2009/11/12

H1N1 (Swine) Flu Confirmed in Iowa Cat

H1N1 (Swine) Flu Confirmed in Iowa Cat

Negative stain EM image of the 2009 H1N1 influenza - CDC The Iowa Department of Public Health reported that a cat became ill with H1N1 virus after 3 members of the family became ill with influenza-like symptoms on November 4, 2009. Disease specialists are unsure at this time if this is an isolated case or the start of something new.

Either way, it is important not to panic - washing hands, covering coughs, isolating sick individuals, and visiting the doctor if you are sick are your best defenses against the flu.

Upcoming Meetings

First European Buiatrics Forum - Dec. 1-3, 2009 - Marseille, France. This meeting on Bovine Medicine, with a European audience, will gather experts, practitioners and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry. It will take place every other year with a mission to provide a European Forum for all the Buiatrics experts. The Pharo Palace, will be the setting of all the scientific communications as well as the commercial exhibition. Discover or come back to Provence and Marseille, its old harbour under the protection of the Basilica "Notre Dame de la Garde", its "calanques" (rocky creeks of international fame), and the very famous "bouillabaisse"! Come and plan an active role within the European Buiatrics Forum! Click here for more information.

11th Congress on Equine Medicine and Surgery Geneva - Respiratory System - Dec. 15-17, 2009 - Geneva, Switzerland. The congress in Geneva has become one of the major events for equine practitioners in Europe and is now a well established biennial tradition in December. The theme this year is Respiratory System. On-line registration is now open! For more information, click here. To view the past proceedings of CMCE available in IVIS, click here.

Annual Meeting of the Italian Association of Equine Veterinarians - SIVE - Jan. 29-31, 2010 - Marina di Carrara, Carrara, Italy. The Annual Meeting of the SIVE has developed into a truly international meeting with English as the official language. International attendance is increasing and equine practitioners throughout Europe are encouraged to attend the meeting and enjoy the State-of-the-Art lectures presented by internationally recognized experts. Click here for more information. View the past proceedings of SIVE.

Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners - AAEP. Dec 5 - 9, 2009 - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Mark your calendars and start making plans now to join us in the City of Lights, Las Vegas, Nev., for the AAEP's 55th Annual Convention, Dec. 5-9. Taking place at the fabulous Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino this meeting promises to be the CE event of the year. The AAEP Annual Convention consistently offers the best information for equine practitioners and this year is no exception. The venue will offer great entertainment and plans made early will allow you to take advantage of some great savings. Click here for more information. View the past proceedings of AAEP.

2009/11/05

Weekly Disease Information from OIE

Vol. 22 - No. 45, 5 Nov, 2009

2009/10/29

One Health Commission Summit

The purpose of the One Health Summit is to raise awareness of the importance of enhanced integration of human health, animal health, and ecosystem health sciences and to foster communication and collaboration among the participants to more effectively work to build the One Health model.

• Join experts with varied global One Health expertise from the private and public sectors for thought-provoking discussions on how we can work together to improve the health of people, domestic animals, wildlife, and our ecosystems
• One-half day Summit, from 7:30 AM to 12:00 PM, in the main auditorium of the National Academy of Sciences

Please visit the One Health Commission Summit Website (www.onehealthcommission.org) for more information on this unique and powerful event. It will be updated regularly with the speakers and agenda. You may also register for the One Health Commission Summit at www.onehealthcommission.org/summit.html

2009/10/23

FAO concerned as pig disease jumps from southern Russia to the Baltic

The deadly pig disease African Swine Fever (ASF) has jumped 2,000 kilometres from southern Russia to St Petersburg in north-western Russia.

The latest outbreak was found near the Baltic city on October 20 confirming the worst fears of FAO experts who have been tracking the virus in Georgia and neighbouring countries for several years.

The danger is that ASF - which can not be transmitted to humans - could spread to other regions including the European Union countries, Eastern Europe, the Black Sea basin countries and - in the worst case scenario – central Asia and even China, which has the largest pig population in the world.

2009/10/22

Swine Flu in Iran

A school closed for swine flu in Tehran. One student died.
Swine Flu in Iran reached 1196.

