Category Archives: Animal Diseases

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Directorate / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / ILRI / Nigeria / Zoonotic Diseases

ILRI report says Africa’s veterinary services inadequate to deal with new disease threats

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Nigeria’s Vanguard newspaper reports on warning given by scientists about the insufficient capacity of Africa’s current veterinary services to deal with new disease threats. ‘According to new assessments, reported yesterday at the International Conference on Leveraging Agriculture for Improving Nutrition & Health in New Delhi, India, “Wealthy countries are effectively dealing with livestock diseases, but … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Asia / Directorate / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / ILRI / Latin America / Zoonotic Diseases

Animals, not people, should serve as sentinels of infectious diseases of both–Delia Grace

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A girl shares the entrance to her house with a family of chickens in Oyo State, Nigeria (photo credit: ILRI/Mann). Researchers at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) argue in an opinion piece published yesterday on the Guardian‘s Poverty Matters Blog (11 February 2011) that the best way to reduce the threat of infectious diseases … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Asia / Directorate / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / ILRI / India / Latin America / Research / Zoonotic Diseases

Close the gaps between agriculture, health and nutrition–Indian Prime Minister

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During the inaugural session of an international conference in New Delhi that is closing today, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for greater investments to close the gaps in knowledge of how agriculture, nutrition and health are linked. The conference is organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute. The CGIAR in Action blog reports … Continue reading →

Animal Diseases / Asia / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / Livestock / Southeast Asia / Zoonotic Diseases

South-East Asia still pandemic hotspot, says study

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The next global pandemic is likely to arise in South-East Asia where factors ranging from weak surveillance to the increasing proximity of humans and animals continue to make it vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases, according to experts. The region’s population has soared in the last decade and, together with an increase in livestock production, particularly … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Asia / Directorate / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / ILRI / Latin America / Zoonotic Diseases

Growing number of farm animals spawn new diseases

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From Hong Kong comes this report from MSNBC about research conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). ‘A growing number of livestock, such as cows and pigs, are fuelling new animal epidemics worldwide and posing more severe problems in developing countries as it threatens their food security, according to a report released on Friday. … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Asia / Directorate / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / Latin America / Zoonotic Diseases

ILRI warns of health dangers of global livestock boom

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‘The livestock boom could increase the number of animal plagues while further compromising food security. ‘The Deputy Director General of research at the International Livestock Research Institute – ILRI John McDermott said increasing the numbers of domestic livestock through resource-intensive production methods is increasing animal epidemics around the world. ‘McDermott says the problem is more … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Production / Botswana / Disease Control / Livestock / Southern Africa / Vaccines

Botswana’s cattle industry: an uncertain future despite vaccine breakthrough

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One chief facet of the country’s domestic agriculture industry remains cattle raising (though agriculture and livestock production account for between only 2-4% of GDP, while employing approximately 25% of the country’s labor force) and the export of beef to international markets such as the European Union (EU) and South Africa, although production has admittedly sagged … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Asia / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / ILRI / India / South Asia / Zoonotic Diseases

Of plagues and livestock–The Economist reports on ILRI research at the animal-human interface

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A pig scavenges for food in trash outside a poor household in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (photo credit: ILRI/Mann). The Economist today (10 February 2011) reports on news from the International Livestock Research Institute, being discussed this week at an international conference on agriculture, nutrition and health in New Delhi, India, of the critical need … Continue reading →

Animal Diseases / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / Livestock / Zoonotic Diseases

USAID creates online mapping tool to track animal diseases

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A new online mapping tool will enable scientists and the public to track outbreaks of animal diseases that might jump to humans. The tool, known as Predict, will be at http://www.healthmap.org/predict. Created with a grant from the United States Agency for International Development, it is being produced by experts on human and animal diseases from … Continue reading →

Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Emerging Diseases / Wildlife / Zoonotic Diseases

Changes in wildlife migration could alter disease risk–Science

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Christine Ottery reports in SciDevNet last week (24 January 2011) on a review published in the scientific journal Science (21 January 2011) saying that the risk of animals passing diseases to humans could increase in some areas and decrease in others as people encroach on and disrupt wildlife migration paths. ‘. . . Although there … Continue reading →