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Liberia receives ebola serum supply
Medical imagery
The serum treatment will be monitored by doctors in Liberia (stock photo)
Treatment is made from the blood of recovered survivors

Liberia has started to treat patients infected with Ebola with serum therapy - a treatment made from the blood of recovered survivors, the BBC reports.

It is hoped that the experimental treatment will help combat the virus that has been killing thousands of people throughout West Africa.

The ebola serum is made from the blood of survivors, which contain antibodies to fight off the virus. It is made by removing the red blood cells, whilst keeping the important antibodies - which can be used to treat other patients.

In the UK and US, Ebola patients have already received this form of treatment.

The serum treatment will be monitored by doctors in Liberia, who will monitor how safe and effective the therapy is.

A number of Liberian health care workers have been trained to give the serum.

Dr David Hoover, the programme's director, said: "This will empower local health care systems to become more self-sufficient and better serve their patients during this current epidemic as well as in the future."

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RCVS Knowledge appoints Veterinary Evidence editor-in-chief

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has welcomed Professor Peter Cockcroft as editor-in-chief for Veterinary Evidence.

A world-renowned expert in evidence-based veterinary medicine, Prof Cockcroft will lead the strategic development and editorial quality of the open-access journal. He was previously in the role from 2017-2020.

Katie Mantell, CEO of RCVS Knowledge, said: "We are excited about the extensive knowledge of evidence-based veterinary medicine and clinical veterinary research that Peter brings, and we look forward to working with him over this next phase of the journal's development." 

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News Shorts
Defra to host bluetongue webinar for vets

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will be hosting a webinar for veterinary professional on bluetongue on Thursday, 25 April 2024.

Topics covered will include the transmission cycle, pathology and pathogenesis, clinical signs (including signs seen in recent BTV-3 cases in the Netherlands), and control and prevention.

The session, which will take place from 6pm to 7.30pm, is part of Defra's 'Plan, Prevent and Protect' webinar series, which are hosted by policy officials, epidemiologists and veterinary professionals from Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. The bluetongue session will also feature insights from experts from The Pirbright Institute.

Those attending will have the opportunity to ask questions. Places on the webinar can be booked online.