Cows Protected From East Coast Fever; FDA Drafts Guidance of Animal Feed

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh have found cows are protected from a parasite that causes a deadly disease - East Coast Fever - if they've previously been infected with a closely-related yet milder species of the parasite. After tracking 500 Kenyan calves from birth to age 1 - researchers found deaths caused by East Coast Fever dropped 89-percent among calves infected with other species of parasite that don’t cause disease. Results suggest seeking a simple vaccine that could protect cows from East Coast Fever by inoculating them with a related, less harmful parasite.

The FDA recently released a draft guidance to help animal producers ensure the safety of animal feed that’s used on-farm. The draft document outlines steps animal producers can take to identify and prevent feed contaminants that are sometimes present in the farm production environment and could jeopardize the health of farm animals and the safety of human food derived from the animals. American Feed Industry Association intends to ask FDA to amend the draft to tell producers to contact the manufacturer about potential feed concerns.