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UK ebola vaccine trials begin
vaccine
The ebola outbreak in West Africa has caused more than 1,200 deaths.
Human trials fast-tracked due to West Africa epidemic

Trials of an experimental ebola vaccine are to begin in the UK. Human trials have been fast-tracked due to the current ebola outbreak in West Africa that has killed more than 1,200 people.

A group of 60 volunteers will be injected with the vaccine, which has been developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The trial is being led by the Jenner Institute in Oxford. It aims to determine whether the vaccine causes unforeseen side effects and gives a good immune response to the ebola virus.

Professor Hill, director of the Jenner Institute, said: "The tragic events unfolding in Africa demand an urgent response. In recent years, similar investigational vaccines have safely immunised infants and adults against a range of diseases including malaria, HIV and hepatitis C.

"We, and all our partners on this project, are optimistic that this candidate vaccine may prove useful against ebola."

If the trials are successful, 10,000 doses will be manufactured and made available for an emergency immunisation programme in high risk areas.

Pre-clinical research involving non-human primates suggests the vaccine offers promising protection and no significant side effects.

The vaccine is against the Zaire species of ebola which is circulating West Africa. It uses a single benign ebola virus protein, meaning it cannot cause a person injected with the vaccine to become infected with ebola as it does not contain infectious virus material.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.