2009/10/10

2009 Ig Nobel Prize for veterinary scientists

The Ig Nobels are awarded since 1991 each October from Oslo and Stockholm and are presented at a ceremony at Harvard for ‘research that makes people laugh as well as think’. The categories awarded are: Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Literature, Mathematics, Medicine, Peace, Physics, Public Health, and Veterinary Medicine.

The 2009 Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded on October 1st and this years winner of the category in Veterinary Medicine were Catherine Bertenshaw [Douglas] and Peter Rowlinson of Newcastle University, UK, for showing that cows who have names give more milk than cows that are nameless. The scientific work had been published under the title "Exploring Stock Managers' Perceptions of the Human-Animal Relationship on Dairy Farms and an Association with Milk Production," Anthrozoos, vol. 22, no. 1, March 2009, pp. 59-69.

Peter Rowlinson attended the ceremony, but Catherine Douglas, a new mother, sent a photo of herself, a cow and her new daughter dressed in a cow suit.

Vets Welcome TB Eradication Group For England Progress Report

Vets have welcomed the publication of the progress report for the Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Group for England (TBEG). The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) are pleased at the consensus arrived at by TBEG (made up of representatives from Defra's Food and Farming Group, Animal Health, the farming industry and the veterinary profession), which recognises the limitations of the measures available to the Group.

2009/10/05

روز دامپزشك بر همه دامپزشكان مبارك باد

Happy Veterinary Day

2009/09/23

recognise Scotland as Officially Tuberculosis Free (OTF)

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) noted Europe's decision to recognise Scotland as Officially Tuberculosis Free (OTF) and warned that Scotland could still be exposed to an increasing risk of disease unless it implemented the most stringent of disease controls.

-->> Congratulation for Scotland

2009/09/22

Safe Food

http://www.vetsweb.com/news/ireland-new-guidelines-on-animal-welfare-460...
A new brochure entitled 'Animal Welfare Guidelines for Managing Acutely Injured Livestock on Farm' was published recently by The Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC). It extensively describes a procedure to manage an injured animal on a farm inclusive of live transport to a slaughterhouse or transport after emergency slaughter on farm.

The booklet provides very clear protocols to be followed by the farmer, the involved veterinary practitioner and the slaughter plant. The protocols specifically apply to healthy animals that had some form of accident on farm and follow European hygiene legislation. Some animals which otherwise would have had to be disposed of as fallen stock, may still provide some economic benefit when following this procedure.

The booklet is available on the FAWAC website or from the FAWAC Secretariat - email FAWAC@agriculture.gov.ie

Alliance for Rabies Control September 2009 newsletter

The Alliance for Rabies Control's September 2009 newsletter is now available on our website at: www.rabiescontrol.net/ARCnewsletter14.pdf

It includes news about our patron Alexander McCall Smith's visit to Tanzania, rabies prevention in travelers, street dog control projects in India, a rapidly evolving virus strain in Arizona, US and updates on the next World Rabies Day to be held on 28th September, amongst other articles.

For the first time we have included hyperlinks in the pdf file. Whilst reading the pdf file you can now click on the links (highlighted by blue text) and access the linked webpages directly. We hope you find it useful.

Deborah Briggs, Executive Director of the Alliance,
and Louise Taylor, newsletter editor

2009/09/07

Hendra virus

More information about Hendra virus is on : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henipavirus

No more Hendra deaths urge vets

Veterinarians around Australia are mourning the death of Alister Rodgers from a Hendra virus infection, and urge governments to immediately increase investment in fighting the deadly disease, says the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA).
“Just 12 months ago we lost friend and colleague Ben Cunneen to Hendra virus, a disease he contracted treating a sick horse, just as Alister did,” said Dr Mark Lawrie, President of the AVA.
“It is absolutely devastating to lose another vet so soon, and we must do everything within our power to stop this from ever happening again.
“All indications are that Hendra is here to stay. It is probable that cases will emerge in states other than Queensland. Governments around Australia need to take this disease seriously right now and invest in measures to address the problem.”
The AVA advocates a three-pronged approach to the Hendra response – education and training in preventive measures, research into a human cure, and better funding for government veterinary responses to outbreaks.
“We need some serious funding for education and training for everyone involved with horses, including owners and veterinarians, about how to lower the risk of falling victim to Hendra.
“Even the most stringent preventive measures are not foolproof, however, and it’s vital that some progress is made immediately on treating the disease once a person has been exposed. We need a massive research effort into the source of the disease, vaccines and rapid onsite tests.
“Our third concern is that Australian government veterinary services have been progressively starved of resources over many years. We need access to quick lab results, and enough government vets to respond to outbreaks of disease wherever they are.
“It’s likely that with greater awareness of the disease, the number of suspected cases will increase. To avoid any more deaths, we need urgent action in all three areas,” Dr Lawrie said.
“We extend the sympathy of veterinarians around the country to Alister’s family, friends and workmates,” Dr Lawrie said.
“Unfortunately this problem is not going away. We hope that answers can be found so that we never have to mourn the loss of another colleague to Hendra.”

