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February 22, 2013

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News for animal health professionals

Veterinary Medicine Update

U.S. announces avian influenza research guidelines
The U.S. government has released guidelines for future avian influenza research, moving domestic researchers under a voluntary moratorium closer to resuming their work on the virus. The guidelines require a detailed analysis of the risks and benefits associated with making the virus more dangerous before government funding will be made available. At the University of Wisconsin's Influenza Research Institute, where a professor produced an avian influenza strain that was transmissible between ferrets, no structural changes are necessary, but proposals for new work will have to undergo the additional review. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (tiered subscription model) (2/21), Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (2/21), ScienceMag.org/Science Insider blog (2/21)

Rescued bobcat recovering after 6 root canals
Houston Zoo veterinarians performed six root canals on a bobcat found emaciated near a Texas town six weeks ago. The Wildlife Center of Texas has been nursing the cat back to health. The animal has been successfully treated for fleas, sarcoptic mange and a bacterial infection, in addition to gaining 15% of its body weight since it was found. Houston Chronicle (tiered subscription model) (2/21)

How swine parasites could benefit humans
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are preparing to recruit people with Crohn's disease to ingest swine whipworm eggs as part of a study evaluating whether the parasites will help alleviate their symptoms. "It's a natural way to dampen inflammation," said physician and professor Themos Dassopoulos. "It resets the tone, the thermostat in the immune system of the colon. The goal is to change the balance so you have more of the good bacteria, and the bad bacteria gets suppressed by overpopulation of the good guys." St. Louis Post-Dispatch (2/21)

View AVMA's One Health resources

Other News

Officials confirm 13th human case, 7th fatality from new coronavirus
CTV.ca (Canada)/The Canadian Press (2/21)

Bird treats recalled after salmonella scare
PetMD.com (2/21)

Follow @AVMARecallWatch on Twitter to stay up to date on pet food recalls and alerts and learn more on AVMA's website

Animal News

Common equine eye emergencies
Veterinarian Anna O'Brien explains the causes and treatment of two common equine eye emergencies: corneal ulcers and eyelid lacerations. Items commonly found in the barn are often the culprit behind these traumatic injuries, Dr. O'Brien writes, but timely and appropriate veterinary care is usually enough to treat them effectively. PetMD.com/The Daily Vet blog (2/22)

Veterinary convention features new products for owners
New pet products geared toward owners were featured alongside veterinary products at the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas this week. Items included canine wheelchairs, biodegradable pet caskets, indoor pet booties and kosher pet foods. The conference is slightly smaller than usual this year, according to Western Veterinary CEO Guy Pidgeon, a veterinarian, possibly because of concerns about the economy and efforts to cut costs. Las Vegas Review-Journal (2/22)

Other News

Daily dose of cuteness: Young pandas test their wobbly legs
Mashable (2/21)

Fearless cat takes on crocodile
The Daily Mail (London) (2/21)

Around the Office

Tips for running effective meetings
Meetings can be an important part of doing business, but poorly run meetings are a waste of time, writes Steve Tobak. Make your meetings more effective by holding them in the afternoon, documenting conclusions and asking your staff for input. "[M]ost people are more relaxed after lunch," he writes. Inc. online (free registration)/Last Word blog (2/21)

Association News

Amphibians, Reptiles and Salmonella
Many people are aware turtles and other reptiles can carry Salmonella bacteria, but not many know that amphibians can carry it, too. This doesn't mean amphibian and reptile owners should get rid of their pets. What it does mean is that amphibian and reptile handlers and owners should take precautions to protect themselves and their families. Read AVMA's tips on preventing Salmonella infections associated with amphibians and reptiles.

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SmartQuote

You can do anything in this world if you are prepared to take the consequences."

--W. Somerset Maugham,
British writer

The news summaries appearing in Animal Health SmartBrief are based on original information from news organizations and are produced by SmartBrief, Inc., an independent e-mail newsletter publisher. The AVMA is not responsible for the content of sites that are external to the AVMA. Linking to a website does not constitute an endorsement by the AVMA of the site or the information presented on the site. Questions and comments should be directed to SmartBrief at avma@smartbrief.com.

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