news 2016

A new investigation into how meat can be damaged by farm injections has found that 4 per cent of cattle slaughtered in abattoirs in England had injection site lesions in the carcasses. The study by researchers at the Universities of Nottingham and Bristol shows that compliance with recommended injection protocols could be improved to reduce this damage.

Scientists have made an important new discovery in the study of Human African Trypanosomiasis, more commonly known as African sleeping sickness. The findings could have a major impact on the way the disease is diagnosed, treated and potentially eradicated. The team of researchers, from the University of Glasgow's Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology and the Institut Pasteur in Paris, have discovered that skin plays a significant but overlooked role in harbouring and transmitting the parasite that causes the condition, which is often fatal if left untreated.

Building trusting relationships between veterinary surgeons and farmers is crucial to improving animal health on dairy farms, researchers at The University of Nottingham has found. The study on perceptions and challenges of vaccinations among vets was carried out by academics in the University's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science on behalf of ADHB Dairy, a not-for-profit organisation working on behalf of Britain's dairy farmers.

New research by The University of Nottingham has found that more than 90% of horse owners did not feel confident in spotting early signs of colic. Now, The British Horse Society (BHS) and The University of Nottingham have teamed up to help horse owners combat the life-threatening condition at today's (1 September) launch of the REACT Now to Beat Colic campaign.

Scientists at the University of Liverpool are using the health records of dogs to monitor the status of a potentially fatal tick-borne disease that appears to have been imported into the UK. Canine babesiosis is transmitted to dogs by infected ticks, with symptoms including a lack of appetite, fever and jaundice.

New research revealing the welfare priorities of the UK's 800,000 equines will be outlined at an event at the House of Commons next week [Tuesday 12 July]. The four-year research study, led by academics at the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences and funded by World Horse Welfare, aimed to understand the welfare status of horses in England and Wales, identify priority welfare issues and explore horse owner and industry experts' perceptions of these issues.