2009/09/04

Ideas

Ideas on how veterinary clinics or individual veterinarians can get involved in and support World Rabies Day:

¨ Promote the need for pets to be current on their rabies vaccines in association with World Rabies Day.

¨ Encourage your clients to vaccinate their dogs, cats, ferrets, and any valuable livestock and horses, and advise them on the required frequency of vaccination.

¨ Educate pet owners about responsible pet ownership.

¨ Promote spaying or neutering pets which may decrease undesirable behavior and will prevent them from contributing to the birth of unwanted animals.

¨ Advise clients to not leave garbage or pet food outside, as it may attract wild or stray animals.

¨ Discourage clients from bringing wild animals into their homes and keeping them as pets. This may be against state or local regulations and pose a potential rabies threat.

¨ Distribute materials in your clinics to educate your clients on rabies prevention.

2009/09/03

Map of Countries Planning World Rabies Day Events

World Rabies Day 2009 Featured Event

United Kingdom - Mt. Snowdon Summit Challenge

Researchers from the Rabies and Wildlife Zoonoses group and the Centre for Epidemiology and Risk Analysis at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) left their lab coats behind on August 1 as they followed in the footsteps of Sir Edmund Hillary - not up Mount Everest, but to the top of Mount Snowdon. The challenge they had set themselves was to raise awareness of this year's World Rabies Day on September 28. Click here to read more about this event!

In Peru: What beautiful work! --->>

PERU – Helping to Make Rabies History with Stamps

The first known postal stamp to commemorate the inaugural World Rabies Day was released on July 2, 2009 with an official ceremony during the Annual National Zoonoses Meeting in Lima, Peru. 50,000 stamps were issued at 5.5 PNS value each ($1.75 USD) and will be available until sold out.

The stamp shows the image of a healthy dog and the official WRD logo in Spanish with the picture of a microscopy rabies positive test as the background. The postal use of this commemorative stamp will help spread the word about WRD and will also be an excellent item for stamp collectors around the world.

Weekly Disease Information from OIE

Vol. 22 - No. 36, 3 Sep, 2009

Swine Flu

Swine flu in Iran reached 328 with 2 death.

2009/08/21

Welcome

The lectures will be held at the historic University of Glasgow (Bute Hall). The scientific programme will include presentations on new ideas in oxygenation, pharmacogenetics, future developments in anaesthesia, MAC and other controversies, ethics and veterinary anaesthesia, reptile anaesthesia and analgesia

To complement the Conference, an exciting social programme is planned. As well as the Welcome Reception, the programme is to include a Traditional Soup and Stovies Evening, Scottish Banquet with Ceilidh and an obligatory Scottish Whisky Distillery Tour.

Message from the Chairman of the Organising Committee:

It may be argued that the internet, and advances in international publishing systems have so increased the rate at which a burgeoning volume of information becomes available, that the international congress has become an anachronism. The expense of long distance travel in terms of time and money – as well as environmental costs, further support this view. However, the internet does not readily allow group discussion on contentious topics to be conducted with the conviviality that can only occur when a group of enthusiasts get together in pleasant surroundings, nor does the internet allow old friendships and acquaintances to be renewed in a setting which makes such acquaintances long-lived. Since the first WCVA in Cambridge in 1981, the World Congress of Veterinary Anaesthesiology has contributed considerably to the exchange of ideas and developments in this speciality between people from all backgrounds and with a wide range of interests and ideas. The organisers of the Xth WCVA believe that Scotland is an ideal place for the continued exchange of ideas in veterinary anaesthesia and invite you all to participate. With this in mind, the scientific committee, chaired tirelessly by Sheilah Robinson, have attempted to weave one concept into all the keynote presentations, and that is 'controversy'. The aim is to provoke thought and discussion and increase the appetite and need for further meetings. As usual, there will be an opportunity for those with the latest information to present to an international audience, while the spouses and guests of delegates will be free (well – perhaps under some degree of control) to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of Scotland.

