DISTEMPER VIRUS AND TIGERS.

Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, Cornell and the University of Glasgow , from their research noted that tigers, lions and other wild carnivores, already under threat from poaching and habitat loss, are falling victim to Canine distemper, and could soon drive endangered populations to extinction. Canine distemper virus strikes wild carnivores of all stripes, including Amur tigers, -- also called Siberian tigers -- which roam the Russian Far East in ever-dwindling numbers.The team is urging a swift action to address the crisis by developing control measures for the virus, such as delivering a vaccine that is safe for these animals. They also suggest renaming canine distemper virus to reflect the wide range of animals that can carry the virus and suffer from the disease. These small endangered populations of carnivores face a lot of threats, but distemper can be the major factor that determines their survival. Studies show that in many cases, wild carnivores are not contracting the distemper virus directly from domestic dogs, but they are getting it from other wild animals that act as intermediaries. This makes controlling the virus exceedingly difficult, and efforts to vaccinate dogs or other wild carnivores may not offer protection for tigers or other large cats. The current distemper vaccines haven't been thoroughly tested in the wild species that need protection. While many vaccines appear to be safe, some may not be effective in generating long-lived immune defenses, The group discussed ways to test the safety and efficacy of distemper vaccines in captive animals as well as developing innovative means of immunizing wild animals with oral or aerosol formulations planted in bait or on marking posts. Renaming the canine distemper virus may be a right step , in part because the name is not a good reflection of its host range among carnivores. The virus can affect seals, tigers, bears and more. The term "canine" can lead to management efforts that place too much emphasis on controlling the infection in dogs, when other wild animals carry the virus to infect other species. materials from Cornell university.

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US restaurant chains urged to stop antibiotics support

US restaurant chains urged to stop antibiotics support: A $1 trillion coalition, made up from 54 institutional investors, has called for 10 of the largest restaurant chains in the US, as well as the UK, to stop sourcing meat from suppliers that use antibiotics.

EQUITWISTER AND CASTRATION IN HORSES.

(Equitwister) Castration is common in working horses, both in developed and under developed countries. The procedure is easily handled in the developed countries,with all the tools necessary. The possible post operative complications such as hemorrhaging,swelling , evisceration and infection are taken into considerations and steps are outlined to prevent these or deal with any complication if they arise. The common field practice is the emasculator method, where the spermatic cords are clamped and crushed,the most common complication is hemorrhage. This down side of the procedure has been a major cause of concern,and other methods have evolved over the years. The close castration technique was not so practicable in horses because of the size and contents of the vaginal tunics,as the emasculator could not achieve sufficient crush on the vessels to prevent hemorrhage,thus the Henderson tool was introduced . The Henderson tool uses the clamp technique; this clamp can accommodate the entire cord its then attached to a battery powered drill and the testicles are twisted off.This twisting controls hemorrhage and prevents evisceration. This method is simple, fast with little or no complication,but use is limited because of cost and electricity supply. This led to the innovation of the equitwister by Turner Wilson Equine Consulting, in Elk River, Minnesota. The tool as shown in picture is simple,cheap and easy to use. The equitwister is made of stainless steel rod, PVC pipe, and a crank. It uses a similar approach to the Henderson tool as it twists the spermatic cord, but it’s manual and requires little effort. This is very valuable as it can be used in places where low income earners are a larger percentage of the community.

Chikungunya spreads to Turkish mosquitoes.

Chikungunya has been detected for the first time among Turkish mosquitoes, while West Nile virus and other mosquito-specific flaviviruses and alphaviruses also continue to proliferate in the region, according to data presented at European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 2016. Previously reported data has described the prevalence of mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus (WNV) and other viruses to be increasing throughout various regions of Turkey, the researchers wrote, and often are concurrent with the emergence of case clusters. In addition, data presented at the same conference in 2015 also detailed the spread of WNV in neighboring Greece from 2011-2014. To investigate WNV and other mosquito-borne flaviviruses and alphaviruses in Turkish regions with increased residencies and refugee travel, the researchers sampled mosquitoes between June 2015 and August 2015 in the Aegean, Mediterranean and eastern Thrace regions. Captured using CDC light traps, the specimens were pooled and subjected to nucleic acid purification and cDNA synthesis after homogenization. Alphaviruses and flaviviruses were detected using generic nested and real-time PCR, with mosquito pools determined to be positive characterized by amplicon sequencing.The researchers collected and analyzed 4,105 specimens, the majority of which were obtained in eastern Thrace. The most prevalent species detected among these were Aedes caspius (61.2%), Anopheles maculipennis sensu lato (19.1%), Culex pipiens sensu lato (13.7%) and C. theileri (3.3%). All specimens were consolidated into 188 pools for the analysis. Alphavirus PCRs revealed positive results within two of the analysis pools, while flavivirus PCRs detected eight positive pools. Specimens in the alphavirus-positive pools were found to be carrying chikungunya virus — the first detection of the disease in Turkey. Diseases identified in the flavivirus-positive pools included WNV lineage 1 clade 1a, Mediterranean Culex Flavivirus and Mediterranean Ochleratatus Flavivirus. “Despite detection in mosquito species with limited vector potential, appropriate surveillance and diagnostic measures should be undertaken to monitor virus epidemiology and potential emergence of human cases,” the researchers wrote. Read more at European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 2016.

