Author Archives: Julie Ciaramella

Scientists search for source of H7N9

April 10, 2013 | Julie Ciaramella | Leave a comment

Reports have surfaced over the past week about a new strain of avian influenza, H7N9, which was found in China and has infected 24 people and killed eight. So far, scientists say H7N9 can’t be transmitted from human to human, but they’re searching for the source of the virus and determining its pandemic potential.

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Posted in Zoonoses/Shared Disease | Tagged , , , , ,

Dogs provide support to cancer patients

March 21, 2013 | Julie Ciaramella | 2 Comments

When someone is diagnosed with cancer, their families provide support — and often, that family also includes a four-legged member. Cancer patients say that their pets provide love and companionship and decrease stress levels. Their dogs’ support helps them get out of bed every day, even when they feel like they physically can’t do so.

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Posted in Human-Animal Connections | Tagged , , ,

Researchers hope new rabies vaccine will reduce costs, increase accessibility

March 13, 2013 | Julie Ciaramella | Leave a comment

By using canine parainfluenza, researchers at the University of Georgia were able to create a new rabies vaccine. Professor Biao He used genetic engineering to place a non-viral piece of the rabies virus into parainfluenza virus 5, or PIV5. Using this technique, He and his team created a vaccine that will allow humans and animals to build up antibodies to protect them from future infections.

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Public health veterinarians keep our food safe, prevent spread of disease

January 28, 2013 | Julie Ciaramella | Leave a comment

When most people think of veterinarians, they probably imagine a doctor treating companion animals. But as any veterinarian could tell you, there are many fields they work in: academia, military service, and public health, just to name a few. More than 1,100 public health veterinarians work for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) — part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture — ensuring that our food is safe and preventing the spread of diseases.

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Posted in Roles of Veterinarians |

Alert dogs help people with Type 1 diabetes

December 11, 2012 | Julie Ciaramella | Leave a comment

More people with Type 1 diabetes are using service dogs that alert them and their families when blood-sugar levels are dangerously low. These dogs are “lifesavers,” says Dr. Dana Hardin, a pediatric endocrinologist who presented research on the topic of hypoglycemic alert dogs at this year’s American Diabetes Association conference.

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Posted in Human-Animal Connections, Research | Tagged ,