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English pig farmers' knowledge and behaviour towards African swine fever suspicion and reporting

African swine fever (ASF) is a notifiable, virulent swine disease, and is a major threat to animal health and trade for many European Union (EU) countries. Early detection of the introduction of ASF virus is of paramount importance to be able to limit the potential extent of…

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Distinct immune responses and virus shedding in pigs following aerosol, intra-nasal and contact infection with pandemic swine influenza A virus, A(H1N1)09

Influenza virus infection in pigs is a major farming problem, causing considerable economic loss and posing a zoonotic threat. In addition the pig is an excellent model for understanding immunity to influenza viruses as this is a natural host pathogen system. Experimentally…

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Enhanced immunosurveillance for animal morbilliviruses using vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) pseudotypes

The measurement of virus-specific neutralising antibodies represents the gold-standard for diagnostic serology. For animal morbilliviruses, such as peste des petits ruminants (PPRV) or rinderpest virus (RPV), live virus-based neutralisation tests require high-level…

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The conserved N-terminus of human rhinovirus capsid protein VP4 contains membrane pore-forming activity and is a target for neutralising antibodies

Human rhinovirus is the causative agent of the common cold and belongs to the non-enveloped picornavirus family. A trigger such as receptor binding or low pH initiates conformational changes in the capsid that allow the virus to attach to membranes and form a pore for the…

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What is stopping the use of genetically modified insects for disease control?

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Characterization of foot-and-mouth disease viruses collected in Nigeria between 2007 and 2014: evidence for epidemiological links between West and East Africa

This study describes the molecular characterization of 47 foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) viruses recovered from field outbreaks in Nigeria between 2007 and 2014. Antigen ELISA of viral isolates was used to identify FMD virus serotypes O, A and SAT 2. Phylogenetic analyses of…

Promising results in search for a more efficient and effective vaccine against Marek’s disease

Scientists at The Pirbright Institute have been encouraged by the results from a potential new vaccine candidate against Marek’s disease (MD). Using a recombinant (new combinations of genetic material) adenovirus which carries a single gene from a virulent strain of Marek’s…

International conferences are “invaluable opportunities” for Pirbright students

Training is a key part of The Pirbright Institute’s mission and each year the Institute offers a diverse range of research projects for prospective PhD students. During their time at Pirbright, students would normally attend (and hopefully present at), at least one…

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SIT 2.0: 21st Century genetic technology for the screwworm sterile-insect program

Release of sterile insects, the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), can be an extremely effective and precise method of pest control. A study in BMC Biology from the New World screwworm SIT program and others shows that modern genetic methods can provide major improvements even…

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Development and evaluation of tailored specific real-time RT-PCR assays for detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotypes circulating in East Africa

Rapid, reliable and accurate diagnostic methods provide essential support to programmes that monitor and control foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). While pan-specific molecular tests for FMD virus (FMDV) detection are well established and widely used in endemic and FMD-free…