Fighting fire with fire: New study shows co-parasitic infections of cattle protect the animals from lethal disease
Agri-Health / Article / Cattle / Central Africa / Disease Control / East Africa / ECF / Epidemiology / Human Health / ILRI / Kenya / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKFISH / Southern Africa / Spotlight

Fighting fire with fire: New study shows co-parasitic infections of cattle protect the animals from lethal disease

A Boran calf and girl in eastern Kenya (photo credit: ILRI/Stevie Mann). A new study of the cattle killer East Coast fever finds a protective process that may also be at work in human malaria: Infections with milder parasites may protect against severe disease. African cattle infected with a lethal parasite that kills one million … Continue reading

Scottish and Kenya scientists in new alliance to improve animal breeding and health in developing countries
Animal Breeding / Animal Diseases / BecA / Biodiversity / Biotechnology / Breeds / Genetics / ILRI / ILRIComms / Kenya / Launch / LiveGene / Spotlight / UK

Scottish and Kenya scientists in new alliance to improve animal breeding and health in developing countries

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

New UK funding for disease surveillance will improve health and farming in Kenya
A4NH / Agri-Health / Brucellosis / Diagnostics / Disease Control / East Africa / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / Geodata / Human Health / ILRI / Kenya / LiveGene / Project / RVF / Spotlight / Zoonotic Diseases

New UK funding for disease surveillance will improve health and farming in Kenya

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

Jimmy Smith on mega trends in livestock production in the world’s emerging markets: Part 2
Animal Diseases / Biotechnology / Directorate / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Environment / Human Health / ILRI / ILRIComms / LiveGene / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock / Spotlight

Jimmy Smith on mega trends in livestock production in the world’s emerging markets: Part 2

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

Jimmy Smith on mega trends in livestock production in the world’s emerging markets: Part 1
Animal Diseases / Biotechnology / Directorate / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Environment / Human Health / ILRI / ILRIComms / LiveGene / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock / Spotlight

Jimmy Smith on mega trends in livestock production in the world’s emerging markets: Part 1

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