abortion caused by Chlamydia abortus without the risk of causing infection in the animal. The results of the study are published in Vaccines. Ovine enzootic abortion is a […]
Cattle herds tracked to determine risk of disease spread in East Africa
Scientists teamed with farmers from rural areas of Tanzania to track herds of cattle using satellite Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, to better understand how diseases can pass from one herd to another. The results of the study – led by the University of Glasgow and published in Scientific Reports – suggest that targeted interventions […]
Study identifies risk factors for spread of FMDV in Asia
An international project led by scientists in the World Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (WRLFMD) at The Pirbright Institute has tracked the evolution of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) over nearly 20 years to reveal how different factors affect its spread across countries of Western and Southern Asia. In their study, published in Molecular Biology and […]
“Securing our future” – report on the value of veterinary vaccinology
A report published today (18 Sept. 2021) makes a strong case for the UK to increase its investment in veterinary vaccine research, particularly for zoonotic diseases, to ensure we are prepared to respond to emerging threats in the future. The report available here , was commissioned and funded by the British Society for Immunology and […]
Influenza, Still a Major Threat – New International Report on Current Research
The STAR-IDAZ International Research Consortium on Animal Health has published an independent report, (available in the reports section of this website – here) to comprehensively review the research on animal influenza viruses, that has been published in the last five years, including studies on virology, pathogenicity, epidemiology, prevention and control. As well as reviewing recently […]