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Category: News
The news items published under this category are as follows.
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News: WVA Elects New Leaders
Posted by: JimEdwards on Thursday, July 31, 2008 - 09:10 AM
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 The Presidents' Assembly has elected Dr Tjeerd Jorna as the President to lead the WVA through unitl the 2011 Congress in Capetown.
President Jorna is to be supported by Vice-Presidents Dr Duane Landals (right) from Canada and Dr Faouzi Kechrid (left) from Tunisia.
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News: WVA/OIE World Veterinay Day Award
Posted by: JimEdwards on Thursday, July 31, 2008 - 09:09 AM
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The first joint WVA/OIE award for the best celebration of World Veterinay Day was presented by Dr Bernard Vallat, Director General of the OIE to Dr christopher Wanga, President Kenya Veterinary Association, at the 2008 World Veterinay Congress in Vancouver.
Read more about the Kenya Veterinary Association celebrations.
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News: Incoming president Cook sees more proactive Association
Posted by: JimEdwards on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 - 01:58 PM
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SUPPORTS EASIER IDENTIFICATION OF PETS, FOOD ANIMALS
By R. Scott Nolen
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AVMA is becoming more proactive about addressing veterinary and animal needs, according to Dr. James O. Cook, the 2008-2009 AVMA president.
Shoring up veterinary shortages in rural communities and showing that the AVMA is the "go to" organization on animal welfare issues are among the areas in which the Association is making progress, he said.
Dr. Cook credited his presidential predecessors—Drs. Roger K. Mahr and Hammer—for advancing the AVMA's mission by promoting the one-health initiative and expanding the veterinary workforce.
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News: RCVS launches research into 24-hour cover provision
Posted by: JimEdwards on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 - 01:50 PM
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 The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has launched a research project into the extent to which veterinary surgeons are able to meet its requirement that steps are taken to provide 24-hour emergency cover.
The College’s 24-hour Emergency Cover Working Party (24-7 WP) has been considering the ongoing practicality of the current requirement in the Guide to Professional Conduct, and whether it should remain, be removed, or be amended in some way. The research aims to build a sound evidence base on which a decision can be made.
“Changes in practice profiles and owner demands, health and safety issues, the desire for an improved work-life balance, veterinary and animal density… all these factors affect the ability of veterinary practitioners to meet our 24-7 requirement.
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News: Food Safety Developments Are in the Air
Posted by: JimEdwards on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 - 01:49 PM
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By Laura McGinnis
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An experimental treatment from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) could one day help protect some fresh produce from potentially dangerous microbes such as Salmonella, Listeria and Escherichia coli O157:H7.
The treatment relies on cold plasma, which is generated when some form of concentrated energy--in this case, electricity--is introduced into a gas until free electrons are torn from the gas's atoms.
This plasma-forming process is related to the technology used to create plasma for computer chips. But in addition to increasing conductivity, the process of turning gas into plasma has an antimicrobial effect. The ARS researchers aren't the first to harness this technology for food safety purposes, but their method of production has the potential for increased efficiency and lower costs when applied at a larger scale.
To make plasma, other food safety scientists use gas mixtures that include exotic gases like helium or argon, but the ARS team is using the cheapest gas mixture available: air.
In addition to its economic benefits, air--unlike other gases--doesn't need to be confined to a closed chamber during plasma production. This means that at a pilot scale, this particular method of plasma treatment could be done continuously, on a conveyor belt, which would translate to better efficiency and increased cost savings.
At the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pa., microbiologist Brendan Niemira and engineer Joseph Sites--who are developing the process--exposed Golden Delicious apple samples to various microbial pathogens. Then they treated the samples with plasma.
The scientists observed that any exposure to the plasma resulted in a significant reduction in pathogen numbers without harming the apples. Raising the air flow rate and length of exposure increased the antimicrobial activity.
The research was conducted at a laboratory scale and is still in experimental stages. Future studies will include other types of produce and expand the scale of the plasma-creation process.
This research was published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Food Protection.
ARS is a scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Further reading:
Nonthermal food processing heats up
Pathogen studies could result in safer produce
With a good dunking, just-cut produce stays fresher longer
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News: Celebration of WORLD ZOONOSIS DAY in Nepal
Posted by: JimEdwards on Friday, July 18, 2008 - 09:04 PM
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 The Nepal Veterinary Association and Directorate of Livestock Market Promotion jointly organized a national workshop on “Status and Challenges of Meat Hygiene and Marketing in
Nepal” on the premises of the DLS meeting hall, Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur on July 6 to mark World Zoonosis Day. The purpose of celebrating the Zoonosis Day was to create awareness and seek the responsibility of govt. as well as line agencies to control the zoonotic diseases in Nepal.
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News: Animal Production Officer
Posted by: JimEdwards on Friday, July 18, 2008 - 09:04 PM
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 Please be informed that the announcement for the post of Animal Production Officer (Animal Nutrition and Feeds), Animal Production Officer (Animal Genetic Resources Management, Livestock Development Officer and Food Safety and Consumer Protection Officer are available at the following Internet addresses: http://www.fao.org/VA/vac_en.htm.