PIG PANCREAS TRANSPLANT EFFECTIVE FOR TREATMENT OF TYPE 1 DIABETES.

Chinese researchers have successfully used pigs' pancreas in transplant operations on three type-1 diabetes patients, a significant achievement in the treatment of the disease. The three operations occurred between July 2013 and February 2016 at the Third Xiangya Hospital affiliated to Central South University in Hunan Province. One patient's use of insulin has been reduced by 80.5 percent, while for the other two it was reduced by 57 percent and 56 percent, according to Wang Wei, a professor with the hospital. The transplant program was conducted in partnership with researchers from University of Sydney, Australia. The medium-term results were reliable, according to a review of the program, organized by the Hunan provincial health authorities. The research is expected to help solve the shortage of organs for transplants Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/article/2000198467/pig-pancreas-transplant-proved-effective-treatment-for-type-1-diabetes

SEX REVERSAL IN FISH TO BOOST PRODUCTIVITY.

University pioneers sex reversal in fish to boost dwindling stocks in kenya. Fish is one of Kenya’s favorite delicacies and also a rich source of protein. However, most consumers of the popular tilapia fish are not aware that the meal on their plate is mostly from a male fish. According to fish scientists, male tilapia are fast maturing, rich in flesh and therefore ideal for market purposes once they attain a weight of between 250 to 400 grammes. For optimum exploitation of the sector, the experts say sex reversal can be done to ensure mass production of the popular white meat. The University of Eldoret (UOE) is currently conducting sex reversals on 20,000 fingerlings following the recent opening of a multipurpose hatchery. The hatchery has the potential to conduct sex reversal on 500,000 fingerlings. The university says, this will boost the production and supply of fingerlings across the North Rift region. With the advent of counties, which have been promoting diversification of agriculture over the last four years, residents of the North Rift are taking up fish farming. Besides, most households are shifting from red meat to fish, which they believe is rich in nutrients and also medicinal. According to Josiah Ani, the fish farm manager at the University of Eldoret, the institution has begun sex reversal on fingerlings using a hormone known as Methyl Testosterone which changes the female hormone to male. “Male fish are highly marketable due to their fast growth. The male fish can achieve the market size faster than the female, which consumes a lot of food to help it in reproduction and development of eggs,according to Ani. Before the transformation is done, brooders fed on protein have to be introduced into a fertilized pond. “The brood should be introduced into the pond in a specific ratio, generally two against one.A female tilapia is checked for fertilized eggs before it is transferred to another tank where it pours outs her eggs. The eggs are then taken to an incubator (container) full of water that circulates through pipes and has a temperature of approximately 24-28 degrees. Here, the eggs are hatched into fingerlings. “When they are hatched, the fingerlings have food attached to their body commonly referred to as yolk sacs. For three days to one week, the fingerlings will derive their food from these yolk sacs. When the yolk is fully absorbed, the fingerlings will become active as they seek food. This is the most ideal moment to conduct the sex reversal. The process, according to Ani, involves the use of methyl testosterone, a hormone, mixed with stock solution (dry matter which is food for the fish and contains high protein) and fed to the fish for 21 to 28 days. Feeding is done four to six times a day. It is mainly conducted during the day because tilapia, unlike catfish, is not photophobic and prefers light when feeding. “Fish is still the safest animal for protein and highly recommendable for both the young and the old. We must strive to increase its numbers as well as conduct sex reversals to ensure more males in the market,” he explained. Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2000198393/university-pioneers-sex-reversal-in-fish-to-boost-dwindling-stocks?articleID=2000198393&story_title=university-pioneers-sex-reversal-in-fish-to-boost-dwindling-stocks&pageNo=2