News First 5/30
6 Jan 2007
The Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep is our state animal and lung worm has become their enemy number one. It's threatening their numbers statewide. "Sheep are very susceptible to the lung worm parasite. And it's not the parasite themselves that can kill the sheep, but the resulting pneumonia that they become susceptible to because they have that heavy parasite load," according to Michael Seraphin of the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
So biologists with the D.O.W. are hoping to study treatments for the disease on the herds living near Rampart Range. Wildlife officers and veterinarians plan to trap the herd under a net where they'll individually mark and test a group of 24 ewes as part of a five year research project. Only the females are studied because they're the ones who pass on the infection to their lambs.
CWD Not Spreading, DNR SaysThe Charleston Gazette
7 Jan 2007
J McCoy
When Hampshire County hunters brought in 1,335 deer to be screened for chronic wasting disease last fall, biologists figured at least a few infected animals would turn up. One did. It was the only one. Wildlife officials are reluctant to celebrate because the disease — which creates symptoms in deer and elk similar to mad cow disease in cattle — is notoriously difficult to get rid of.
But Paul Johansen, Division of Natural Resources assistant wildlife chief, calls it “positive news." “When you’re looking for a silver lining in the whole [chronic wasting disease] scenario, this is positive news,” Johansen said. “It’s a strong indication that the disease remains confined to a small geographic area.” All of the 10 CWD-positive deer discovered in Hampshire County were killed or found within 5 miles of Slanesville.
Fewer Deer Test Positive for Chronic Wasting Disease
The Associated Press (Posted by Sioux City Journal)
8 Jan 2007
The number of deer testing positive for chronic wasting disease fell statewide last year, the Nebraska Games and Park Commission reported. Bruce Trindle, who works in the commission's Norfolk office, said 17 deer out of 5,481 tested were found to have the disease.
The animals that tested positive included hunted and culled mule deer and hunted white-tail deer. According to the commission, they were found in Sheridan, Dawes, northeastern Cherry, Cheyenne, Sioux and Box Butte counties. Last year, 19 deer were found with chronic wasting disease. In 2005, there were 33 -- the most since the commission started testing in 1997.
'Free' Access to Research Should Not be Limited [Editorial]
SciDev.net
28 Dec 2006
D Agosti
All scientists — rich or poor — should have free and open access to published data; any attempt to restrict such access is unacceptable, argues Donat Agosti. Building a scientific knowledge base is crucial to all aspects of development, and access to scientific information is key to this process. But the high cost of journal subscriptions can prevent scientists in developing countries from learning about the latest research. Several initiatives have been set up to tackle this problem, but few have grasped the importance of providing openness to all.
One initiative intended to address the access issue is the Online Access to Research in the Environment (OARE) initiative launched in October 2006. Like its sister programmes, the Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) and Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA), OARE seeks to benefit developing country researchers by offering them access to scientrific journals at heavily reduced prices.
Journal Articles of Interest
Frog Virus 3 Infection, Cultured American Bullfrogs [Letter]
Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2007 Feb; 13(2):Epub ahead of print
DL Miller
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