The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that it is continuing to work with China and neighboring countries to contain the avian flu virus H7N9 which first emerged in the north east of China around Shanghai in early April. The FAO noted China had strengthened the monitoring of migratory birds and established two [...]

The University of Edinburgh has signed a deal with the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) that will see both parties join forces on veterinary research and educational programmes. The agreement – the first between the CVMA and a UK university – also aims to strengthen the role of the vet in China, particularly in the [...]

Disease is a complex problem for Chinese farmers, but the veterinary medicine system is nowhere near adequate With pig carcasses floating down the Huangpu and a new outbreak of bird flu, attention is being focused on Shaoxing. The city is the major pig-farming centre for eastern China, raising 7 million pigs a year. It also [...]

Last week, the Ministry of Agriculture in China dispatched two teams to Zhejiang and Shanghai respectively to supervise and coordinate local efforts of handling the dead pigs found in the Huangpu River. On March 16th, MOA Chief Veterinary Officer Yu Kangzhen, who was the head of the team to Zhejiang, received an interview by local [...]

First case of potentially fatal disease in 7 years reported in the UK

A patient is receiving hospital treatment after contracting rabies in south Asia. The patient is believed to have been bitten by a dog.

Whilst rabies has been eradicated in the UK, it is estimated to have killed 55 000 people worldwide last year, with the majority of cases occurring in south and south-east Asia. The eradication of rabies worldwide is a key issue of the One Health Initiative, which seeks to unite all medical science for the benefit of humans and animals.

It is imperative that the public receive rabies vaccines and do not approach dogs, cats or any animals they are unfamiliar with while abroad.

For more details visit The Guardian.

Emerging disease forces stringent import regulations

Russia has banned shipments of European cattle and pigs due to fears over Schmallenberg virus.

The virus causes birth defects and is still not fully understood, transmission to humans has not been ruled out. The virus is thought to have been spread by biting midges last year. Schmallenberg has hit Europe hard, and cases have now been confirmed in the UK.

For details on this development visit The Moscow Times.

Belgorod in Russia has limited the number dogs and cats people may own to one dog and two cats. The controversial law also limits people to only walking their dogs twice a day in designated areas – which vets warn could lead to an increase in epidemics.

The measure has been taken to prevent the spread of rabies however this law seems over the top and excessively prohibitive and may ultimately make the problem worse. Following this story, private livestock breeding has also been banned in Russia. Read more for the full story.

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International animal welfare will be the focus of a centre that aims to equip the next generation of vets to improve the plight of animals across the world. The Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education is to form an integral part of the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. The [...]

Vietnam’s agriculture ministry said the avian influenza virus struck a village in Vinh Long province, killing 1,050 birds and leading to the culling of 950 more to control the outbreak, according to a report sent to the OIE. The province is located in the southern part of the country in the Mekong Delta.

A team took close-up footage of captive chimps giving birth, which revealed that the newborn emerges from the birth canal facing away from the mother. Scientists had believed that this birth position evolved in the primate ancestors of modern humans. These findings could refute that theory. The researchers filmed three live births for their study, [...]