Several factors led to the choice of Glasgow as the venue for the Xth WCVA, not least the enthusiasm, energy and organisational skills of Derek Flaherty and Pat Pawson. These friends and colleagues, in conjunction with Sheilah Robertson, Karen Blissitt, Adam Auckburally and Jules Mansel have organised a meeting that I hope will dispel the notion that the International Congress is a thing of the past.

I look forward to meeting you all in Scotland next year.

2009/08/14

Vol. 22 - No. 34, 20 Aug, 2009

سه نهاد جهاد كشاورزي به وزارت بهداشت مي پيوندد

مخبر كميسيون بهداشت و درمان مجلس شوراي اسلامي گفت: براساس طرح تشكيل وزارت سلامت ، آموزش پزشكي و رفاه نهادهاي سازمان دامپزشكي ، انستيتوپاستور و انستيتو رازي در دولت دهم به وزارت بهداشت ، درمان و آموزش پزشكي مي پيوندد.

دکتر" شاهرخ رامين " روز سه شنبه در گفت و گو با خبرنگار اجتماعي ايرنا افزود: الحاق اين سه نهاد وابسته وزارت جهاد کشاورزي به وزارت بهداشت ، درکميسيونهاي بهداشت و درمان و اجتماعي مجلس شوراي اسلامي به تصويب رسيده است .
وي افزود:اين طرح که بسياري از نمايندگان نيز موافق آن هستند، پس از تعيين اعضاي جديد کابينه دولت براي تصويب نهايي در صحن علني مجلس مطرح مي شود.
وي با بيان اينکه الحاق اين سه نهاد به وزارت بهداشت ، درمان و آموزش پزشکي بسيار کار مناسب و سازماندهي شده است ، اظهار داشت : سازمان دامپزشکي ، انستيتو پاستور و انستيتو رازي در زمينه بهداشت و تهيه واکسن و سرم فعاليت مي کنند و نوع کار آنها مطابقتي با وزارت جهاد کشاورزي ندارند.
رامين در خصوص طرح ادغام وزارت رفاه در وزارت بهداشت ، درمان و آموزش پزشکي نيز گفت: کميسيون بهداشت ملحق شدن بخش بيمه هاي وزارت رفاه به وزارت بهداشت را موافقت کرده اما کميسيون اجتماعي مجلس با اين کار مخالف است .

منبع: خبرگزاري جمهوري اسلامي (ايرنا)

2009/08/07

Weekly Disease Information

Vol. 22 - No. 32, 6 Aug, 2009

2009/07/31

نايب رئيس كميسيون برنامه و بودجه در گفت و گو با خبرگزاري فارس:سازمان دامپزشكي و موسسه سرم‌سازي به وزارت سلامت مي‌پيوندند

نايب رئيس كميسيون برنامه و بودجه مجلس گفت: با تصويب كميسيون بهداشت و درمان مجلس و در صورت تصويب صحن مجلس، سازمان دامپزشكي كشور و موسسه تحقيقاتي واكسن و سرم سازي رازي زير وزارت جديد سلامت ، رفاه و تامين اجتماعي قرار مي‌گيرند.

