Red alert!!! Vampire Bats Found Feeding on Human Blood.

Vampire Bats Found Feeding on Human Blood,and its not a movie clip.DNA samples from the dung of hairy-legged vampire bats, which survive by drinking bird blood, were recently discovered to have traces of human blood. The urban legend of the vampire that haunts our nightmares might not be just a legend after all. Vampire bats have evolved to subsist entirely on blood, and now for the first known time one type of vampire bat has started feeding on humans. The hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata) has always been known to survive on the blood of various birds. A new study published in the journal Acta Chiropterologica found that this species of vampire bat is now feeding on human blood as well. Two other species of vampire bat—the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) and the white-winged vampire bat (Diaemus youngi)—are known to jump from one source of blood to another, but never human blood. All three species of vampire bats can be found across the Americas, ranging from Mexico to Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina. They feed by puncturing the skin of their prey with sharp incisors and drinking the blood that flows from the wound. Deforestation has been wreaking havoc on the Caatinga dry forests of northeastern Brazil, displacing the vampire bat population. Brazilians have also been hunting the tinamou and guan birds, which are the prey of vampire bats. With food sources running dry, investigators from the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil decided to find out what these vampire bats were surviving on instead. Predictably, DNA analysis of fecal samples from 15 bats showed that most of the samples contained chicken blood. But 3 the 15 samples contained traces of human blood. Enrico Bernard, the lead researcher on the study, was surprised at this discovery, saying, “This species isn’t adapted to feed on the blood of mammals.” Vampire bats are adapted to process fat, which is a primary component of bird blood, compared with the thicker, high-protein blood of mammals. This new-found evidence is a cause of concern to investigators, worried about the spread of viruses from the bats to their human prey. A similar phenomenon occurred in northeast Brazil in 2015,when deforestation led another type of vampire bat to bite and infect more than 1,000 people with rabies, causing at least 23 deaths. Investigators are worried about what this discovery might mean for Brazilians and their well-being because the hairy-legged vampire bat has been known to carry the deadly hantavirus. The hantavirus can cause a respiratory disease in humans that can be fatal. The investigators believe these vampire bats are entering people’s bedrooms through holes in roofs or windows while they’re sleeping. To learn more, the research team is following up by visiting homes of local residents to find out how often they are being bitten, when they are being bitten, and how they are being bitten. source

Animals with Superpowers.

Animals are the bomb, while some are friendly others are no go-no see or touch creatures but the beauty of it all is that they are important in the circle of life. A lot of innovative products have stemmed from animals that are beneficial to man such as the geko bra,the genius of the wall geko. see Animals have certain adaptive properties that make them unique and stand out in their environment,making magic out of their survival. 1) Photophores ; are light-producing organs that create bioluminescence in various invertebrates and fish living in the deep sea, such as the smalltooth dragonfish and splitfin flashlight fish. In the smalltooth dragonfish (shown below), three photophores are located underneath its eyes and they produce red light, orange light, and blue light. The red light is used both to see prey that can’t see them and to carry out conversations with other fish they’re attempting to court. The blue light is used as a sort of flashlight that helps the fish see in the deep dark. 2) Heat Sensors; Pit vipers and other snakes have heat-sensing protein channels located in tiny holes on their faces that help them “see” in the dark. These “pit organs” contain a membrane that can detect infrared radiation from warm bodies, making it much easier to detect and sense prey in the pitch dark. Scientists say they can detect prey up to 3 feet away. 3) Ampullae of Lorenzini This mouthful is the reason why sharks are such great predators. Ampullae of Lorenzini are electroreceptors that are found in sharks, rays, and chimaeras. They are visible as dark spots in the skin. These organs form a network of jelly-filled pores that provide fish with the ability to detect electric and magnetic fields as well as temperature gradients. This helps sharks and other fish that have these organs find their prey more easily in dark, murky waters. continue

Study Maps Genes Causing Fear and Aggression in Dogs .

Scientists believe they may have found a genetic trigger for aggression in dogs. The new findings could have applications for both animals and humans. It is common to see dogs with anxiety or aggression issues in veterinary practice. These traits can severely impact quality of life for both the canine and their human owners by influencing the dog’s health and social interactions. In an attempt to better understand these traits, researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital worked to identify genetic components, separate from physiology and neuroanatomy, that lead to the development of such traits. In the study, scientists conducted genomewide association (GWA) mapping of breed stereotypes for fear and aggression traits among several hundred dogs. The dogs represented a variety of breeds. The findings were confirmed using GWA in a second test group composed of overlapping breeds of dogs. A previously identified locus – the specific location of a gene’s DNA sequence on a chromosome - was used to create a model predicting fear and aggression stereotypes in a third, final test group of dogs that were not involved in the first two studies. The results of the study showed that four genome loci on two different chromosomes were involved in the development of these traits. Two loci variants, IGF1 and HMGA2, in dogs of small body size were shown to be associated with separation anxiety, touch-sensitivity, owner directed aggression, and dog rivalry. The two other loci, GNAT3 and CD36 were not associated with body size. These two loci were shown to be associated with touch-sensitivity, non-social fear, and fear and aggression directed toward unfamiliar dogs and humans. source

Nurse gives part of her liver to save baby.

