Anivive Lifesciences (Anivive) announced it will present the findings from its groundbreaking research on developing a systemic antifungal vaccination, which would be the first worldwide. Anivive will share the findings during the World Vaccine Congress happening April 1-4.

According to the release, Edward Robb, DVM, chief strategy officer at Anivive is leading a team of researchers at Anivive that are collaborating with the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona.

 The joint efforts have led to the development of a novel vaccine candidate to target coccidioidomycosis fungal infection, commonly referred to as Valley Fever.

Robb will present the findings on behalf of the team and will focus his lecture on the crucial need for an effective antifungal disease, especially considering the increase of fungal infections across the world as well as the challenges faced when developing this kind of vaccination. A study published earlier this year in 

 found that the global incidence and mortality from invasive fungal diseases is substantially higher than previously thought.

The study used data collected from 85 papers on individual countries and global disease burden from 2010 to 2023 and estimated that over 6.55 million people are affected by an invasive fungal infection and 3.8 million reported deaths. Researchers of the study also noted that these estimates do not include influenza or COVID-19 outbreaks. Out of those reported deaths, about 68% were directly connected to a fungal infection.

"We are at a pivotal moment in the fight against fungal infections," said Robb. "The development of an antifungal vaccine represents a transformative approach to combating these pervasive and often overlooked pathogens. I am honored to share our findings at the World Vaccine Congress and contribute to the global dialogue on vaccine innovation."

The research conducted by Robb and his team was a collaborative effort bringing together private and public enterprises to create a significant breakthrough within vaccinology and could lead researchers to become the first to prevent a systemic fungal infection that is common in dogs and humans. Current and traditional treatment options are often long and costly therapies with the risk of relapse as well as drug resistance. A vaccine of this nature can offer an alternative by using the body’s immune system to prevent the infection altogether.

The presentation will give attendees insights into the vaccine’s mechanisms of action, preclinical studies for efficacy, and the microbial safety of the vaccine.

Anivive to present groundbreaking research on the first systemic antifungal vaccine at World Vaccine Congress. News release. Anivive Lifesciences Inc. April 4, 2024. Accessed April 4, 2024. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/anivive-to-present-groundbreaking-research-on-first-systemic-antifungal-vaccine-at-world-vaccine-congress-302108375.html

Denning DW. Global incidence and mortality of severe fungal disease - Author's reply. 

. Published online February 20, 2024. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00103-8

Articles

Anivive plans to share its groundbreaking research on the first systemic antifungal vaccination that will be a solution for humans and pets 

Groundbreaking vaccination research shared at World Vaccine Congress

Known for fostering crucial dialogues, The Bridge Club is gearing up for another significant event: a virtual discussion on Veterinary Technician Title Protection scheduled for April 24, 2024.

The conversation aims to tackle the pressing need, as highlighted in a 2022 report by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America, for the legal protection of the title "Veterinary Technician," a desire shared by the majority of professionals in the field. Currently, there's a growing legislative push to address concerns raised by veterinary technicians. While some states like North Carolina have reinforced protections, others are still grappling with providing clarity on the matter.

Heather Prendergast, RVT, CVPM, SPHR, a trailblazer in the veterinary technician profession as the first Veterinary Technician to preside over the Board of Directors for Viticus and CEO of Synergie Veterinary Consulting Group, remarked, “The veterinary technician profession has long struggled with inconsistency and lack of standards in the United States. The term 'Veterinary Technician' is frequently misused and misunderstood, creating confusion both within the veterinary community and among consumers.”

The Bridge Club's discussion will feature an esteemed panel. Alongside Prendergast, attendees can expect insights from other distinguished experts including: Beckie Mossor, RVT, President-Elect of NAVTA and Founder of the Veterinary Industry Giving Tree; Sam Geiling, RVT, Co-chair of NAVTA's Government Relations Committee and Chief of Staff for the Animal Policy Group; and Shannon Nowak, BS, LVT, RVT, Secretary for the North Carolina Association of Veterinary Technicians and VP of Education for The Bridge Club.