عليرضا منادي در گفت‌وگو با خبرنگار خبرگزاري فارس، با بيان اين كه يك فوريت طرح ادغام وزارتخانه‌هاي بهداشت، درمان و آموزش پزشكي و رفاه و تامين اجتماعي در كميسيون تخصصي بهداشت و درمان مجلس تصويب شده است، گفت: بر اساس اين طرح سازمان دامپزشكي كشور و موسسه تحقيقاتي و واكسن و سرم‌ساي رازي از زير مجموعه وزارت جهاد كشاورزي جدا شده و به وزارت جديد سلامت منتقل شدند.
نايب رئيس كميسيون برنامه و بودجه مجلس خاطر نشان كرد: پيش از 80 درصد وظايف سازمان دامپزشكي كشور مرتبط با بحث بهداشت جامعه و مسووليت‌هاي وزارت بهداشت است.
نماينده مردم تبريز در مجلس گفت: از هزار و 800 نوع بيماري انسان بيش از 50 درصد يعني 832 بيماري مشترك بين انسان و دام هستند كه منشاء آنها فرآورده‌هاي خام دامي مانند گوشت، شير و فرآورده‌هاي پروتئين دام است.
منادي گفت: بعد از تصويب كميسيون بهداشت و درمان مجلس اين طرح در صحن مجلس مطرح مي‌شود و با توجه به اين كه مخالفت جدي با آن وجود ندارد، پيش بيني مي‌شود در جلسه علني مجلس هم به تصويب برسد.
وي اين ادغام را گام مهمي در جهت اعتلاي سلامت جامعه و توجه به ريشه ايجاد سلامت يعني بحث بهداشت در بخش دام و فرآورده‌هاي دامي دانست و گفت: همچنين اگر انتقال سازمان دامپزشكي به وزارت سلامت مخالفت شود، پيشنهاد مي‌كنيم با توجه به اهميت بهداشت عمومي، وظايف دامپزشكي در زيرمجموعه يك معاونت به طور مستقيم زير نظر رياست جمهور متمركز شود.

اجراي دستورالعمل امتياز بندي صدور و تمديد پروانه‌هاي اشتغال

به گزارش روابط عمومي و امور بين الملل سازمان نظام دامپزشكي ج.ا.ا دستورالعمل امتياز بندي صدور و تمديد پروانه‌هاي اشتغال به امور درماني، بيمارستان، درمانگاه، داروخانه، آزمايشگاه و مراكز مايه كوبي از سوي رئيس سازمان نظام دامپزشكي ج.ا.ا جهت اجراء به شوراي نظام دامپزشكي استانها ابلاغ شد.

بنا بر اين گزارش دستورالعمل فوق شامل امتيازات لازم جهت صدور و يا تمديد پروانه اشتغال ، نحوه توزيع امتيازات، جدول امتيازات عمومي و امتيازات آموزشي جهت صدور پروانه مي‌باشد.

اين گزارش مي‌افزايد: دريافت پروانه فعاليت در شهر تهران نيازمند 200 امتياز ، كلان شهرها 150 امتياز ، مراكز استان‌هاي غير كلان شهر 100 امتياز، شهرستان‌ها 75 امتياز و مناطق محروم 50 امتياز مي‌باشد.
مشاهده دستورالعمل امتياز بندي صدور و تمديد پروانه‌هاي اشتغال

2009/07/30

Swine flu

Number of Swine flu in Iran reached 61.

2009/07/29

Weekly Disease Information

Swine flu in Iran

Swine flu in Iran reached 44.

2009/07/26

Swine flu in iran

Swine flu in iran reached 23.
One internal transition of disease reported.This person given to sickness from his sister came from HAJ

2009/07/25

مرگ گوساله شبیه سازی شده

اولین گوسال شبیه سازی شده بعد 4 روز درگذشت. دومین گوساله شبیه سازی شده هم امروز متولد شد.

2009/07/22

First stimulant cattle in Iran

نخستین گوساله شبیه‌سازی‌شده خاورمیانه با نام بنیانا در دویست و هفتادمین روز دوران بارداری در مجتمع دامپروری نصر اصفهان متولد شد.

Swine flu in Iran reached 16

با تایید قطعی 7 مورد جدید ابتلاء به بیماری آنفلوانزای خوکی ازجانب آزمایشگاه مرکزی ، تعداد مبتلایان به این بیماری به 16 مورد در ایران رسید.

به گزارش باشگاه خبرنگاران، به نقل از روابط عمومی وزارت بهداشت ، درمان و آموزش پزشکی : همه 7 بیمار جدید مبتلا به بیماری آنفلوانزای نوع A از سفر حج عمره به ایران بازگشته اند.

در اجلاس اضطراری وزرای بهداشت منطقه مدیترانه شرقی سازمان جهانی بهداشت که امروز با حضور وزیر بهداشت ایران در مصر برگزار می شود با توجه به شیوع این بیماری در کشورهای منطقه در خصوص اقدامات پیشگیرانه لازم تصمیم گیری خواهد شد.

پیشتر دکتر لنکرانی در نامه ای به رئیس سازمان حج و زیارت ممنوعیت اعزام گروههای پرخطر به حج را اعلام کرده است.