To submit an application, complete a Personal History Form, available in MS Word (A4 and letter formats), and send it to the addresses mentioned at the bottom of each vacancy announcement, quoting the vacancy announcement number.
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News: Advanced Registration Closes Monday July 14
Posted by: JimEdwards on Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 04:10 PM
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 If you have not yet registered to attend the 29th World Veterinary Congress, don't miss your chance! Online registration is still open, however, will close on Monday, July 14th.
Register for the Congress on-line now!
You can register for the following items through the online form:
Congress Registration including Accompanying Guests
Social Events & Optional Tours
Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Medicine (CALAM) Wetlab
Visit the Congress website for information on Registration Fees.
Visit the Congress website to view the Final Program.
WET LABS - limited seats still available
Two exciting Wet Labs are being offered in conjunction with the 29th World Veterinary Congress. Both have a limited capacity so don't miss your chance to participate and register today!
www.worldveterinarycongress2008.com
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News: July meeting of BVA Council
Posted by: JimEdwards on Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 04:04 PM
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Emerging Companion Animal Disease, Vets & Veterinary Services, the Veterinary Surgeons Act
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 The agenda for the BVA’s July Council meeting covered a range of matters of interest, not only to BVA members but to the profession as a whole, not least the presentations by BSAVA President Professor Ed Hall on a number of key companion animal issues and that by the new Defra Chief Veterinary Officer, Mr Nigel Gibbens.
Professor Hall's presentation was divided into four categories - animal welfare, veterinary public health, research and pet travel. Under animal welfare, Council heard about suggestions for making legislation relating to dangerous dogs more effective, not least the concept of 'deed not breed' and the opening of the existing exemption list, as well as the lack of progress on both secondary legislation under the Animal Welfare Act and the publication of the Dog and Cat Codes. Insofar as the Act itself was concerned there were still problems vis a vis tail-docking, not least due to differing legislation within the devolved regions.
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News: New President for the RCVS
Posted by: JimEdwards on Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 04:03 PM
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RCVS Day - the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ AGM and Awards Day - saw the investiture of the new President, Mrs Jill Nute, on 4 July 2008, at One Great George Street, London.
Mrs Nute graduated from Liverpool University in 1970 and initially assisted in mixed practice in the Lake District, Droitwich and Leominster. In 1976, she established a mixed practice with her husband Geoff, a fellow Liverpool graduate, in Wadebridge, Cornwall.
Mrs Nute has been an RCVS Council member since 1993, serving on all of its committees. She has chaired many of these committees and additional working parties, including the Advisory and Public Affairs Committees. She served on the Officer team as Treasurer for three years, from 1996-1999, and is currently Chairman of the Practice Standards Group.
Spending several years on the Councils of the British Veterinary Association and the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS), she was elected President of SPVS in 1991.
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News: Veterinary clinic has handled Hendra well
Posted by: JimEdwards on Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 04:03 PM
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The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) applauds the actions of the veterinary hospital at the centre of an outbreak of the Hendra virus in Brisbane.
Four horses have now been confirmed with Hendra infection by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F), and the vets at the clinic are working closely with Biosecurity Queensland to determine how the outbreak occurred.
“The clinic has been following all appropriate precautions from the outset and even placed itself into voluntary quarantine after they notified DPI&F that they suspected an unusual disease outbreak,” said Dr James Gilkerson, President of Equine Veterinarians Australia, a special interest group of the AVA.
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News: Climate change will have strong impact on fisheries
Posted by: JimEdwards on Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 04:03 PM
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Decrease in fisheries production likely – FAO holds scientific symposium
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Temperature and other variations resulting from climate change will have a strong impact on fisheries and aquaculture, with significant food security consequences for certain populations, FAO said this week.
The UN food agency’s note of caution came at the start of a four day scientific symposium on climate change and marine fisheries being held at its Rome headquarters (8-11 July 2008). The event, which involves over 200 experts and policymakers from around the globe, aims to paint a fuller picture of the challenges that climate change poses to marine fisheries and the millions of people who depend on them for food and income.
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News: Healthy Animals
Posted by: JimEdwards on Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 04:03 PM
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 Issue 34, July 2008
Welcome to Healthy Animals, an online compilation of animal health-related research news put out each quarter by the Information Staff of the Agricultural Research Service. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Alternative Feeds Initiative
USDA and NOAA Collaborate to Improve Aquaculture Feed
One of the best ways to get high-quality protein and nutritious omega-3 fatty acids is by eating fish. And fish get them the same way humans do.
Both wild and farmed fish get much of their dietary nutrition by eating fish; wild fish consume them as prey, and farmed fish consume fish meal in pellets. This consumption, however, puts pressure on the wild fish that live in the planet's oceans and waterways, so the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is collaborating with the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to find a solution.