The conversation will delve into key aspects such as:

What constitutes title protection and why it’s crucial?

What factors contribute to the variation in title protection across states?

What is the current landscape of title protection on a state-by-state basis?

How can participants contribute to the advancement of title protection?

To join this insightful virtual conversation free of charge, register here. For those interested in submitting questions beforehand, please email catherine@thebridgeclub.com.

Providing comprehensive review on the status by state for veterinary echnicians

The Bridge Club tackles veterinary technician title protection

Alternative and non-traditional diets have been a controversial topic in veterinary nutrition since every dog’s nutritional needs could be slightly different based on age, breed, medical conditions, size, etc. Raw diets and plant-based diets have been discussed thoroughly, but the research is still fairly new in both sectors. However, 3 studies examined how dogs respond to plant-based diets and both found positive outcomes.

One study looked at 15 clinically healthy (researcher-determined) client-owned adult dogs living in households in Los Angeles County, California. Dogs in the study were either fed a meat-based diet as a baseline or a complete and well-balanced canine plant-based nutrition diet. Dogs were evaluated at 0, 6, and 12 months, with a complete blood count (CBC), blood chemistry, cardiac biomarkers, plasma amino acids, and serum vitamin concentrations.

Researchers found that the dogs on the plant-based diet maintained healthy exams at each biomarker and suggests the security of feeding canines a fully plant-based diet.

The second study considered genetic changes that may indicate an evolution in canines that now allows for this adaptation to a starch-rich diet. Researchers on this study compared domesticated canine genes to that of wolves to highlight differences in evolution and which genes specifically could contribute to key roles in starch digestion and fat metabolism. Results found that dogs have developed 10 genes that are different from wolves, allowing dogs to eat starch-rich plant foods and thrive on omnivorous diets.

A third study surveyed owner perceptions of health and wellbeing of dogs and compared between those fed meat-based and plant-based diets. Key findings from this owner questionnaire revealed that dog owners reported no adverse health outcomes attributable to being fed a plant-based diet and there were fewer ocular or gastrointestinal and hepatic disorders in the dogs that were fed plant-based diets.

"We've always known dogs do well on a complete and balanced plant-based diet," said Bob Goldstein, DVM, cofounder and head of veterinary product development at Earth Animal, in a news release. "Over the years, we have seen friends and family raise healthy, happy, energetic, plant-based dogs. Now, the research has substantiated the evidence."

According to a news release, most plant proteins are hypoallergenic and have a better impact on the environment than meat-based diets. Raising animals for food makes a lot of greenhouse gases because it requires significant amounts of land and water use for production.

Wisdom From the Seed by Earth Animal. (Photo courtesy of Earth Animal)

"Pet parents can significantly reduce a dog's carbon pawprint and help combat climate change simply by incorporating plant-based food into their diet one or even two days a week. Pet parents can also play a positive role with regards to animal welfare for animals being raised for meat,” Goldstein added.

Goldstein’s company Earth Animal offers a new air-dried, plant-based dog food, Wisdom From the Seed. The commercial diet’s formula includes lentil protein, quinoa, sunflower seed protein, alfalfa juice concentrate protein, and potato protein and has a 28% protein content, which exceeds the standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials for complete and balanced nutrition.

Linde A, Lahiff M, Krantz A, Sharp N, Ng TT, Melgarejo T. Domestic dogs maintain positive clinical, nutritional, and hematological health outcomes when fed a commercial plant-based diet for a year. 

. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.18.525405

Axelsson, E., Ratnakumar, A., Arendt, ML. et al. The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet. 

