When the 2009 H1N1 flu virus emerged last April, it triggered the first new pandemic in more than 40 years, producing endless headlines and panic. But, now, some 10 months into the pandemic, the public’s fear has subsided. H1N1 turned out to be relatively weak, and action by global and national health officials has helped … Continue reading
Category Archives: Animal Diseases
Animal Diseases / Disease Control / ECF / ILRI / Livestock / Vaccines
Fresh bid to tame leading livestock killer
Local and international scientists have started the search for an effective and cheaper vaccine to control the spread of East Coast Fever. “This is an important project for us,” Philip Toye, a vaccine developer from International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) said. “The information we expect to generate will greatly increase our understanding of the current … Continue reading
Updated OIE technical disease cards and summaries online
Collaboration among scientists from OIE Reference Laboratories around the world and other relevant experts has led to an updated compilation of 33 technical disease cards, including 32 OIE-listed priority diseases such as foot and mouth disease, highly pathogenic avian influenza, rift valley fever and bluetongue. To make the information contained in some of the cards … Continue reading
Scientists take on global livestock threat to reduce poverty and increase food security
UKP 13 million of new research is being launched today to tackle the significant and growing threat posed by livestock diseases to global food security and livelihoods in developing countries. More than 900 million people in the developing world live below the poverty line in rural areas. Just one animal can meet a whole family’s … Continue reading
Animal Diseases / Disease Control / Epidemiology / Europe / Livestock / UK
Governance of livestock diseases–interactions between epidemiology, politics, economics and law
Infectious disease of livestock remains an important problem, seriously damaging rural economies, producing social disruption and impairing public trust and confidence in government. It can result in animal suffering, and potentially affect the health of humans and wildlife. Livestock disease has generally been seen as a scientific, public health or epidemiological problem, and it has … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Health / Disease Control / Livestock / RVF / Vaccines
Dutch develop new vaccines against upcoming Rift Valley Fever
The Central Veterinary Institute in the Netherlands has developed two candidate vaccines to protect animals (and possible also humans) against the Rift Valley fever virus – a virus that can be deadly for ruminants and tends to be moving from Africa to Europe. Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis that primarily affects animals … Continue reading
Compound found that targets wide range of viruses
Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, UCLA, Harvard University, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and Cornell University have teamed up to develop and test a broad-spectrum antiviral compound capable of stopping a wide range of highly dangerous viruses, including Ebola, HIV, hepatitis C virus, West Nile virus, … Continue reading
Nigeria: swine flu not from pigs, says expert
The media has been accused of sowing confusion among members of the public and in the process causing loss among farmers over the true origin of what it describes as swine flu. The chief veterinary officer in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Joseph Nyager, told THISDAY, that the so-called swine flu … Continue reading
University of Florida’s EPI aims to ‘contain future threats’ of disease
The Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida was officially dedicated Tuesday, with deans from eight colleges manning the scissors for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Within the 80,000-square-foot building, researchers are already at work, preparing for battle against the next wave of infectious diseases that could plague our times. The new facility draws faculty from … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Diseases / Capacity Strengthening / CapDev / Epidemiology / ILRI / Participation / West Africa
Participatory epidemiology training course kicks off in Togo
This week, the Participatory Epidemiology Network for Animal and Public Health (PENAPH) holds a 5-day training course for trainers in Participatory Epidemiology, in Lomé, Togo. The 11 participants were selected from the 29 Participatory Disease Surveillance (PDS) practitioners trained in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo as part of the Early Detection Reporting Surveillance … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 