Category Archives: Animal Diseases

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Disease Control / East Africa / Kenya / Middle East / North Africa / RVF / Somalia / Tanzania / Trade / Value Chains

Economic losses from Rift Valley fever greater than previous documented

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‘Kenya’s livestock farmers were hardest hit as a result of the death of their animals from the Rift Valley fever disease outbreak in 2006/2007, with total economic losses from livestock deaths valued at over 7.6 million US dollars, researchers revealed. ‘According to the researchers at the Market Opportunities Theme of the International Livestock Research Institute … Continue reading →

Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Disease Control / East Africa / Ethiopia / Kenya / Sudan / Tanzania

Veterinary officers meet to strengthen animal disease control in eastern Africa

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Chief veterinary officers and heads of central veterinary laboratories from 10 countries met in Zanzibar from 24 to 26 Aug 2010 to plan how to enhance the preparedness, prevention and management of animal diseases. Participants recommended strengthening regional cooperation and collaboration, particularly with key partners such as the Africa Union/Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources, the World … Continue reading →

Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Asia / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / South Asia / Sri Lanka / Zoonotic Diseases

Mobile-phone–based surveillance of infectious disease in Sri Lanka

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With infectious zoonotic diseases emerging in animals in low- and middle-income countries, surveillance of animal health in these nations is becoming increasingly important for forecasting disease risks to people. A new paper describes a mobile-phone-based surveillance system for animal populations that has been developed and implemented in Sri Lanka. Using this system, field veterinarians reported … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Capacity Strengthening / Central Africa / Disease Control / East Africa / Emerging Diseases / Research / Uganda / Zoonotic Diseases

Makerere-North Dakota to tackle zoonoses and vector-borne diseases in Eastern and Central Africa

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Under a new initiative by the United States Agency for International Development and Higher Education for Development, 11 innovative new partnerships between 22 universities in Africa and the United States have each been awarded up to US$1.1 million to address food security and other issues in Africa. These partnerships will maximize the resources of US … Continue reading →

Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Disease Control / Europe / Food Security / Livestock

Immense demand for disease control in developing countries

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The International Federation for Animal Health–Europe annual conference, held in June 2010 in Brussels, Belgium, was devoted to the role of the animal health industry in the context of the food security challenge in the 21st century. One of the speakers—Baptiste Dungu—highlighted the need for animal disease control in developing countries. Read more … (Vetsweb) Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Products / Kenya / Mozambique / Southern Africa / Trade / Wildlife

Getting wildlife and livestock value-added benefits: Part 2 of interview of veterinarian Steve Osofsky

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. . . If we don’t recognize the importance of both livestock and wildlife, southern Africa is going to lose out. The following excerpts are taken from the second part of a two-part interview with Steve Osofsky, Director of Wildlife Health Policy for the Wildlife Conservation Society. ‘In Botswana, if you want to export beef … Continue reading →

Animal Diseases / Cattle

Could self-vaccinating cattle cut disease?

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[KUALA LUMPUR] Scientists are testing a vaccine that spreads by itself as a solution to a highly infectious buffalo and cattle disease that costs millions of dollars a year. But experts have raised questions about the safety of using such an approach. Haemorrhagic septicaemia is hard to vaccinate against where livestock roam freely, because animals … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Disease Control / East Africa / ECF / Livestock / Tanzania / Vaccines

Official approval for East Coast fever vaccine

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A vaccine against East Coast fever – a disease which kills over 1 million cattle every year – has recently been officially registered in Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi, with Uganda also close to completing registration. This opens the way for private sector companies to take on vaccination delivery as a profit-making business. But how much … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Disease Control / Pastoralism / Southern Africa

Do present ways of controlling foot-and-mouth disease in southern Africa make sense?

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‘The presence of transboundary animal diseases, and the escalating costs of regulation and meeting export standards, is key to the future of livestock production in Africa . . .  and especially meeting the high hopes of the “livestock revolution” . . . . Focusing on the case of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in southern Africa – and … Continue reading →

Bird flu / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / Zoonotic Diseases

USAID and FAO continue joint battle against infectious disease threats

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The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is renewing its support of FAO’s efforts to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and other emerging infectious diseases, the UN agency announced today. USAID’s commitment totals US$26.3 million for the period running from October 2011 to September 2012. The funds will support continuing FAO technical assistance … Continue reading →