Tag Archives: Zoonosis
Viral comments (30): Viral safety, zoonoses and food, Europe, 2015
A little over a month ago the“The European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food-borne outbreaks in 2015” was issued, a joint initiative of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Comentaris viruslents (29): MERS Coronavirus, nothing to declare? A bad idea
A month ago,”curious” news jumped. The Institute Pasteur Korea (IPK), in the person of one of its researchers, skipped all regulations on biological material transportation in a movement of MERS Coronavirus samples, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, and worse … it was not properly informed, nor did the Institute Pasteur in Paris.
Viral comments (27): Crimean-Congo, the wave passed… for now.
The interest of society towards certain subjects fluctuates up and down, until the matter eventually leaves the scene. Even though Crimean-Congo news no longer appear on newspapers we will write a second post, and maybe last, for now, dedicated to this virus. A few ideas will be reviewed regarding the epidemiology, the potential distribution of the Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV onwards) in Spain and Catalonia, also about its pathogenesis and how it affects our health systems. A patchwork-post, if you like, not one with a linear style but brushstrokes to outline the global painting…or al least to give a quick hand of paint to the wall.
Elucidation of the structure of an infectious prion
Prions, the agents that cause diseases such as Creutzfeltd Jakob disease in people or mad cow disease, are unconventional infectious agents. The main reason for this peculiarity is that, according to the most accepted theory nowadays, prions have no genetic material!
Viral comments (26): Crimean-Congo virus infects in Spain. It’s not a newcomer, though, since it arrived a few years ago.
Yesterday we ate lunch with the news of the confirmation of the first two cases in Western Europe (one of them, mortal) of Crimea Congo hemorrhagic fever virus infection (CCHF onwards). It was the chronicle of story foretold. We’ll discuss more about this in a future post, because the genome of the virus had been detected from ticks in a farm in Extremadura, in the years 2010-11.
What impact does research in animal health have in society?
On Monday 25th July I participated as a speaker at the 1st Conference on Social Impact of Science, held in Barcelona, specifically in the historical building of the University of Barcelona in Plaça Universitat. It is the first time a conference of this kind has been organized and with the participation, direct or indirect, of up to three Nobel Prize awardees. It was a very rewarding experience, because I was invited to the Combat diseases section to discuss the social impact of research in animal health.
Prions in Wildlife?
Last week the discovery of a case of Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a Raindeer (or Caribou, Rangifer tarandus) was published on the website of the Norwegian Veterinary Institute. The news is interesting for two reasons: it is the first time this disease has been described in Europe and it is also the first time that a field case has been described in this species.
