Icelandic farmers launch lamb promotion

Icelandic farmers launch lamb promotion: Iceland’s lamb farmers are promoting the unique nature of their meat products, in a bid to cope with falling local meat prices caused by overproduction and declining exports.

CCTV in French abattoirs ‘won’t halt malpractice’

CCTV in French abattoirs ‘won’t halt malpractice’: Putting video cameras in France’s 960 slaughterhouses will not stop malpractice, industry groups have argued, following a proposed law mandating video surveillance in slaughterhouses.

Several states legally require hand sanitation stations at animal contact exhibits.

Several states legally require hand sanitation stations at animal contact exhibits.Seven states have implemented statutes or regulations that require animal contact exhibits such as petting zoos and agricultural fairs to provide hand sanitation stations as a preventive measure against zoonotic infections, according to CDC researchers. “Proper handwashing is an effective way to prevent transmission of disease to persons at animal exhibits; however, outbreaks at animal contact exhibits continue to occur, in part because of a lack of handwashing stations,” Aila Hoss, JD, of CDC’s Public Health Law Program, and colleagues wrote in a recent MMWR. continue

Large assessment of Ebola survivors in Guinea paints post-disease picture.

Ebola survivors deal with a litany of post-disease symptoms that include pain, depression and ocular disorders, according to a multidisciplinary analysis of initial data from a large group of survivors in Guinea, the epicenter of the recent West African outbreak. The ongoing Postebogui cohort study, conducted by an international group of researchers, includes more than 800 survivors of the largest Ebola outbreak in history, including 100 children. According to the researchers, survivors who experienced a symptom during the acute phase of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were at an increased risk for presenting with the same symptom when they were enrolled in the study, suggesting the symptoms were either persistent or recurring.continue

U.S helps build Ugandan capacity to combat wildlife crime.

U.S helps build Ugandan capacity to combat wildlife crime.The U.S. Government is helping to build the capacity of Ugandan authorities to protect the country’s natural heritage and to combat illicit trafficking that threatens both Uganda’s abundant wildlife and security. The donation of 10 wildlife crime scene investigation (WCSI) kits by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will assist several Ugandan agencies in their mission to combat wildlife-related crimes throughout the country. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the Uganda Police Force (UPF), and the Natural Resource Conservation Network (NRCN) were among the beneficiaries on this donation, and also received training in forensic investigation techniques. Law enforcement and forensic science experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior (the lead U.S. agency for public land management) – trained 17 investigators from UWA, UPF and NRCN during a recent week-long workshop near Murchison Falls National Park. With support from the Uganda Conservation Foundation, these experts helped participants develop the skills to conduct wildlife crime scene investigations, including collecting evidence and preserving the chain of custody. The workshop also fostered cooperation and information exchanges among the participants from UWA, UPF, and NRCN, which will help to advance future investigations. read

Cats with 9lives.

Cats with 9lives, thinking of getting a cat? cat lover or curious about cats? watch this clip,learn,laugh and launch out.

FDA Bans Powdered Medical Gloves.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is completely banning the use of all powdered gloves in exam and operating rooms, banned are powdered surgeon’s gloves, powdered patient exam gloves, and absorbable powder for lubricating surgical gloves. Powdered gloves are medical gloves that contain cornstarch to lubricate the gloves and make them easier to put on your hands. The FDA says the cornstarch can be extremely dangerous for the well-being not only of patients but also the wearer and other bystanders. Possible dangers include:1) Severe airway inflammation from inhaling the powder. 2) Wound inflammation from contact with the powder. 3)Post-surgical adhesion's from contact with the powder. 4)respiratory allergic reactions from breathing powder that carries proteins from natural latex gloves. Cornstarch powder was introduced to medical gloves in 1947 after the previously used talcum powder was recognized to cause postoperative adhesions and granuloma formation, according to the FDA. The modified cornstarch powder still came with its own share of problems.