Get local livestock keepers involved in disease surveillance–ILRI’s John McDermott

Posted on 13 Feb 2011 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

Participants at a conference on ‘Leveraging Agriculture for Human Nutrition and Health’, which has just ended in New Delhi, heard that livestock intensification in developing countries, especially in Africa and Asia, may increase the incidence of epidemics that kill both humans and animals. ‘”The increase in density leads to increased contact between humans and animals—leading … Continue reading →

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

Posted on 13 Feb 2011 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

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

Posted on 12 Feb 2011 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

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

Posted on 12 Feb 2011 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

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 →

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

Posted on 11 Feb 2011 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

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

Posted on 11 Feb 2011 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

‘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 →

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

Changes in wildlife migration could alter disease risk–Science

Posted on 31 Jan 2011 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

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 →

Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Livestock / Southeast Asia

Foot-and-mouth disease in South Korea signals regional risk

Posted on 30 Jan 2011 by ILRI Communications • Leave a comment

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is calling for veterinary and border control authorities in Asia to be on alert for animals showing signs of infection by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), following an unprecedented outbreak of the livestock-affecting sickness in South Korea. Since late November 2010, South Korean authorities have imposed quarantines, initiated a … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Feeding / Animal Health / Animal Production / East Africa / Kenya / Livestock / Livestock Systems

Farm-Africa to launch livestock services franchises in Kenya

Posted on 21 Jan 2011 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

FARM-Africa recently announced that it has received funding to develop the first franchise business model that will establish a chain of new veterinary stores to provide quality, accessible and affordable livestock services including clinical services, veterinary drugs, farm inputs, animal feeds and artificial insemination in Africa. Through a US$5m grant from the Bill & Melinda … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Ethiopia / Livestock / PPR

September 2010 issue of IBAR Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa

Posted on 9 Jan 2011 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • 2 Comments

The Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa publishes articles on original research relevant to animal health and production activities which may lead to the improvement of the livestock industry in Africa and better utilisation of her animal resources. The September 2010 issue is now online; contents include: Pan African Strategy for the Progressive … Continue reading →