Veterinary drugmaker Elanco Animal Health is expanding its space in the swine sector with a deal to buy the Quebec startup behind Coliprotec vaccines. Indianapolis-based Elanco announced Thursday it has paid $78.5 million to buy Prevtec Microbia, which is headquartered in Montreal with facilities in St-Hyacinthe. The Coliprotec line is meant to help protect pigs […] Read more
Elanco buys swine PWD vaccine maker
No proof natural compound prevents swine fever, China ag ministry says
Beijing | Reuters — China’s ministry of agriculture said on Thursday a company which claimed a natural compound was effective in preventing African swine fever did not have government approval to research the virus and its assertions were not scientifically sound. Shopping mall operator Guangdong Highsun Group was questioned by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange earlier […] Read more
Vaccines made simple(r) — basics you need to know
Here are some tips to cut through the confusion and help you decide on the best protocol for your ranch
Reading Time: 4 minutes We have all been there — it’s the day before preg check, you need to get your vaccine order in, and you just can’t seem to remember what you gave the girls last year. Was it the one in the turquoise box? The white box? It was the yellow box, that’s it! You put a […] Read more
Get as much health information as you can when buying cattle
Beef 911: Producers are doing a good job of caring for their cattle but often this information is not passed on to buyers
Reading Time: 4 minutes When purchasing or selling livestock, their health status — preventive shots given, deworming, and other relevant information — can be determined by a few simple questions. But these questions are seldom asked in cattle transactions these days. With cattle being of higher value, and often traversing long distances through different geographic areas, this information is […] Read more
Top tips for vaccinating
Storage, the injection route, and when you administer a vaccine are all key, says Dr. Nathan Erickson
Reading Time: 2 minutes Time it right A vaccine needs to match the immune response of the cattle to the vaccine and the period of greatest risk. “So for BVD, the risk period is the first three months of gestation, while IBR, lepto, and vibrio, they tend to be a little bit later in gestation — around four months,” […] Read more
University of Saskatchewan develops vaccine for PED
Reading Time: < 1 minute It has taken Saskatchewan veterinary researchers less than a year to develop, test and prototype a vaccine for PEDv, a devastating hog disease that has killed more than eight million pigs and cost pork producers $400 million worldwide. PEDv hit the United States in 2013 and spread to Canada in 2014. It was first discovered […] Read more
Field testing underway on Canadian PED vaccine
Field testing is underway and a corporate partner on board for development of a made-in-Saskatchewan vaccine to protect pigs against porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED). The University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) said Monday its prototype vaccine, first announced last year, has moved into field testing in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Manitoba […] Read more
New vaccine for most common type of food poisoning
Campylobacter jejuni infections outnumber all the well-known causes of food poisoning combined
Reading Time: 2 minutes A team of Alberta researchers has developed a poultry vaccine that can protect against a little known but common type of food poisoning — campylobacter jejuni. “Reported infections of campylobacter in Canada outnumber all the well-known causes of bacterial food poisoning including salmonella, shigella, listeria, and toxigenic E. coli combined,” said Christine Szymanski, CEO of […] Read more
Tips on the proper use of livestock antibiotics
Reading Time: < 1 minute Here are Dr. Craig Dorin’s recommendations for using antimicrobials effectively. Don’t use antimicrobials for diseases that they are not indicated for. For example, abscesses are a common problem, but these are localized infections. If the animal does not have a fever and the infection is not systemic, it doesn’t need an antibiotic. Similarly, don’t use […] Read more
Biosecurity practices for horses
Horse Health: Infectious organisms are effective ‘hitchhikers’ so avoid sharing water buckets and equipment at shows
Reading Time: 3 minutes Biosecurity measures do not need to be complicated or expensive undertakings to be effective. In fact the simplest of practices can make the most difference. Infectious and contagious diseases are not random events, rather the disease requires a chain of events to manifest — like the perfect storm. The viral, bacterial, parasitic or fungal pathogens […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
