Veterinary medicine

Veterinary infectious disease expert weighs in on coronavirus threat

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Influenza, SARS and COVID-19 are all zoonotic diseases, readily transmitted from animals to humans. The viruses that cause these diseases also share traits that allow them to quickly mutate, infect widely and spread around the world. In a new podcast, a veterinarian and expert in zoonotic diseases offers insights into the special […]

Veterinary medicine Veterinary neurologist Dr. Kari Foss greets a Dalmation puppy that needs his hearing tested.

Veterinarians: Dogs, too, can experience hearing loss

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Just like humans, dogs are sometimes born with impaired hearing or experience hearing loss as a result of disease, inflammation, aging or exposure to noise. Dog owners and K-9 handlers ought to keep this in mind when adopting or caring for dogs, and when bringing them into noisy environments, says Dr. Kari […]

Expert viewpoints

Leyi Wang, a virologist and professor of Veterinary Medicine.

What is the coronavirus spreading across the globe?

Editor’s note: The first case of a novel strain of coronavirus has been confirmed in the United States. The respiratory illness, which can cause pneumonia and other symptoms, was first reported in Wuhan, China, where hundreds have been sickened and at least 18 have died. Leyi Wang, a virologist and professor of veterinary medicine at […]

Veterinary medicine U. of I. veterinary clinical medicine professor Dr. Leyi Wang led the team that detected bovine kobuvirus in the U.S.

Team finds bovine kobuvirus in US

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A virus that afflicts cattle that was first discovered in Japan in 2003 has made its way to the U.S., researchers report in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. Bovine kobuvirus is fairly new to science, so its ill effects are not fully understood. It belongs to a family of viruses known as […]

Life sciences Graduate student Payel Mondal, left, biochemistry professor Kai Zhang and their colleagues developed a new optogenetic technique that will help scientists study protein function.

Graduate student Payel Mondal, left, biochemistry professor Kai Zhang and their colleagues developed a new optogenetic technique that will help scientists study protein function.

New approach uses light to stabilize proteins for study

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Researchers have developed a new technique that uses light to control the lifetime of a protein inside the cell. This method will allow scientists to better observe how specific proteins contribute to health, development and disease. Previous techniques for controlling protein levels involved adding chemicals that degrade specific proteins, said University of […]

Veterinary medicine With their colleagues, veterinary clinical medicine professors, from left, Dr. Ashley Mitek, Dr. Stephanie Keating and Dr. Maureen McMichael, developed an online pain management training program for veterinarians.

With their colleagues, veterinary clinical medicine professors, from left, Dr. Ashley Mitek, Dr. Stephanie Keating and Dr. Maureen McMichael, developed an online pain management training program for veterinarians.

Prescribing oral opioids for dogs likely doesn’t help them, veterinary experts say

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Sending ailing dogs home with oral opioids may not be an effective way to manage their pain, experts report in a free, online continuing education program recently developed for veterinarians. In light of growing evidence that such drugs don’t work well in dogs – added to the fact that humans sometimes abuse […]

Veterinary medicine New protocols will help emergency medical personnel stabilize, treat and transport law enforcement K-9s injured on the job.

New protocols will help emergency medical personnel stabilize, treat and transport law enforcement K-9s injured on the job.

Dog down: Effort helps emergency medical staff treat law enforcement K-9s

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Recognizing a gap in care for law enforcement K-9s injured on the job, a team of veterinarians, emergency medical services experts and canine handlers has developed protocols for emergency medical service personnel who may be called upon to help treat and transport the injured dogs. The protocols appear in a special report […]

Expert viewpoints The risk of some mosquito-borne diseases can go up with increased rainfall, U. of I. entomology professor Brian Allan said. However, excess rainfall can reduce the number of mosquitos that hatch in stormwater catch basins, such as the Culex species that carry West Nile virus.

The risk of some mosquito-borne diseases can go up with increased rainfall, U. of I. entomology professor Brian Allan said. However, excess rainfall can reduce the number of mosquitos that hatch in stormwater catch basins, such as the Culex species that carry West Nile virus.

Does more rain mean more risk of mosquito-borne diseases in Illinois?

Editor’s note: Experts have ranked May 2019 as one of the wettest Mays on record in central Illinois. Is it possible that the incidence of mosquito-borne illnesses increases with the amount of rainfall? To find out, News Bureau science writer Ananya Sen asked Brian F. Allan, an entomology professor at the University of Illinois. […]

Life sciences Veterinary medicine Cilia in the efferent ductules of the male reproductive tract don’t transport sperm, as was previously thought, but agitate the fluid to keep the sperm from aggregating, new research indicates. Rex Hess was a co-author on the study.

Cilia in the efferent ductules of the male reproductive tract don’t transport sperm, as was previously thought, but agitate the fluid to keep the sperm from aggregating, new research indicates. Rex Hess was a co-author on the study.

Cilia beat to an unexpected rhythm in male reproductive tract, study in mice reveals

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Waves of undulating cilia drive several processes essential to life. They clear debris and mucus from the respiratory tract, move spinal fluid through the brain and transport embryos from the ovaries to the uterus for implantation. According to a new study in mice, however, cilia perform somewhat differently in the male reproductive […]

Life sciences Viruses may inject their DNA into a host cell synchronously or randomly, a new study finds. The difference appears to influence the course of infection.

Viruses may inject their DNA into a host cell synchronously or randomly, a new study finds. The difference appears to influence the course of infection.

Discovery: Mechanical properties of viral DNA determine the course of infection

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study reveals a previously unknown mechanism that governs whether viruses that infect bacteria will quickly kill their hosts or remain latent inside the cell. The discovery, reported in the journal eLife, also may apply to viruses that infect humans and other animals, the researcher said. “I found for the first […]

Veterinary medicine U. of I. researchers identified the factors most closely associated with a countrys risk of experiencing an outbreak of chikungunya or dengue.

U. of I. researchers identified the factors most closely associated with a countrys risk of experiencing an outbreak of chikungunya or dengue.

Study explores risk factors linked to chikungunya and dengue outbreaks

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers analyzed chikungunya and dengue outbreak data from 76 countries over a period of 50 years, focusing on regions across the Indian Ocean that are hard hit by these and other mosquito-borne infectious diseases. The analysis of 1959-2009 data revealed that population density […]

Life sciences Veterinary medicine Comparative biosciences professor Aditi Das and veterinary clinical medicine professor Timothy Fan found that a class of molecules that form when the body metabolizes omega-3 fatty acids may prevent cancer from migrating.

Comparative biosciences professor Aditi Das and veterinary clinical medicine professor Timothy Fan found that a class of molecules that form when the body metabolizes omega-3 fatty acids may prevent cancer from migrating.

Products of omega-3 fatty acid metabolism may have anticancer effects, study shows

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A class of molecules formed when the body metabolizes omega-3 fatty acids could inhibit cancer’s growth and spread, University of Illinois researchers report in a new study in mice. The molecules, called endocannabinoids, are made naturally by the body and have similar properties to cannabinoids found in marijuana – but without the […]

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