Lab Leak or Wild Boar Snack? Spain’s Swine Fever Mystery Has the Pork World on Edge
African swine fever is back in the headlines, and this time the story reads more like a thriller than a textbook case report. Spain, the European Union’s top pork producer, is investigating whether a recent outbreak of swine fever near Barcelona could be linked to a laboratory leak. For veterinary professionals, the situation raises urgent questions about biosecurity, surveillance, and how research and real world disease control intersect.
From Couch to Clinic: Are Cats and Dogs the Next Influenza Wildcards?
For decades, influenza A virus research focused on birds, pigs, and people. Since the early 2000s, cats and dogs have quietly entered the conversation. Canine influenza viruses established themselves as stable lineages, and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses have been increasingly detected in cats. For veterinary professionals, this shift matters. Companion animals sit squarely at the human animal interface, sharing homes, airspace, and sometimes food with people. That proximity creates opportunities for viral adaptation that were not seriously considered a generation ago.