A bat, with fruit.

Vet Advice: Pandemics lay at the door of human dilemma

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

From a recent article by Jocelyne Piret and Guy Boivin that appeared in Frontiers in Microbiology: The shift from hunter-gatherers to agrarian societies favoured the spread of infectious diseases in the human population. Expanded trade between communities increased interactions between humans and animals and facilitated the transmission of zoonotic pathogens. Increased travel and a growing […] Read more

Canola south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 3, 2017. (Dave Bedard photo)

Supply chain working but canola groups have concerns

Federal field trials need to continue and growers need protective equipment, they say

There have been no issues so far with supplies of inputs and parts, transportation or oilseed processing during the pandemic, canola industry officials report. “We’ve been really focused on making sure farmers have access to inputs and resources to get the 2020 crop in the ground,” Canola Council of Canada president Jim Everson said during […] Read more


Researchers see some promising uses for mRNA cattle vaccines, but they are unlikely to replace existing vaccines for common cattle diseases, partly due to practical limitations.

How and when to change vaccine lines

Animal Health: News Roundup from the September 2018 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

There are many difficult decisions to be made when changing the brand or manufacturer of a vaccine line. Hopefully this article will clarify how to go about making the decision and avoiding any gaps or overlaps that could develop if the right combinations are not chosen. The real comparisons can be made when you know […] Read more

VIDO-InterVac awarded funding for new cattle vaccines

VIDO-InterVac awarded funding for new cattle vaccines

Bovine tuberculosis and Johne's disease targeted for vaccine development

Work to develop vaccines against two diseases that attack the lungs and intestinal tracts of cattle has received a $2.9 million boost from Genome Canada to co-fund research at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan. Bovine tuberculosis affects the lungs of cattle and bison, and wild species […] Read more


Animals front and centre on emerging human diseases

In less than two decades, perspectives on the relationship of disease emergence in humans and domestic animals has changed dramatically. Toward the end of the 20th century, the underlying causes of emerging infectious disease were primarily attributed to aberrations in human behaviour. Methods of control and prevention were all too often centred on changing human […] Read more