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Funding to improve poultry vaccines
Chicken
Chicken is the UK's most consumed meat.
Roslin Institute granted over five million pounds

Over five million pounds of funding has been granted to the Roslin Institute to design and improve vaccines for poultry.

Granted by the BBSRC, the £5.7m will be used to develop strategies to reduce infections in farmed animals, control food-borne diseases and minimise antibiotic use in the food chain.

The award is one of three recently funded grants thorough BBSRC's Strategic Longer and larger (sLoLa) scheme, which gives world-leading research teams five years of funding and resources to address major challenges.

Professor Mark Stevens, director of research at The Roslin Institute said: “We are delighted to partner with BBSRC and leading laboratories to tackle important poultry and foodborne diseases. Taken together with BBSRC strategic investment in the National Avian Research Facility here at The Roslin Institute the project will greatly help us to address the global challenge of improving food supply and safety.”

Chicken is the UK's most consumed meat and the most popular animal-based food in the world. However, poultry are key reservoirs of food borne pathogens such as Salmonella and Campylobactor and their productivity and welfare are constrained be endemic diseases caused by E.coli and clostridia.

The Roslin Institute say that this project aims to develop and refine vaccine to protect poultry flocks against Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and Clostridium infection.

The grant will also enable research to develop glycoengineering technology to produce a new generation of inexpensive veterinary vaccines.

The principal investigator of the project Brendan Wren, Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "Developing effective, inexpensive vaccines for livestock has multiple advantages, not just in protecting animals from disease, but also in reducing infections in humans and antibiotics in the food chain that are often used in rearing livestock. “

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.