Research Briefs
Save the shellfish! Protecting oysters from burrowing shrimp.
Making a splash New fish research lab opens in Maine.
Great grains New eco-friendly barley makes fabulous forage.
Influenza information Scientists release avian influenza genome sequences.
Cow whisperers Technology could guide cattle on the range.
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News: New on VETS.TV - BVA AWF Discussion Forum 2008 and the Young Vet Network
Posted by: JimEdwards on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 - 04:09 PM
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 Anyone unable to attend the latest in the increasingly popular BVA Animal Welfare Foundation discussion forums, held in May, can now catch up on the presentations on VETS.TV - the new web TV service currently being piloted by BVA - which can be accessed at www.vets.tv.
All the presentations ‘Put your money where your mouth is - can people afford animal welfare in food production’, ‘Designer animals or breeding for welfare’ and ‘Electric aid or shock collar’ as well as the Norman Hayward Fund sponsored session - which included presentations on both the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) and Edinburgh University laminitis studies and the casualty slaughter of sheep - along with the Chair of the BVA:AWF Trustees, Carl Padgett’s summary of the day, are now available online to view at your convenience.
Also new on VETS.TV is an interview with Young Vet Network (YVN) senior graduate BVA Council representative, Louisa Rance who talks about the work of the YVN and how it is helping newly qualified vets with the challenges faced after leaving vet school and a series of videos, courtesy of Farmers Weekly, on Bluetongue - what it is, how it is transmitted, the symptoms and vaccination advice.
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News: One World, One Disease - effects of climate change on animal and human health
Posted by: JimEdwards on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 - 04:09 PM
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Three quarters of emerging human diseases are transmitted from animals. Professor Malcolm Bennett, from the National Centre for Zoonoses Research at the University of Liverpool, reminded delegates of this statistic at the ‘One World, One Disease,’ seminar at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), on 24 June 2008.
It was one of the facts that made the event - which explored the impact of climate change on plant, human and animal health - such an important one.
The event was jointly organised by the RSM and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), and in her welcome address, RSM President Professor Baroness Ilora Finlay of Llandaff suggested that the organisation should really be considered “the Royal Society of Dentists, Medics and Veterinary Surgeons”, as all shared common interests and must work closely together.
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News: Gene therapy improves survival and quality of life of dogs with cancer
Posted by: JimEdwards on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 - 04:08 PM
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 A new gene therapy has helped pet dogs with cancer live longer and could potentially improve the quality of life and survival of people with cancer, said the therapy's developers. The single treatment works by increasing muscle strength and correcting common complications of cancer such as weakness, weight loss and anemia, said principal investigator Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, MD, PhD, researcher, VGX Pharmaceuticals Inc., The Woodlands, Tex. Such complications occur in more than 50 percent of patients with cancer and, along with loss of appetite and fatigue, result in poor quality of life, she said. If cachexia--muscle wasting and severe weight loss--develops, it can prevent cancer-specific therapy from being given and may be a direct cause of death. "With our type of gene therapy," Draghia-Akli said, "we can 'trick' certain types of cells in the body to naturally produce specific hormones." These hormones have a muscle-building, or anabolic, effect.
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News: DNA study unlocks mystery to diverse traits in dogs
Posted by: JimEdwards on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 - 04:08 PM
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Dogs vary in size, shape, color, coat length and behavior more than any other animal and until now, this variance has largely been unexplained. Now, scientists have developed a method to identify the genetic basis for this diversity that may have far-reaching benefits for dogs and their owners. In the cover story of tomorrow's edition of the science journal Genetics, research reveals locations in a dog's DNA that contain genes that scientists believe contribute to differences in body and skull shape, weight, fur color and length -- and possibly even behavior, trainability and longevity. "This exciting breakthrough, made possible by working with leaders in canine genetics, is helping us piece together the canine genome puzzle which will ultimately translate into potential benefit for dogs and their owners," said study co-author Paul G. Jones, PhD, a Mars Veterinary™ genetics researcher at the Waltham® Centre for Pet Nutrition -- part of Mars® Incorporated, a world leader in pet care that has been studying canine genetic science for the past eight years. "By applying this research approach, we may be able to decipher how genes contribute to physical or behavioral traits that affect many breeds."
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News: Pigs prefer three square meals a day
Posted by: JimEdwards on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 - 04:08 PM
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Pigs raised in conventional indoor pens have different feeding patterns from those raised under more natural conditions. Research published today in BioMed Central's open access journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica shows that while pigs in the wild spend much time searching for food and eat little and often, the preferred feeding regime for conventional raised pigs is three meals a day. Lead author, Eva Persson, from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences explains that, "The natural feeding behaviour of pigs is searching for feed by rooting activities throughout the day; self-feeding pigs randomly space their activities and generally consume between ten and twelve meals in an average day. By replicating this pattern in conventional indoor kept pigs, we had hoped they would fare better than those fed the traditional three meals."
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