وزارت بهداشت ، درمان و آموزش پزشکی همچنین به منظور پیشگیری از گسترش این بیماری به هموطنان به ویژه کسانی که از سفر حج عمره به کشور بازگشته اند، اکیداً توصیه کرده است که از دست دادن و روبوسی با افراد خودداری کنند.

این وزارتخانه همچنین بر رعایت فاصله با افراد مبتلا تأکید کرده و یادآور شده است که برای پیشگیری از سرایت این بیماری، استفاده از دستمال در هنگام عطسه و شستن دستها پس از تماس با اشیاء فرد مبتلا ضروری است چرا که ویروس این بیماری تا 2 ساعت بر روی اشیاء ، زنده باقی می ماند.

وزارت بهداشت، درمان و آموزش پزشکی با تأکید بر این مطلب که در منطقه مدیترانه شرقی که شامل 22 کشور بوده و 550 میلیون نفر جمعیت دارد، بیش از 700 مورد ابتلا به این بیماری در آن گزارش شده است که خوشبختانه تاکنون هیچ مورد مرگ و میری در این منطقه و از جمله کشور ما (با 16 مورد ابتلا) وجود نداشته است.

Iran’s swine flu cases increase to 9

Iran’s swine flu cases increase to 9: minister
Tehran Times Health Desk

TEHRAN - Health Minister Kamran Baqeri-Lankarani stated here on Tuesday that 9 cases of swine flu have been detected in Iran.

“In addition to the first infected Iranian and the two others who had been announced previously… the disease has been confirmed in 6 others and the number infected (people) has increased to 9,” Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) quoted the minister as saying.

Lankarani added none of the detected cases have been infected in Iran.

The first case was a teenager who lives in the United States and the two others have been Haj pilgrims, he said.

He also stated that all the patients have received full treatments and their health conditions are satisfactory.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the health minister said it has not been decided whether Iranian pilgrims will be allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia for this year’s hajj due to the risk of the spread of swine flu.

He added he will have meetings with the health ministers of the east Mediterranean countries member to the World Health Organization to decide about this year’s hajj.

2009/07/20

Weekly Disease Information

2009/07/14

Discovery Of Ebola In Pigs Raises Concerns

Scientists studying a strain of Ebola virus found in domestic pigs in the Philippines last year suggest that although the particular strain is not one linked to disease in humans its emergence in the human food chain is cause for concern.

The investigation was the work of scientists from the US Department of Agriculture at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines and is published as a paper in the 10 July issue of Science.

Ebola and Marburg viruses belong to the filovirus family, which cause hemorrhagic fever, characterized by bleeding, vomiting and diarrhea, and a 90 per cent death rate.

Outbreaks of infection appear to happen in humans and primates at random, making it very important to locate sources of host organisms that could be acting as potential reservoirs.

Ebola-Reston was found in pigs raised on farms near Manila, the capital of the Philippines after farmers reported high rates of sickness and deaths among their livestock in May 2008. The infected pigs were originally investigated because they were experiencing an unusually severe outbreak of porcine reproductive and respiratory disease syndrome.

Reston is deadly in monkeys but doesn't appear to infect humans: it is the only member of the filovirus family that does not, said the authors, who nevertheless expressed concern that it has emerged in the human food chain.

When they studied isolates of the virus taken from pig samples, the researchers found that they were more divergent from each other than from the original strain isolated in 1989, when Reston was first identified in crab-eating macaques imported to the US from the Philippines (Reston is the place in Virginia where the lab was based that first spotten the new strain).

When you have isolates that are more different from each other than from an original strain, it indicates they have multiple ancestral origins (they did not descend in a neat line from generation to generation). This suggests, said the authors, that the Ebola-Reston isolated from the pigs is a strain that has been around since before 1989 when Reston was first found in the crab-eating macaques.

Although Reston has not been found to cause deadly hemorrhagic fever in humans, when the researchers tested some of the pig farmers they found antibodies to Reston in their blood, suggesting pig-to-human transmission had taken place, even though the farmers showed no symptoms.

The concern is that pig herds could be convenient hosts for Reston to mutate into a form that does cause illness in humans, and also, if pigs can be hosts to Reston, as this outbreak reveals, then perhaps they could also be hosts to other Ebola strains that do cause harm to humans.

