Tuesday, September 25, 2007

This week in pandemic flu, emerging infectious disease news: Livestock and disease

Livestock that live in close proximity to humans can help infectious disease make the jump from animals to people, which puts veterinary and public health workers on high alert for such diseases. The risks will only grow as the global demand for meat products grows, according to new predictions from global food and agriculture officials.

Recent news reports highlighted by APHA's Get Ready News Twitter show livestock diseases are common worldwide, from blue-ear pig disease in China and South Africa to bluetongue sheep disease in Montana . Among the livestock-related infectious disease news reported this week by APHA's Get Ready News Twitter:

*Greater global demand for meat could increase risk of diseases
*Additional 10,000 birds to be culled in Guangzhou, China
*Vaccination is best cure against bluetongue
*Pig disease in China worries the world
*New U.K. Foot-and-mouth case 'same strain'
*Disease concern leads Montana vet to prohibit sheep transport
*Blue-ear disease ravaging Western Cape, South Africa, pig farms
*Cue a mystery as Q fever strikes 28 in U.K.

For links to dozens of news stories and resources on emerging infectious diseases, visit the Get Ready News Twitter. New information is posted each weekday, so check back often for updates.

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