News

Researcher Hege Hellberg participated in a course in shrimp diseases at the University of Arizona in July. The course was supervised by Professor Dr. Donald V. Lightner - one of the worlds most prominent experts on diseases in farmed shrimps.

This summer several cases of foot rot was discovered in sheep. The disease can lead to serious limpness and pains for the animals, as well as reduced production and increased cost for farmers.

The contagious animal-disease bluetongue was confirmed in Sweden for the first time. The National Veterinary institute is monitoring the situation carefully.
- We are now assessing the risk of the disease coming to Norway, says assistant director Harald Gjein.

In this years hunting season several cases of inflammations in the feet of wild reindeer was found. Prelimanary investigations at the National Veterinary Institute points at Foot rot in the northern part of Rondane. The same disease was found in last years hunting season in the South of Rondane.

Two new cases of Tularemia in a hare, also known as 'rabbit fever', in Østlandet region was confirmed this week. In total there has been four cases of the disease this year in Østlandet. Analysis and autopsy performed at the National Veterinary Institute confirmed the diagnosis.

The newly published report on zoonoses in Norway 2007 (Trends and sources of zoonoses and zoonotic agents in humans, foodstuffs, animals and feedingstuffs) demonstrates very low levels of zoonotic diseases in Norway.

European crayfish in Glomma river has been diagnosed with crayfish plague. The disease is considered a serious threat to the Norwegian stock of European crayfish. Previously the disease has been diagnosed in Glomma river in 1987, 2004/2005 and in September of last year.

We need better knowledge about algal toxins in shellfish, to protect both public health and a seafood industry. Various algal species produce compounds that can accumulate in shellfish and be poisonous to humans. Dr Chris Miles from New Zealand is in Norway for a 2-year EU Fellowship to develop new knowledge about algal toxins in shellfish and their effects on humans.

The National Veterinary Institute will get a new EU project; BASELINE, about food sampling and food safety. The institute will lead the work package about seafood, and be involved in the work packages about meat, fruits and vegetables, and harmonising of food sampling regimes.

The signal crayfish is foreign and unwanted in Norwegian territory. It carries the crayfish-plague which is a serious threath to the Norwegian stock of European crayfish. The measures taken against the signal crayfish in Dammane natural reservoir is the subject of a new report by the National Veterinary Institute.