Influenza D and canine coronavirus could mutate in a way that makes person-to-person transmission easy, posing serious public health threats, researchers warn in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. Influenza D, found in pigs, cows, other livestock and wild animals, has shown potential for human-to-human transmission. Canine coronavirus has already infected people in multiple countries, including the US.

With more than 40 educational focus areas, 272+ hours of CE, four days of learning, and 55+ expert instructors, the FVMA Annual Conference in Orlando, April 2026, is your opportunity to learn the latest in veterinary medicine, no matter your discipline, interest, or area of expertise.

Seventy percent of participants in a population-based study in British Columbia had antibodies that protect against H5N1 avian influenza infection, but immunity varied significantly across age groups. People born before 1947 or between 1997 to 2003 had the highest antibody levels, likely due to exposure to H1N1 viruses during past pandemics, researchers reported in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. The lowest levels of antibodies were found in children born between 2015 and 2023 and in adults born between 1957 and 1967, when H2N2 strains were dominant. The findings point to why most recent H5N1 infections in US dairy farm workers have been mild.

Pet owner Sara Bell is cautioning people to keep a close eye on their dogs during walks after her 2-year-old husky, Nilak, overdosed on cocaine from a napkin found at a park in Delta, British Columbia. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association has received a growing number of anecdotal reports of dogs overdosing on drugs. Pet owners who suspect their animal has ingested illegal drugs or prescription medications should seek veterinary attention quickly and should not hesitate to tell their veterinarian what kind of drug may be involved, says veterinarian Tracy Fisher, president of the CVMA. Nilak received prompt veterinary care and survived.

Internal parasites can threaten the productivity of grazing cattle, and deworming is widely practiced. However, resistance to anthelmintics is increasing, making it essential for managers to use fecal egg counts and reduction tests to assess the effectiveness of dewormers, writes veterinarian Sandy Stuttgen, an educator with the University of Wisconsin's extension service. Dr. Stuttgen explains how each of the four classes of antihelmintics are used and how they work. "Understanding which drug class a dewormer belongs to and whether it still works on your farm is essential for protecting cattle performance and avoiding wasted money," Dr. Stuttgen writes.

The Front Street Animal Shelter in Sacramento, Calif., has suspended dog intakes for up to two weeks after two cases of Strep zoo were confirmed. The highly contagious and potentially fatal bacterial disease spreads rapidly in crowded environments, and the shelter is administering preventive antibiotics and conducting deep cleaning to prevent more cases.

Lexie Spohn, a volunteer with Canine Search Inc. of Kentucky, has one dog trained to detect human remains and another trained to trail a person by scent. Spohn says people can make it easier for trained dogs to find them if they are lost by creating scent articles: Rub a clean gauze pad or cotton balls on your skin and store them in a clean zip-top bag in a freezer.

Three dogs that went missing in California's Santa Clarita Valley were found on a canyon mountain by members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's search and rescue team. The team heard barking while they were scouting a training location and found a small dog that led them to a tired, frightened pit bull and another dog that also could have climbed down the mountain but stuck with its pack mate. The dogs were initially suspicious, but the team coerced them with hotdogs and contacted their owner.

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will not begin enforcing the 2024 Horse Protection Amendments final rule on Feb. 1 as scheduled. Provisions of the rule that have not been vacated by court decisions will go into effect on Dec. 31.

As professionals, listening well extends beyond basic active listening and should include intentional presence, understanding and genuine engagement, writes Courtney Barthle with ICF. Rather than treating listening as a set of techniques, leaders must listen to understand lived experiences and create space for honest dialogue, which can uncover barriers and build trust, Barthle writes.

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