Vetacademy January sale

If you’re starting to plan the year ahead or perhaps undertaking CE/CPD is one of your New Year’s resolutions, why not get a head start with Vetacademy?

Use the voucher code in the Vetacademy group to receive 10% off all Vetacademy modules and selected veterinary videos throughout January.

Visit Vetacademy to get started.

Pfizer Animal Health has launched Zylexis for horses, the first and only immunomodulator licensed in the UK

Zylexis contains inactivated parapox ovis virus (iPPOV), a super-antigen that boosts a horse’s immune system to reduce the effects of infectious respiratory disease.

Zylexis works by stimulating the horse’s non-specific immune system, inducing antiviral interferons and interleukins and stimulating innate immune cells. In this way it bridges the gap until the horse’s adaptive immune system can develop a pathogen-specific response.

For more information visit Pfizer.

Dermatology case studies released as part of Time to Change campaign

A range of case studies has been unveiled by Dechra Veterinary Products, to support its new campaign focused on the diagnosis and treatment of otitis externa.

Developed as part of the Time to Change campaign, the real-life examples feature a series of problems and solutions associated with otitis, supported by clear images and photomicrographs.

Read more

Virbac announce first EU canine leishmaniosis vaccine at BSAVA

After 20 years of development and stringent testing, CaniLeish has been proven effective in vaccinating dogs against leishmaniosis. Clinical trials demonstrated a 93% success rate over a two year period using realistic environmental conditions.

CaniLeish consists of three injections given over six weeks, dogs should then be vaccinated anually.

Leishmaniosis is a parasitic disease which is often fatal, causing skin lesions, hair loss, dermatitis and severe kidney failure. For full details about the disease visit Vetstream.

Untreated waste milk fed to calves leads to rapid spread in ESBL E.coli

21% of waste milk samples fed to calves contained residues of the antibiotic cefquinome and 6% contained antibiotic resistant E.coli. Cefquinome is a mainstay in treating mastitis and is extremely widespread in use.

Defra research demonstrates how rapidly antibiotic resistant E.coli can be spread to entire cattle farms through reckless use of antibiotics and untreated waste milk.

Abstracts and full findings are available from Defra.

Research conducted by Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences find direct link between farm upbringing and immunological disease

The study, supported by DEFRA and the British Pig Executive, has found a solid link between early life in a complex farm environment and an increased number of regulatory T-lymphocytes.

The reasons for this are still not entirely known and additional tests are to be carried out to analyse extraneous factors.

Read the full study at Wiley Online Library.

Partnership to advance equine health through research and educational programmes

Collaboration between Pfizer and the French-based Hippolia Foundation will focus on respiratory disorders and infectious diseases. The Normandy site is a world-class facility in research on racehorses, and the partnership is expected to yield very encouraging results.

The Hippolia Foundation has existing partnerships with hospitals and there is potential for human benefits as a result of equine research.

Elanco conducts research to prove effectiveness of vaccine

Elanco has conducted a new study that displays marked antibody response to influenza in Thoroughbred weanlings treated with Duvaxyn IE-T.

The study involved 66 unvaccinated weanlings who were monitored over six months. The study was conducted in a field conditions as opposed to most vaccination studies which are conducted in closed laboratory settings.

PORCILIS M Hyo ID ONCE receives approval from EU

The new mycoplasma hyopneumoniae vaccine is available as a single shot and can be administrated intradermally. This is a marked improvement on previous vaccines which required two shots and required intramuscular administration.

Learn more about mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and the dangers it presents on Vetstream.

For a full breakdown of the new vaccine visit MSD Animal Health

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has criticised the effectiveness of badger vaccination in eradicating TB in the UK

Research conducted by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust into badger vaccination as an alternative to culling has arrived at overly optimistic conclusions that are ‘unrealistic at best and spin at worst’.

The BVA argues the vaccine has no effect on badgers already infected, and young badgers can become infected with TB before they can be caught and immunised. The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s programme also only covers 1.7 sq km.

Whilst the Trust’s research is an interesting development, Defra’s Badger Vaccine Deployment Project will analyse a much larger area (100 sq km) and will provide further information.

The BVA acknowledge the role of vaccination in eradicating TB, but current deployment methods and the limited scale of research mean that, for the time being, vaccination alone cannot solve the problem.

Take a look at BVA’s Bovine Tuberculosis page for more information on current policy.