Latest Entries
Reverse vaccinology identifies candidates for an improved vaccine against cattle pneumonia in Africa
Africa / Article / Biotechnology / Cattle / CBPP / Disease Control / ILRI / ILVAC / Kenya / LIVESTOCKFISH / Spotlight / Vaccines

Reverse vaccinology identifies candidates for an improved vaccine against cattle pneumonia in Africa

We used a reverse vaccinology approach to identify 66 Mmm potential vaccine candidates. The selection and grouping of the antigens was based on the presence of specific antibodies in sera from CBPP-positive animals. The antigens were used to immunize male Boran cattle (Bos indicus) followed by a challenge with the Mmm strain Afadé. Continue reading

Elite buffaloes and other exemplars of advanced Indian dairy science at the National Dairy Research Institute
Agriculture / Animal Breeding / Animal Production / Biotechnology / Breeds / Buffalo / Cattle / Dairying / Event / Genetics / ILRI / India / Livestock / Research / South Asia

Elite buffaloes and other exemplars of advanced Indian dairy science at the National Dairy Research Institute

Shrestha, a spirited buffalo bull, greeted Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), with a low grunt during a visit Smith and his delegation recently made at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), India’s pre-eminent dairy research centre, located in the northern city of Karnal and the prosperous state of Haryana. Continue reading

Colourful convocation: Jimmy Smith addresses graduates of India’s prestigious National Dairy Research Institute
Dairying / Directorate / Event Report / ILRI / ILRIComms / India / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock / South Asia / Spotlight

Colourful convocation: Jimmy Smith addresses graduates of India’s prestigious National Dairy Research Institute

ILRI Director General Jimmy Smith was in Haryana, India, to give the convocation address (aka ‘the commencement speech’ in North America) at NDRI’s 14th graduation ceremony. Smith was also being awarded an honorary degree (honoris causa) for his contributions to livestock research for development. Continue reading

CGIAR Rwanda Climate Services for Agriculture project launches today, #WorldMetDay
Agriculture / CCAFS / Central Africa / Climate Change / East Africa / Geodata / ILRI / Launch / Rwanda / SLS / Spotlight

CGIAR Rwanda Climate Services for Agriculture project launches today, #WorldMetDay

A new project is reconstructing Rwanda’s incomplete meteorological data record using cutting-edge climate science and developing climate information products and services based on the expressed needs of the country’s farmers and other end users. The work is carried out by RAB and Meteo Rwanda, in collaboration with CCAFS, IRI at Columbia University, ICRAF and ILRI, with funding from USAID. Continue reading

Livestock can significantly reduce greenhouse gases AND deliver benefits to the poor–Nature Climate Change
Animal Production / Article / CCAFS / Climate Change / Environment / ILRI / Intensification / Livestock Systems / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / SLS / Spotlight

Livestock can significantly reduce greenhouse gases AND deliver benefits to the poor–Nature Climate Change

Mario Herrero, chief research scientist for Food Systems and the Environment at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), in Australia, and colleagues have published a paper in Nature Climate Change on Greenhouse gas mitigation potentials in the livestock sector. Continue reading

Harnessing livestock for the Sustainable Development Goals
Agriculture / Consumption / Directorate / Environment / Food Security / Livelihoods / Livestock / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock / Research

Harnessing livestock for the Sustainable Development Goals

One of the fastest growing subsectors in agriculture–livestock–can significantly contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) if the opportunities it offers, especially for people in developing countries, are harnessed for economic growth, improved livelihoods and food and nutritional security. Continue reading

Florida and ILRI start consultations on new ‘Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems’
Africa / Agriculture / Animal Feeding / Animal Production / ASSP / Burkina Faso / Cambodia / Capacity Strengthening / Ethiopia / Event / Farming Systems / Food Safety / Gender / Human Health / ILRI / Livestock / Livestock Systems / LIVESTOCKFISH / Mali / Nepal / Nutrition / PIL / Project / Research / Rwanda / South Asia / Southeast Asia

Florida and ILRI start consultations on new ‘Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems’

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems, led by the University of Florida, is currently organizing a number of stakeholder consultation meetings to identify high-priority needs in the six countries it will cover (Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Mali, Nepal, Rwanda). ILRI is a close partner in this new initiative and it helped organize the Ethiopia consultation meeting in Feb 2016. Continue reading

MERS-CoV antibodies found in two people in eastern Kenya
A4NH / Agri-Health / Article / Camels / Disease Control / East Africa / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / FSZ / Human Health / ILRI / ILVAC / Kenya / LIVESTOCKFISH / MERS / Spotlight / Zoonotic Diseases

MERS-CoV antibodies found in two people in eastern Kenya

A new study published in the science journal Emerging Infectious Diseases reports that two individuals in Kenya have tested positive for the presence of antibodies to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus (MERS-CoV). Neither person is ill nor do they recall having any symptoms associated with MERS. There is no evidence of a public health threat and scientists concluded that the infections caused little or no clinical signs of illness. But they plan follow-up studies, as this is the first indication of a MERS-CoV infection that is not connected to primary infections in the Middle East. Continue reading