Two new papers on MERS (Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome) coronavirus and camels in Eastern Africa have been published in the science journal ‘Emerging Infectious Diseases’; three of the authors are ILRI scientists. Continue reading
Challenges faced by livestock farmers in tropical developing countries are the focus of a new alliance involving researchers from Scotland and Africa. The new Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health will initially focus on the use of genetic information to improve the health and productivity of farmed animals in tropical climates. Continue reading
Using the Horn of Africa as an example, the maps illustrate different steps in a methodology developed to estimate and map the economic benefits to livestock keepers of controlling a disease (Shaw et al. 2014). Cattle are first assigned to different production systems as shown in Map 1, illustrating for example, where mixed farming is heavily dependent on the use of draft oxen in Ethiopia, areas of Sudan and South Sudan where oxen use is much lower, and the strictly pastoral areas of Somalia and Kenya. Continue reading
A new study reveals conditions linked to the emergence and spread of deadly bird flu and maps the areas of Asia at greatest risk of the spread of the new virus strain. A dangerous strain of avian influenza, H7N9, that’s causing severe illness and deaths in China may be inhabiting a small fraction of its potential range and appears at risk of spreading to other suitable areas of India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, according to a new study published today in the journal Nature Communications. Continue reading
The University of Liverpool has been given funding to start a surveillance program to reduce the incidence of diseases transmitted between people and livestock in western Kenya. The £3.6 million grant will train veterinary and medical technicians to monitor farms, markets and slaughterhouses. They will use a mobile data collection system to generate a comprehensive database of the prevalence and economic impact of these diseases. The information generated will be used to provide evidence for government health policy in the area. Continue reading
A keynote presentation at this mega trends conference was given by Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), which works to relieve poverty and hunger, and to improve human and environmental health, through livestock science in developing countries. Smith spoke on the ‘Evolution of animal production in emerging markets: China, Russia, India, Brazil, Africa.’
This is the second of a two-part article. Part one is here. Continue reading
Last week in Florham Park, New Jersey, Zoetis, the largest animal health provider in the world, hosted a conference on Mega trends in livestock production: The state of animal agriculture 2025–2050. A keynote presentation at this mega trends conference was given by Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), which works to relieve poverty and hunger, and to improve human and environmental health, through livestock science in developing countries. Continue reading
Researchers have received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop anew-generation vaccine for East Coast fever. which could inform malaria and cancer research. Continue reading
ILRI news 