Mountain lions are taking more risks
Los Angeles is known for its movie stars and beaches. It’s also known for being one of only two megacities in the world that supports a population of big cats. Despite being surrounded by a vast network of busy freeways and over ten million people, mountain lions have somehow managed to eke out a living in the wooded LA-area hills. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on October 20 have found that wildfires, and specifically the 2018 Woolsey fire, are putting the LA mountain lions’ future in more doubt.
More than 20 gene loci associated with canine hip dysplasia
Key to the study was the opportunity to utilize the world's largest canine DNA bank maintained by Professor Hannes Lohi's research group. We validated the disease association of 21 loci from 14 chromosomes," says Professor Antti Iivanainen from Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, and continues: "Genes related to a protein modification process known as neddylation were overrepresented among the genes residing in the validated loci. This was an interesting new find.
Role of veterinarians in public health
Making prevention of zoonotic diseases a priority within our hospital and to our clients is of the utmost importance. The extra attention we give to educating the clients on zoonotic diseases protects the pets, protects their household members, and can save them money. It can win loyal clients for the practice.