Hunting dogs as possible vectors for the infectious disease tularaemia
Tularaemia is an infectious bacterial disease that is life-threatening for rodents, rabbits and hares, but which can also infect humans and dogs. While contact with contaminated blood or meat makes hunters a high-risk group, the frequency of infections among hunting dogs has not been much studied. Researchers from Vetmeduni Vienna have now confirmed a relevant prevalence of infections in Austrian hunting dogs following a serological study in which seven percent of the animals tested positive. This could lead to more intense debate as to whether the often asymptomatic animals represent an additional risk of infection for people
Europe's lost forests: Coverage has halved over 6,000 years
More than half of Europe's forests have disappeared over the past 6,000 years thanks to increasing demand for agricultural land and the use of wood as a source of fuel, new research led by the University of Plymouth suggests.
Scientists unveil the water buffalo genome
An international team of researchers led by the University of Adelaide has published the full genome of the water buffalo – opening the way for improved breeding and conservation of this economically important animal.
The consortium of partners in Australia, Italy, China, Brazil, and the USA, with additional contributors in other countries, say they have now created the tools needed to apply modern molecular breeding systems to water buffalo.
Reindeer genome unwrapped
Published today in the open-access journal GigaScience, is an article describing the sequencing and analysis of the reindeer genome. This work, although unlikely to reveal why Santa's reindeer can fly, provides a great resource for gaining greater understanding of the processes of evolution, domestication, animal husbandry, and adaptation to extreme environments.
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