Disease Control / ECF / Film and video / Genetics / ILRI / Kenya / Research / Zoonotic Diseases

Driven by technology, (finally) embracing diversity: A geneticist’s views on the evolution of biotech research at ILRI

For the November 2011 ‘liveSTOCK Exchange’ event at ILRI, Steve Kemp, a livestock molecular geneticist, reflects on the evolution of ILRI’s research agenda and the role of biotechnology research in that agenda . . . Steve Kemp first came to the Nairobi campus of the International Livestock research Institute (ILRI) in 1985 when it was … Continue reading

A4NH / Agri-Health / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Bird flu / Directorate / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / Film and video / Human Health / ILRI / Zoonotic Diseases

ILRI scientists put livestock squarely on the (human) health table

For the November 2011 ‘liveSTOCK Exchange’ event at ILRI, Delia Grace will lead a one-hour session on some of the urgent, complex and fascinating issues at the interface of human and animal health … Watch this 3-minute photofilm with commentary by Delia Grace and small-scale butchers and consumers interviewed along Langata Road in Nairobi, Kenya. Dying … Continue reading

Africa / Animal Health / Disease Control / ILRI / Livestock / Opinion piece / Research / Vaccines / West Africa

Priorities for researching livestock diseases in Africa

For the November 2011 ‘liveSTOCK Exchange’ event at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Oumar Diall, of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), reflects on ILRI’s animal health work in West Africa … In past years, most livestock research centered on three pillars: Animal health, animal reproduction and genetics, and animal nutrition. Fewer … Continue reading

Animal Diseases / Cattle / Disease Control / Fish / Fodder / Food Security / Livestock-Water / Pakistan / South Asia

Floods starve and sicken cattle and other livestock in Pakistan

To escape the flooding in Pakistan, spiders create megawebs in trees (photo on Flickr from M1K3Y; more images on the Nej Lon Blog). More than 150,000 cattle have died in Pakistan as a result of the recent flooding, which, just 12 months after the last massive flooding in the country, has washed away fodder resources and … Continue reading

A4NH / Agri-Health / Directorate / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Food Safety / Food Security / Human Health / ILRI / Nutrition / Research / Staff / Zoonotic Diseases

Livestock veterinary research director to head new global research program on agriculture for improved nutrition and health

John McDermott, currently deputy director general-research of the International livestock Research Institute has been appointed head of CGIAR Research Program 4, on Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Health (photo credit: ILRI/Susan MacMillan). Shenggen Fan, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) announced on 6 Sep 2011 that John McDermott has been named … Continue reading

A4NH / Africa / Agri-Health / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / ASF / Disease Control / East Africa / Emerging Diseases / Livestock / Research / Southern Africa / Zoonotic Diseases

Animal health and emerging diseases a focus for CIRAD in East and Southern Africa

The Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD) is a French research center working with developing countries to tackle international agricultural and development issues. It’s recently updated site on it work in East and Southern Africa introduces CIRAD’s activities in the region. ‘Animal health and emerging diseases’ is one of the … Continue reading

Animal Diseases / ASF / Disease Control / ILRI / India / Pigs / South Asia / Vaccines

ILRI finalizing action plan to curb classical swine fever in India’s northeast

A pig on a farm in Nikhekhu Village, Dimapur, Nagaland, India (photo credit: ILRI/Mann). ‘The Nairobi-headquartered International Livestock Research Institute is undertaking a comprehensive study on the mortality of pigs in [India’s] Northeast because of classical swine fever and will suggest effective mechanisms for its prevention and control. ‘The study will focus on Assam, Nagaland … Continue reading

Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Diagnostics / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / Livestock / USA / Zoonotic Diseases

Next generation animal disease screening tools identified by FAZD Center

The US National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense> (FAZD Center) just released the report from its second Agricultural Screening Tools Workshop, entitled: ‘Enhancing Ag Resiliency: The Agricultural Industry Perspective of Utilizing Agricultural Screening Tools’. This joins the report of the first Agricultural Screening Tools Workshop: ‘Defining the Needs and Requirements for Agricultural … Continue reading

Africa / Animal Diseases / Buffalo / Cattle / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Livestock / Wildlife

FAO hosts meeting on buffalo and livestock diseases in Africa

In June 2011, the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD) hosted a meeting on buffalo in Africa. Presentations from the meeting are online, and include: Mapping African buffalo distributions, in relation to livestock disease risk Ecology and social organization of forest buffalo Spatiotemporal dynamics of forage and water resources shape space use … Continue reading

Animal Diseases / Disease Control / Epidemiology / Ethiopia / Event / ILRI

Tufts vets standing proud

Tiny plastic cow figures (image on Flickr by Zoomar). The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University is standing proud this week. Three of their graduates helped eradicate only the second disease ever eradicated from earth. ‘Three Tufts University researchers were praised by the international community for their help in eradicating rinderpest, a disease … Continue reading