Working Safely with African Swine Fever Virus

Jun 30, 2022

Abstract: Working Safely with African Swine Fever Virus
Risk assessment is the cornerstone of working safely with biological agents.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Laboratory Biosafety Manual Fourth Edition Monograph on Risk Assessment provides stepwise guidance for carrying out a risk assessment, from gathering information and identifying hazards to evaluating the risks and developing and implementing controls and review. To support the development of a mature safety culture within laboratories, it is important that all staff who handle biological agents understand the process of risk assessment and receive training in identifying hazards and mitigating risk. All personnel can partake in risk assessments, and the guidance is written in such a way that it is applicable to all-not just to biosafety professionals, laboratory scientists, or facility managers.

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Video: 2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.