There are lots of unknowns, a lot more questions than answers, and this is the worry, said the researchers, because pigs are in the human food chain and there is lots of contact between pig herds and humans.

"Discovery of Swine as a Host for the Reston ebolavirus."
Roger W. Barrette, Samia A. Metwally, Jessica M. Rowland, Lizhe Xu, Sherif R. Zaki, Stuart T. Nichol, Pierre E. Rollin, Jonathan S. Towner, Wun-Ju Shieh, Brigid Batten, Tara K. Sealy, Consuelo Carrillo, Karen E. Moran, Alexa J. Bracht, Gregory A. Mayr, Magdalena Sirios-Cruz, Davinio P. Catbagan, Elizabeth A. Lautner, Thomas G. Ksiazek, William R. White, and Michael T. McIntosh.
Science 10 July 2009 325: 204- 206.
DOI: 10.1126/science.1172705

Sources: CDC, Science.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

When A Dog Bites

A pet bites a child, and the owner is faced with an excruciating decision: Is it safe to keep this dog?

For some, the answer is "no," and it's a decision reached more from the gut than from calm contemplation. But is that the right call to make? According to veterinarian Margaret Duxbury, not without a visit to the veterinarian.

"Given the important role dogs play in families and in critical social relationships for some people, aggressive dogs should not be euthanized unnecessarily," said Duxbury, a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behavior. "As caring professionals, veterinarians should take the time to establish an accurate behavioral diagnosis that allows them to evaluate the expected clinical course and specific risk factors for that problem."

Any dog may bite, given the right - or wrong - circumstances, Duxbury said.

"There are many case examples where simply improving the owner's ability to understand, read and manage their dog resolves or sufficiently reduces the problem," she said.

Duxbury says the bottom line in coming to a decision to keep the dog, turn it over to a shelter or euthanize it, is risk.

"A number of specific factors can be used to evaluate the risks posed by a particular dog in a particular household," she says.

Duxbury will share her insights into dog-bite behavior and will dissect the factors that should be taken into account if a dog bites during a program on Saturday, July 11, at the 146th AVMA Annual Convention in Seattle, Wash.

"By evaluating these factors in a standardized way with all patients, practitioners will be better able to compare the aggressive dogs they see and to advise clients in ways that promote informed and realistic decisions," Duxbury said.

Among the factors a veterinarian and a pet owner should consider are size, sex, the context in which the bite took place, bite history, warning signs, household dynamics, the prognosis for improvement and breed.

But Duxbury, like many in the field of animal behavior, warns that any consideration of breed needs to be tempered by the facts.

"Owners often want to simplify the problem they face with their own dog by looking at its breed," she said. "Breed statistics for biting dogs can be misleading because they are gathered from data on reported bites when most bites go unreported, do not include information about the overall popularity of a breed in the area and often rely on untrained witnesses for breed identification. In most cases, a well-managed, socially competent dog presents a lower risk of biting regardless of breed. ... Any dog of any breed can inflict serious or fatal injury."

That's a message that Jane Berkey, president of the Animal Farm Foundation, Inc., also wants to share. Berkey will be presenting a program on dog breed-specific legislation during the Convention on Monday, July 13.

"Veterinarians, their clients and their clients' pets in 300 cities and towns in the United States live with special burdens and added costs because of ordinances banning or restricting dogs of one or more breeds and breed mixes," Berkey said. "Thirty-six breeds of dogs and mixes of those breeds have been restricted in various combinations and groupings. These restrictions and bans compromise the human-animal bond and complicate the professional landscape for veterinarians."

Berkey will trace what she calls "demonized" dogs who have been victimized over the years by their reputation. The list includes bloodhounds, German shepherds, Doberman pinschers, Rottweilers and pit-bull type breeds. She calls it an "environment of breed discrimination."

"Focusing on breed or phenotype diverts attention from strategies veterinarians and other animal experts have consistently identified as contributing to humane and safer communities," she said. "There is so much behavioral variability within each breed, and even more within breed mixes, that we cannot reliably predict a dog's behavior or suitability based on breed alone."