Dodd S, Khosa D, Dewey C, Verbrugghe A. Owner perception of health of North American dogs fed meat- or plant-based diets. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.06.002

Dogs have been evolving alongside humans for so long, they can now thrive on plant-based diets, studies show. News release. Earth Animal. March 19, 2024. Accessed April 4, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dogs-have-been-evolving-alongside-humans-for-so-long-they-can-now-thrive-on-plant-based-diets-studies-show-302093426.html#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20dogs%20have%20evolved,%2C%20experts%20say%2C%20is%20genetics.

Research proves dogs maintain positive clinical, nutritional, and hematological health when fed commercial plant-based diet

Dogs can have healthy outcomes with plant-based diets, studies reveal

Sarah Taylor, ECVS, RCVS Specialist in Equine Surgery, and Padraig Kelly, MVM, MRCVS, Dip ECVS with a patient at The University of Edinburgh’s Dick Vet Equine Hospital (Images courtesy of The University of Edinburgh’s Dick Vet Equine Hospital)

The University of Edinburgh’s Dick Vet Equine Hospital (Dick Vet Equine Hospital) announced it now has a standing CT scanner to complement the hospital’s existing standing MRI scanner. The delivery of the Hallmarq VisionCT also makes Dick Vet Equine Hospital the first in Scotland to offer both the standing CT and MRI to its patients.

According to an organizational release, the dual imaging modalities will improve existing diagnostic treatments and expertise significantly.

The hospital will also perform a 3-year study to assess which imaging systems for detecting different distal limb issues is preferred.

“We are excited to offer both standing MRI and CT scans at no extra cost to our clients. This will significantly aid the diagnosis of lameness of our patients. Having both imaging modalities will also provide an excellent opportunity to do some sensitivity and specificity studies to determine whether CT or MRI is better for detecting different injuries in a horse's foot,” expressed Padraig Kelly, MVM, MRCVS, Dip ECVS, in the release.

Dick Vet Equine Hospital received the standing CT scanner last month and it’s designed for scanning the distal limbs in standing sedated equine patients. When patients are referred to the hospital for an MRI of their foot or lower limb, the horse will also now receive a free CT scan beforehand for the duration of the 3-year study.

 Professionals at the hospital will use the CT scan to check the hoof wall for metal clenches that could be present prior to the MRI to avoid any injuries associated with metal migrating within the MRI.

This multimodal and 3D imaging approach can provide the veterinary team with an enhanced level of information regarding the patient’s hoof capsule and its contents to help with diagnosing and treating these patients. The new CT’s scanner rotates around the patient’s leg and performs the high-resolution 3D, potentially within 3 minutes.

 The machine has a cone beam nature to it that can be programmed to focus on a certain area of the horse’s lower leg to minimize radiation exposure to the surrounding tissues.

The scanner is in a multipurpose built-room that has a walk-in, walk-out floor-level system to make the horses easy entry and safe exit is ensured for the standing, sedated horses which means the team will no longer need to use general anesthesia.

Because the CT relies on X-rays and tissue density, the veterinary team will be able to better identify issues that are affecting the bone and hoof wall of the patient. A standing CT scan could also image the foot, pastern, and fetlock simultaneously in under 5 minutes, once the patient has been sedated and positioned.

“Having used the Hallmarq MRI system for over 19 years at the University of Edinburgh I am looking forward to seeing the additional benefits combined CT and MRI imaging can bring to lameness diagnosis,” expressed Sarah Taylor, ECVS, RCVS Specialist in Equine Surgery.

Dick Vet Equine Hospital first in Scotland to offer standing CT and MRI to patients. News release. The University of Edinburgh’s Dick Vet Equine Hospital. March 22, 2024. Accessed April 3, 2024. https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/news-events/2024/dick-vet-equine-hospital-first-in-scotland-to-offe

The University of Edinburgh’s Dick Vet Equine Hospital will offer enhanced level of imaging modalities for its patients

The Royal School of Veterinary Studies becomes Scotland’s first hospital to offer both standing CT and MRI 

, host Adam Christman interviews the guest about their work in veterinary medicine, their life outside of veterinary medicine, new developments in the field, etc. However, in a turn of events, this week's guest Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, turned the tables on Dr Christman by interviewing him instead.

