Southern African centre to monitor infectious diseases affecting humans and animals

Posted on 21 Nov 2009 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) announced that “deadly diseases including plague, Ebola and Rift Valley Fever are being targeted as part of a new multi-million pound international partnership involving African researchers and the RVC as part of the London International Development Centre (LIDC). The Southern African Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance (SACIDS) links medical and … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Livestock

Improving health in an interconnected world

Posted on 20 Nov 2009 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

On November 17, 2009, the One Health Commission held a summit convening leading health science experts across the human, animal and ecosystem disciplines. The One Health Commission Summit aimed to raise awareness of the importance of transcending institutional and disciplinary boundaries to improve health outcomes for all species. During the Summit, the Institute of Medicine … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / East Africa / Livestock

Yemen: Ramping up the fight against screw worm

Posted on 11 Nov 2009 by ILRI Communications • Leave a comment

Yemen’s Agriculture Ministry is boosting efforts to combat the livestock disease screw worm, which is threatening the livelihoods of rural inhabitants, particularly in coastal and central regions, according to ministry officials. Read more … (IRIN) Continue reading →

Animal Diseases / ILRI / Research

Conquering the cattle plague

Posted on 11 Nov 2009 by ILRI Communications • Leave a comment

Peter Roeder and Karl Rich contributed a case study to the IFPRI project ‘Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agricultural Development’ Focused on ‘the global effort to eradicate rinderpest’, the case shows that “concerted effort by national veterinary services in both industrialized and developing countries, aided by international organizations, has brought the once dreaded rinderpest livestock … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / East Africa / Kenya / Research

In Kenya, better cows for better health

Posted on 10 Nov 2009 by ILRI Communications • Leave a comment

A parasite researcher from NYU is hoping to tackle African sleeping sickness in Kenya by creating genetically enhanced cows that cannot catch or transmit the disease. Jayne Raper believes that to truly help people, sometimes you have to start with another species. In this case, cows. Unlike Raper, a parasite researcher at New York University, most … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Animal Diseases / Ethiopia / ILRI / Vaccines

Tufts researchers recognized for eradicating cattle disease

Posted on 8 Nov 2009 by ILRI Communications • Leave a comment

Researchers at Tufts’ Feinstein International Center (FIC) played a leading role in Ethiopia’s successful eradication of a viral disease that kills cattle and destabilized a large group of people dependent on the livestock for survival. The Ethiopian government, along with a team from FIC and the Tufts School of Medicine, in July celebrated the official … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Animal Diseases / Genetics / Pigs / Research

First draft of the pig: Researchers sequence swine genome

Posted on 4 Nov 2009 by ILRI Communications • Leave a comment

A global collaborative has produced a first draft of the genome of a domesticated pig, an achievement that will lead to insights in agriculture, medicine, conservation and evolution. A red-haired Duroc pig from a farm at the University of Illinois will now be among the growing list of domesticated animals that have had their genomes … Continue reading →

Animal Diseases / Zoonotic Diseases

Global animal health initiative: The way forward

Posted on 30 Oct 2009 by ILRI Communications • Leave a comment

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has commissioned Civic Consulting to conduct a study on the Cost of National Prevention Systems for Animal Diseases and Zoonoses in developing and transition countries. The aims of the study are twofold: (a) estimating the “peace time” costs of veterinary services allowing early detection and rapid response to … Continue reading →

Animal Diseases / Livestock / Wildlife

Effort launched to find and control diseases that move between wildlife and people

Posted on 28 Oct 2009 by ILRI Communications • Leave a comment

In hopes of preventing the next global pandemic and a possible death toll into the millions, UC Davis today launches an unprecedented international effort to find and control diseases that move between wildlife and people. Read more … (ScienceDaily) Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / Animal Diseases / Climate Change / Crop-Livestock / Drought / Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / ECF / Environment / Food Security / ILRI / Kenya / Livestock Systems / Pastoralism / Research / Vulnerability

Livestock research addresses issues underlying the pastoral crisis in the Horn of Africa

Posted on 16 Oct 2009 by ILRI Communications • 14 Comments

Things Fall Apart Things have quickly fallen apart in this particular drought in the Horn’s vast drylands because of a toxic mix of underlying factors. Land Use Among the things not being redressed are land-use policies and practices that fail to account for population increases and thus are restricting herders to ever smaller, drier and … Continue reading →