To fight the latest outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, faculty in veterinary medicine, animal science, wildlife management, epidemiology, virology, diagnostics, agricultural engineering, mathematical modeling and related fields created a new One Health Initiative working group in the spring. UTIA research includes methods to test for infection before symptoms appear and the use of air filters to prevent the spread of the virus. The new poultry unit in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s virology and immunology diagnostic laboratory is undergoing a certification process that will allow it to apply to join the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and test large numbers of samples. Meanwhile, UT Extension specialists promote biosecurity to reduce the spread of the virus.
UTIA Leads Training to Aid K9s
Leslie Wereszczak, director of the UT College of Veterinary Medicine’s emergency and critical-care service, started the Emergency Management of the Working Dog Conference after she and other personnel tried to help first responders on the phone treat Cain, a Crossville Police Department K9 stabbed during a chase. By the time they reached Knoxville, Cain could not be saved. First responders said they wished they had known how to treat the dog’s injuries. The two-day conference, held annually in May, teaches CPR, wound management and bandaging, IV catheter placement, and toxicology.
Extension Helps Players Stretch
Improving flexibility, endurance and strength are all benefits of yoga. The Adamsville High School Cardinals are joining the ranks of football teams using yoga in their workouts. Schancey Chapman, director of UT Extension McNairy County, leads yoga for the team. To watch a video about the workout, visit tiny.utk.edu/fbyoga.
Scientists Describe White Oak Genome
New research conducted by UTIA and other institutions describes for the first time the complex genome of the white oak, which could help forest managers plan for and address future forest resources. White oaks are abundant in eastern North America, but they are facing a decline in the number of seedlings that survive and become part of the existing population in some areas. Meg Staton, associate professor of bioinformatics and computational genomics in the UT Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, is one of the lead authors.
