UF Researchers Work on Brucella VaccineFebruary 10, 2015University of Florida researchers are developing and testing Brucella vaccine varieties in cattle that will hopefully, in turn, help humans. “The concept we are taking is, if we can eradicate this disease from livestock, we can eradicate the disease from humans,” said David Pascual, Ph.D., a professor of mucosal immunology at the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “If we eliminate the animal reservoir, we can help humans.” People most commonly become infected with brucellosis, which causes flu-like symptoms and malaise, by eating or drinking unpasteurized dairy products, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cattle primarily become infected through nasal or oral exposure, as well as through sexual transmission, Dr. Pascual said. “Brucellosis is a global disease,” he said. “This is not a disease with overt symptoms, yet it has been around as long as humans. New infections are occurring at a rate of about half a million people per year, which is believed to be nearly 25-fold underestimated. “The outcomes of our various studies may give us some idea how the vaccines will work in humans.” There is a vaccine for livestock already but it is only about 70 percent effective, even after revaccination, …
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Found Animals Announces 50 Shades of Spay ContestFebruary 9, 2015As veterinarians, you know how important it is for pet owners to have their cats and dogs spayed or neutered. You know all too well that not spaying or neutering a pet could lead to health consequences later in the pet’s life or result in unwanted litters that often wind up euthanized. As advocates of spay/neuter surgery, nonprofit organization Found Animals is offering you a chance to win a $2,500 grant for your organization or practice. And they’re having a little fun parodying the 50 Shades of Grey movie while doing so. The mission behind the #50ShadesofSpay contest is to raise spay/neuter awareness and reduce the number of euthanized animals in the United States. Since February is National Spay and Neuter Month, it’s the perfect time to hold such a contest. Throughout this month, Found Animals “is asking spay/neuter programs across the country to "show us your '50 Shades of Spay.' At the end of the month, five deserving organizations will each receive a $2,500 grant from Found Animals – and hopefully along the way we will convince folks to spend a little more time talking about pets and spay and neuter.” To be eligible …
Banfield Welcomes New CEO Vincent BradleyFebruary 9, 2015The Banfield Pet Hospital chain has completed its second high-level appointment of the year with the promotion of Vincent Bradley to president and CEO. Bradley replaced Tony Ueber, who left to become CEO of the human physical therapy company Results Physiotherapy of Nashville, Tenn. Bradley’s move from senior vice president of operations to CEO is effectively immediately, Banfield reported today. Banfield, which operates more than 900 veterinary hospitals—most of them inside PetSmart stores—now has two new top executives. Daniel Aja, DVM, was elevated to second in command when he took over Jan. 1 as senior vice president and chief medical officer, replacing Jeffrey Klausner, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, who retired. Bradley and Dr. Aja will help manage the company during a period of other changes. Banfield plans to move its headquarters from Portland, Ore., to nearby Vancouver, Wash., in early 2016, and an investment group’s $8.7 billion buyout of PetSmart is pending. A longstanding agreement between PetSmart and Banfield will remain in place, so the hospitals will continue to operate normally, Banfield has stated. As senior vice president of operations, Bradley oversaw Banfield’s partnership with PetSmart. Before joining Banfield in 2011, he worked for a decade …
Georgia Names Associate Dean for Academic AffairsFebruary 7, 2015Karen Cornell, DVM, Ph.D., was recently named as the next associate dean for academic affairs for the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Her role became effective Jan. 1. Dr. Cornell is a board-certified veterinary surgeon and a professor of soft tissue surgery in the Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery. “It will be my honor to work with my colleagues in the tradition of excellence in veterinary education at the University of Georgia by providing a program utilizing progressive educational methodologies in a supportive environment, so that veterinary students may develop the competencies necessary to succeed in our ever-changing society,” Cornell said. Cornell joined the college in 1998 as an assistant professor of soft tissue surgery and by 2010 had become a tenured professor. Through the years, she has served the college on multiple committees and in four leadership roles: director of continuing education, assistant department head for small animal medicine and surgery, interim director of the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital and as chief of staff for surgery.
