Or, how two “great sparrow bees” incited a national hunt for alleged Chinese alien invaders BLAINE, Washington––How did the Asian giant hornet, known for centuries in Japan as the “great sparrow bee,” generally regarded as beneficial to farmers for killing insect pests, suddenly become feared in the U.S. as the so-called “murder hornet”? After […]
Blue Buffalo, Rachael Ray, Nutro, & 13 other brands linked to rare disease
When being big-hearted is not good in a dog SILVER SPRING, Maryland––Dogs are supposed to be big-hearted, but not in the literal sense. An abnormally enlarged heart can kill a dog, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration on June 27, 2019 warned for the second time in two years, this time linking the warning […]
Will feral pigs eat Hong Kong before Hong Kong eats the pigs?
Feral pigs may be poached as African swine fever & trade war cut off pig imports HONG KONG––A three-way collision among African swine fever, feral pigs, and the global pork industry, U.S. interests included, may be only days away in Hong Kong. Whatever the outcome, pigs––both factory-farmed and living free––are already the big net […]
Federal shutdown helps disease race from gamecocks to egg barns
Deadly exotic Newcastle outbreaks were all but ignored even before U.S. President Donald Trump furloughed most of the government personnel who could have responded RIVERSIDE, California–– Pleading for urgent attention to the recent spread of exotic Newcastle disease from southern California cockfighting flocks to commercial egg barns, Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) moderator […]
Brian Davies puts $49,562 toward Harvey animal rescue, challenges others to match it
International Fund for Animal Welfare founder reaches out from semi-retirement (See also Hurricane Harvey: who is doing what for animals? and Tropical Storm Harvey: helping animals caught in harm’s way.) HOUSTON, Texas––Five days into the Hurricane-turned-tropical-storm Harvey crisis, the largest transfer of funds to local animal relief announced by outside organizations remains the $49,562 sent to […]
Ringling elephant dies of herpes
Blow to breeding & research plans ELLENTON, Florida––The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation on January 25, 2016 lost a baby elephant named Mike to elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus––a blow to Ringling ambitions both in captive elephant breeding and in disease research. Birthed on June 27, 2013, Mike was among 26 […]