From Ebola to swine flu to HIV/Aids, viruses borne by animals have caused some of the most devastating epidemics in history. What will come next? In Sierra Leone, Joe Shute (a reporter with The Telegraph) joins PREDICT scientists working to find Disease X – a virus that is as yet undiscovered, but which could have the potential to ravage populations.
Veterinary teams can factor in the needs of the elderly and those with disabilities, as the need for care for pets belonging to older populations is only going to climb.
For the first time, scientists discovered a new ebolavirus species in a host prior to detection in an infected human or sick animal. This discovery Illustrates PREDICT project’s goal to find viruses before they spill over into people.
Scientists have identified a novel ebolavirus in free-tailed bats in Sierra Leone, providing the strongest evidence to date that bats are the natural hosts of these viruses. The new virus, called Bombali virus, was found in insectivorous bats roosting inside people’s houses. There is currently no evidence of human infection or spillover of this virus.
Pet owners have lower blood pressure and less stress, and they exercise more, among other benefits. But pets can sometimes also pass on diseases. People magazine highlights how taking good care of your pet will help prevent the spread.
While calories from any food have the potential to increase the risk of obesity and other cardiometabolic diseases, 22 nutrition researchers agree that sugar-sweetened beverages play a unique role in chronic health problems. The disease risk increases even when the beverages are consumed within diets that do not result in weight gain.
In May, the UC Davis veterinary hospital started imaging patients on a new PET/CT scanner known as the Mini Explorer II. This advanced imaging system, the first of its kind in the world, is designed to provide veterinarians with both anatomic and physiologic information.
Diseases carried by insect “vectors” such as ticks, fleas, and mosquitos are on the rise in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported this week that cases of vector-borne diseases tripled from 2004 to 2016.
