increase font size
Leptospira sp. bacteria
A new video series produced and developed by Massey University researchers may save some of the 100 people each year that are affected by leptospirosis.
The seven-part series aims to give farmers information to protect themselves, their families, workers and livestock from the bacterial disease.
The University has produced documents in the past, including a flyer credited with saving ill farmer Phil Cregoe in 2009. His wife Jo says she recognised the symptoms that doctors missed as a result.
"I had the pamphlet from Massey and I kept trying to be firm but polite saying... I thought the meningitis-type state he was in was pointing towards lepto," Mrs Cregoe said at the time.
The video series goes further, including information on how to prevent the disease through vaccination of animals, recognising symptoms and how control its spread if farmers or livestock do become infected.
A team of academics from the Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences alongside staff from the School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, developed the series. With the institute team including world leaders in leptospirosis disease and diagnosis research Dr Jackie Benschop, Dr Julie-Collins-Emerson, Professor Cord Heuer and Professor Peter Wilson.
Dr Benschop says the video is important because so many cases of leptospirosis are going unnoticed. The estimated total number of cases is about 43 times higher than the number of notified cases, due to misdiagnosis or issues with accuracy of lab testing. It is a very complex disease, with multiple strains and hosts as well as an environmental component.
The launch of the series was part of a presentation at the Rural Women New Zealand annual conference last weekend. The videos are available on the Massey University YouTube channel.
Expect greater collaboration between Massey University’s school of Agriculture and Environment and Ireland’s leading agriculture university, the University College of Dublin (UCD), in the future.
The quest to find innovative practical, scientific solutions to deal with water-related issues at a catchment level has been the theme of an important conference at Massey University last week.
As veterinary student numbers grow to help address New Zealand's national workforce shortge, Massey University's School of Veterinary Science is inviting more veterinary practices to partner in training the next generation of vets.
Farmer interest continues to grow as a Massey University research project to determine the benefits or otherwise of the self-shedding Wiltshire sheep is underway. The project is five years in and has two more years to go. It was done mainly in the light of low wool prices and the cost of shearing. Peter Burke recently went along to the annual field day held Massey's Riverside farm in the Wairarapa.
The black and white coat of Holstein- Friesian cows is globally recognised as a symbol of dairy farming and a defining trait of domestic cattle. But until recently, scientists didn’t know which genes were responsible for the Holstein’s spots.
Fonterra’s impending exit from the Australian dairy industry is a major event but the story doesn’t change too much for farmers.
Expect greater collaboration between Massey University’s school of Agriculture and Environment and Ireland’s leading agriculture university, the University College of Dublin (UCD), in the future.
A partnership between Torere Macadamias Ltd and the Riddet Institute aims to unlock value from macadamia nuts while growing the next generation of Māori agribusiness researchers.
A new partnership between Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) and NZAgbiz aims to make evidence-based calf rearing practices accessible to all farm teams.
Despite some trying circumstances recently, the cherry season looks set to emerge on top of things.
Changed logos on shirts otherwise it will be business as usual when Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses are expected to change hands next month.
OPINION: Here w go: the election date is set for November 7 and the politicians are out of the gate…
OPINION: ECan data was released a few days ago showing Canterbury farmers have made “giant strides on environmental performance”.