SAUDI nurse Abeer Attalah Al-Anzi who donated part of her liver to Bashayir Al-Rashidi, a toddler she had never met before and was suffering from cirrhosis of the liver since birth, the liver transplant took place on Dec. 28, 2016. Anzi, who is in her 20s, is not related to Bashayir learned through Twitter that Bashayir, who was at Prince Sultan Medical City in Riyadh, needed a donor, she responded to the appeal and communicated with the family. Once Anzi confirmed the details of Bashayir’s health issues, she decided to donate part of her liver to the young girl. Anzi, who explained that what motivated her to decide to give away part of her liver, was the photo of the child. “Bashayir’s photo struck me; I empathized with her. She was just a child who cannot express the pain she was feeling,” Anzi said, adding at that very moment “I made up my mind, and without any hesitation contacted her father to inform him of my decision. That was four weeks ago.” “The donation coordinator in Fahd Al-Ahmari Hospital briefed me points from the donation manual prior to the surgery,” she said. “But being a nurse I have a general idea about medical transplants. The surgeons also thoroughly explained to me all the aspects of the surgery, which added to my resolve.” continue

How to keep your sanity in veterinary practice.

How to keep your sanity in veterinary practice. This is a wake-up call,a reality check,loving animals to a fault? but there is a limit you can push yourself to or else you burn-out. The veterinary oath binds us to pet health,wellness and safety, compelling us to go the extra,extra,extra mile for our pets and livestock. This is our calling,giving it all it takes. What do you do,when youve done all within your timeline and prognosis is fatal? or you did everything accordingly ,pet left you jumping and energetic only for you to get a bad report later? how do you react? sad? depressed? low self esteem? We all tend to have a beautiful vision of our veterinary careers from our colleges, we imagine ourselves changing the lives of every client, patient and stray animal that crosses our path every single day. When we start the practice and are faced with the not-so-glamorous aspects such as the lazy cleaners,care-free work force, inoperable tumors, crazy clients, driving long hours to and from work, gossip, , body pains, headaches, and then eureka! it hits us that we need to put a lid on it before you lose it. How to keep your sanity in veterinary practice,look at these tips; 1) Pet hero. I know we all want to save every pet that comes our way,the pet hero but it becomes clear to you ,its impossible to do that.Its not your responsibility to take care for every stray and abandoned animal that crosses your path. Be the pet hero of those you can save but dont bite more than you can handle. 2) Anxiety. Anxiety about your day,clients your surgeries, or your staff and whatever else you can fret about is a total stressor. You will lose focus and control of the present,messing things up,so just plan ahead and go with the flow. 3) Rumor mill. When you start listening to who said what,why this and that responded this way then tension sets in,smoke coming out of mouth and ears= going bananas. Dont fuss over anything or anyone,just ignore,dont pay attention to murmurs. 4) Work/home balance You need to strike a balance ,dont take your work issues home and dont bring home issues to work.This way you separate the vet from the mum,wife ,sister,lesson teacher and whatever other roles you play. 5) Click. joining a click in the office,that tries to define you,mold you to fit their purposes is a sure way to lose your mind. Be comfortable with you,just do you;no clicks,clubs or gangs just be proficient. 6) Set a standard; This is very important,define yourself and work with your set out values. 7)Time out. This is so very important,take time out to refresh ,energize and chart a better path to make your practice super fun. 8)Time wasters. Do away with unnecessary tours,meetings and chats that drains you of strength,just say no and pass-up the invite,, stay in the productivity zone. The veterinary industry comes with its challenges just like any other profession,so avoid unnecessary stressors and enjoy life.Cheers to a noble profession.

Mushroom Poisoning in Dogs.

Mushrooms of the fungi class are a bundle of vitamins and minerals to keep us fit and trim. Mushrooms are a source of iron,selenium ,vitamin D amongst other nutrients. Mushrooms are considered potent medicines as most of the common everyday antibiotics such as penicillin,streptomycin and tetracycline all come from fungi extracts. Mushroom has found a room in many homes that explores the potentials such as 1)weight loss .2)boosting the immune system 3) ready source of vitamin D in diet 4) cancer treatment 5)anti-aging properties. Mushrooms good and beneficial as they are can be a source of poisoning to you and your pets.There are toxic and nontoxic species and depending on the rate of toxicity and intervention the prognosis can be fatal. Mushrooms are absorptive,absorbing the contents of the ground or creature they are sprouting out of. Mushrooms absorb and concentrate the compounds,nutrients,waste,runoff pesticides e.t.c,hence resulting in their potency thus the key to food safety will be to pick or purchase mushrooms from clean soil preferably organic farms will be fine. When your dog accidentally ingests mushrooms ,these signs follow 1) excessive salivation 2)vomiting 3)diarrhea 4) jaundice 5)seizures and in severe cases 6) coma. If you are privy to the fact that the dog took mushroom them do the following 1) induce vomiting. and take pet to veterinarian immediately. Read how anticancer properties of mushrooms saved a dog

Belgium horsemeat call after drug found in Brazilian imports

Belgium horsemeat call after drug found in Brazilian imports: A discovery of Brazilian horsemeat laced with naproxen in Belgium has sparked calls for tough controls over EU imports of horsemeat.