Source
American Veterinary Medical Association

2009/06/15

OIE

Alerts

Newcastle disease in Azerbaijan

Equine piroplasmosis in the United States of America

Foot and mouth disease in China (People's Rep. of)

New world screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) in Panama

Infection with Bonamia ostreae in Norway

Foot and mouth disease in Angola

Weekly Disease Information

Vol. 22 - No. 25, 18 Jun, 2009

Influenza A-H1N1

12 June 2009 -- As of 07:00 GMT, 12 June 2009, 74 countries have officially reported 29,669 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 145 deaths.

The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map.

Map of the spread of Influenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths [png 203kb]
As of 07:00 GMT, 12 June 2009

Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)

Country	Cumulative total		Newly confirmed since the last reporting period
	Cases	Deaths	Cases	Deaths
Argentina	343	0	87	0
Australia	1307	0	0	0
Austria	7	0	0	0
Bahamas	1	0	0	0
Bahrain	1	0	0	0
Barbados	3	0	0	0
Belgium	14	0	0	0
Bolivia	5	0	0	0
Brazil	52	0	12	0
Bulgaria	2	0	0	0
Canada	2978	4	532	0
Cayman Islands, UKOT	2	0	0	0
Chile	1694	2	0	0
China	188	0	14	0
Colombia	35	1	0	0
Costa Rica	104	1	0	0
Cuba	6	0	1	0
Cyprus	1	0	0	0
Czech Republic	4	0	0	0
Denmark	11	0	1	0
Dominica	1	0	0	0
Dominican Republic	91	1	0	0
Ecuador	67	0	0	0
Egypt	10	0	0	0
El Salvador	69	0	0	0
Estonia	4	0	0	0
Finland	4	0	0	0
France	73	0	0	0
Germany	95	0	0	0
Greece	7	0	0	0
Guatemala	74	1	14	1
Honduras	89	0	0	0
Hungary	4	0	0	0
Iceland	4	0	1	0
India	9	0	0	0
Ireland	12	0	0	0
Israel	68	0	0	0
Italy	56	0	2	0
Jamaica	11	0	1	0
Japan	549	0	31	0
Korea, Republic of	53	0	0	0
Kuwait	18	0	0	0
Lebanon	8	0	0	0
Luxembourg	1	0	0	0
Malaysia	5	0	0	0
Mexico	6241	108	0	0
Netherlands	35	0	5	0
New Zealand	27	0	4	0
Nicaragua	56	0	11	0
Norway	13	0	0	0
Panama	221	0	0	0
Paraguay	25	0	0	0
Peru	79	0	15	0
Philippines	77	0	0	0
Poland	7	0	0	0
Portugal	2	0	0	0
Romania	11	0	0	0
Russia	3	0	0	0
Saudi Arabia	1	0	0	0
Singapore	18	0	0	0
Slovakia	3	0	0	0
Spain	488	0	131	0
Sweden	19	0	0	0
Switzerland	20	0	0	0
Thailand	8	0	0	0
Trinidad and Tobago	4	0	2	0
Turkey	10	0	0	0
Ukraine	1	0	0	0
United Arab Emirates	1	0	0	0
United Kingdom	822	0	0	0
United States of America	13217	27	0	0
Uruguay	36	0	12	0
Venezuela	25	0	12	0
Viet Nam	23	0	7	0
Grand Total	29669	145	895	1

Chinese Taipei has reported 36 confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) with 0 deaths. Cases from Chinese Taipei are included in the cumulative totals provided in the table above.

2009/11/12

2009/11/05

Vol. 22 - No. 45, 5 Nov, 2009

2009/10/29

2009/10/23

2009/10/22

2009/10/10

2009/10/05

2009/09/23

2009/09/22

2009/09/07

2009/09/04

2009/09/03

Vol. 22 - No. 36, 3 Sep, 2009

2009/08/21

Welcome

Message from the Chairman of the Organising Committee:

2009/08/14

2009/08/07

Vol. 22 - No. 32, 6 Aug, 2009

2009/07/31

2009/07/30

2009/07/29

2009/07/26

2009/07/25

2009/07/22

2009/07/20

2009/07/14

When A Dog Bites

2009/06/15

Weekly Disease Information

Vol. 22 - No. 25, 18 Jun, 2009

Laboratory-confirmed cases of new influenza A(H1N1) as officially reported to WHO by States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005)

Chinese Taipei has reported 36 confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) with 0 deaths. Cases from Chinese Taipei are included in the cumulative totals provided in the table above.

Cumulative and new figures are subject to revision