Virginia Tech Researcher Receives Grant to Develop Vaccine for PigsFebruary 5, 2015Christopher Overend, Ph.D., a researcher in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, has received a two-year, $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a new vaccine against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. The virus causes severe pneumonia or respiratory problems in newborn piglets and young pigs, resulting in a 20 percent to 80 percent mortality rate, and reproductive failure in sows, according to the college. This leads to annual losses of about $664 million in the United States, the college further noted. “Although there are current vaccines licensed for use around the world, they are problematic for two reasons,” said Dr. Overend, a postdoctoral associate in the college’s Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology. “First, the virus is genetically diverse and the vaccine only prevents infection from certain strains of the virus. Second, current vaccines are not very good at stimulating the protective immune response.” Overend and his mentor X.J. Meng, MD, Ph.D., a University Distinguished Professor of Molecular Virology, said that they are working to create a vaccine that is more visible to the immune system with technology Dr. Meng’s lab has previously used. Overend compared the …
Georgia Researchers Develop New Treatment for RabiesFebruary 3, 2015Researchers at the University of Georgia say they have successfully tested a new treatment on mice that cures rabies even after the virus has spread to the brain. “We have vaccines that can prevent the disease, and we use the same vaccine as a kind of treatment after a bite, but it only works if the virus hasn’t progressed too far,” said study co-author Biao He, Ph.D., a professor of infectious diseases in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. “Our team has developed a new vaccine that rescues mice longer after infection than what was traditionally thought possible.” In their study, mice were exposed to a strain of the rabies virus that generally reaches the brain of infected mice within three days. By day six, mice begin to exhibit the “telltale physical symptoms that indicate the infection has become fatal.” However, 50 percent of mice treated with the new vaccine were saved, even after the onset of physical symptoms on day six, according to the study. “This is the most effective treatment we have seen reported in the scientific literature,” Dr. He said. “If we can improve these results and translate them to humans, we may have found one of …
FDA Issues Planned Guidance for 2015February 2, 2015As many as 31 new or updated documents that would help veterinary drug manufacturers and other stakeholders meet the expectations of federal regulators may be released this year. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine last week circulated a list of topics that may be addressed in draft form or as final guidance. The nonbinding documents would explain the agency’s interpretation of a regulatory issue or its policy and in many cases would steer stakeholders toward meeting regulatory goals. FDA issues more than 100 guidances each year to industries under its jurisdiction. The Center for Veterinary Medicine’s tentative list for 2015 includes: Draft Guidance for Industry: Compounding Animal Drugs from Bulk Drug Substances Guidance for Industry (GFI #61): FDA Approval of Animal Drugs for Minor Uses and for Minor Species (Revision) Draft Guidance for Industry: Combination New Animal Drugs Guidance for Industry (GFI #218): Cell-Based Products for Use in Animals Draft Guidance for Industry: Medicated Feed Assays Guidance for Industry (GFI #116): Studies to Evaluate the Safety of Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Human Food: Genotoxicity Testing—VICH GL23(R) Draft Guidance for Industry: Proprietary Names on Drug Labeling Draft Guidance for Industry: Design and Submission of Distributor …
BIVI Unveils Updated WebsiteFebruary 2, 2015Veterinary drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. today announced the launch of a revamped website designed for better navigation and for improved performance on mobile devices. Among the features of the website, www.bi-vetmedica.com, are sections on the St. Joseph, Mo., company and its products, technology and charity program, BIVI Giving Well. “The goal of the new website was to improve site navigation and experience for customers and employees who are looking for information ranging from the products we manufacture to the job opportunities that are available in our growing U.S. business,” said Tim Bettington, vice president of sales and marketing. BIVI is the fifth-largest animal health company in the United States, according to the company. More website changes are coming, Bettington said. “We plan to add additional resources, information and tools to the website in 2015,” he said. BIVI, the U.S. division of the global company Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, has domestic operations in St. Joseph and in three Iowa cities: Ames, Fort Dodge and Sioux Center.
WVC, NAVC on Move in Future YearsFebruary 2, 2015Veterinarians accustomed to flying to Las Vegas in February or staying at Orlando’s Gaylord Palms Resort in January may have to rethink their plans. Western Veterinary Conference is moving to March show dates starting in 2016, and the North American Veterinary Community conference is switching times and locations beginning in February 2017. WVC traditionally is held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas each February, but the conference has overlapped and shared facilities with the fashion industry’s MAGIC trade show. “With Mandalay Bay currently hosting two major events at the same time, it adds tremendous pressure in coordinating logistics and increases the internal site pressures of servicing enormous crowds in all areas, such as parking, retail outlets, restaurants and more,” WVC stated. “The date change will allow some relief from that pressure and will work to enhance the participant experience in ways that have otherwise been out of WVC’s control.” The new WVC dates are March 6 to 10, 2016, March 5 to 9, 2017, and March 4 to 8, 2018. WVC’s upcoming 2015 show is set for Feb. 15 to 19. The changes prevent a schedule conflict with NAVC, which will move from mid-January show dates to …
Abaxis Enjoys Huge Jump in Sales, ProfitJanuary 30, 2015Third-quarter revenue and profit skyrocketed at Abaxis Inc. as the maker of point-of-care blood analyzers continued moving from direct sales to a distributor network. The Union City, Calif., company, which serves the veterinary and human medicine markets, on Thursday reported revenue of $59.5 million in the third quarter ending Dec. 31, 2014. The figure, a record, was a 46 percent spike over the same period in 2013. Gross profit jumped by 51 percent, to $29.2 million. About three-fourths of Abaxis’ business is in the veterinary arena. President and CEO Clint Severson praised the company’s distributors. Henry Schein Animal Health and Patterson Veterinary Supply began selling Abaxis products in the third quarter. “Our distribution partners are doing a great job of broadly embedding our leading-edge products and technologies within the medical and veterinary communities,” Severson said. The company is growing in other ways. Its acquisition of QCR & Trio Diagnostics Ltd., a United Kingdom-based distributor, became official in November 2014. Earlier in the year, the VCA Animal Hospitals chain agreed to stock Abaxis’ VetScan VS2 chemistry analyzers and diagnostic reagent discs. Most of the financial achievements were homegrown, company spokeswoman Valerie Goodwin-Adams said. “The success comes from the North American …
