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Ebola vaccine trial temporarily halted
Injection
A clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine has been temporarily halted after some patients complained of fever and muscle pain.

Volunteers complain of fever and muscle pain

A clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine has been temporarily halted as a precautionary measure after four patients complained of fever and muscle pain, the University of Geneva announced on Thursday (December 11).

In a statement, the hospital said: "All of these volunteers are in good health and are being monitored regularly by the team in charge of the study."

The hospital say that the reactions were expected and the participants were informed about them during the medical consultation which took place before their inclusion in the study.

The trials are set to resume again on 5 January, after checks to ensure that the joint pain symptoms in hands and feet are "benign and transient."

Scientists are racing to develop Ebola vaccines after the world's worst outbreak of the virus has killed more than 6,000 people in West Africa so far this year.

59 volunteers have been vaccinated so far in the human safety trials in Geneva, which began in November. The hospital says that initial results from the trials show that the vaccination is very well tolerated.

Similar studies are also underway in the United States, Canada, Germany and Gabon. 

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

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Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.