On this week's episode, Christman and Weinstein take a trip down memory lane to discuss Christman's start into the world of veterinary medicine, what inspired him to become the social media influencer he is today, and how the duo hopes veterinary professionals are being dream weavers, not stealers. 

: So when did you get bitten by the social media bug? Was it a Lyme disease tick? Was it a mosquito? When did you go and decide that you wanted to have a greater presence than the one you have already?

: It had to be the Lone Star Tick for sure. When I was practicing, I did some educational videos. So YouTube was just a thing back then and that was doing shelter medicine. I'll never forget this one story of a dachshund that needed a home and I said Holy smokes this is so powerful that overnight it got 400,000 views. And by the time I went to the shelter, we had a home for this dog. So I thought it was really powerful doing that. 

I like the education of it. That's why I even transitioned and pivoted over to continuing education. But then when COVID-19 hit even further, I noticed that our colleagues were getting hammered. Hammered with the influx of things. I said, 'How can I help? What can I do myself while I'm here?' and so I said let me do more educational videos. I go live on social media, I've been going live on TikTok, and I'm really engaging with the audience.

Podcasts

Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, interviews host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, on this week's episode of The Vet Blast Podcast

Flipping the script

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) recognizes the current struggle veterinary medicine is facing with the staff shortage seen across the profession. Data from the BVA’s own research survey found that 17% of vets are actively planning to leave the profession in the next 5 years, with another 19% unsure whether they will remain in the profession long term.

 Hiring new employees can be a long, difficult, and costly process, so BVA has created a new toolkit that supports employees who are returning to the veterinary workforce, in order to smooth the transition back in.

The new resource is available to all BVA members and includes guidance for employees, managers, and employers looking to return after time away from the profession. The toolkit also includes return to work checklists, legal acts and examples, a real-world case study (with more to come), and other helpful resources.

BVA president Anna Judson said in a organizational release, “Whilst Brexit, the pandemic and other external factors have exacerbated the profession’s ongoing recruitment issues, we must recognize there is more we can do as a profession to retain our highly skilled teams, as well as encourage vets back into the workforce. We know there are many members of team vet who are not currently practicing for a variety of reasons, but with the right support, could return and make an invaluable contribution.”

Additional data discovered from the BVA survey found that 1 in 3 vets has taken parental leave during the course of their career.

 Parental leave can cause an extended amount of time away from the profession and this toolkit can help new parents easily transition back into the veterinary field upon their return.

Women veterinarians are more inclined to take this form of leave (40%), and when questioned about the supportiveness they experienced from their employer during their time off and re-entry into work, only 24% felt very well supported, in contrast to nearly half of male veterinarians (48%). One in 7 women veterinarians (14%) felt entirely unsupported.

“We want to build a modern, accessible profession for everyone, with veterinary workplaces offering an inclusive and supportive environment for all members of team vet. I know from experience how daunting it can be to return to veterinary work after stepping away, even for a relatively short time. There are simple steps that can be taken by employers and employees to make the transition more positive on both sides. Our new checklists are a great tool to help you work through the process,” Judson stated.

BVA hopes this toolkit can be one of several resources for its members to use for improving retention in veterinary practices.

#TimeForChange: BVA launches ‘Return to work’ toolkit to help tackle workforce issues. News release. British Veterinary Association. February 26, 2024. Accessed April 3, 2024. 

https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/news-article/bva-launches-return-to-work-toolkit-to-help-tackle-workforce-issues/

Return to work: support for employees, employers and managers. British Veterinary Association. February 26, 2024. Accessed April 3, 2024. 

https://www.bva.co.uk/resources-support/hr-and-employment/return-to-work-support-for-employees-employers-and-managers/

The British Veterinary Association aims to encourage staff to return to the veterinary workforce with helpful resources