Ticks can transmit diseases which, if not treated in time, threaten to the health of our four-legged friends. Vitares collaborates with the Evvivax company to create a veterinary vaccine against Lyme disease and the potential opportunistic co-infections that affect the already debilitated dogs.

Sars-Cov-2 is mutating. There are at least 8 subtypes differently distributed between Europe, North America and China. Fortunately, most of the variations are negligible and for now there is no sign that the virus is changing towards a more aggressive form. But the way the coronavirus changes and spreads is very important to combat the pandemic and develop vaccines that can evolve just as quickly.

Vaccinating wildlife could stop the next pandemic. After Sars-Cov-2 other pathogens will leap from animals to humans: we may protect our species by preventing the spread of the virus in the animal population.

The greatest danger of Covid-19 is its high contagiousness, which is leading to the collapse of our health system in the most affected regions. Although this virus is similar to that of Sars, it also has unique characteristics, thanks to which it spreads much faster.

In order to rapidly develop vaccines against Covid-19, researchers are using genetic engineering instead of traditional methods, which take years of development. Vaccines based on DNA or RNA have already reached human tests, but it is not yet clear whether they will work.

Takis, a biotech company located in Castel Romano, near Rome, announces that it is going to test its Covid-19 vaccine on pre-clinical models. The authorization comes from the Italian Ministry of Health and represents the first step in bringing the vaccine to human use. Takis researchers are the only ones in Italy and the first in Europe to access this phase of the experimentation.

The Covid-19 pandemic has raised awareness  about zoonoses, the diseases transmitted by animals to humans. But there are also reverse zoonoses, and they appear to be increasing. They occur when humans transmit pathogens to animals. Their number, as well as that of traditional zoonoses, is expected to grow. Unless we intensify research in the field and adopt a One Health approach, which recognizes the interdependence between the health and well-being of people and animals.

A more efficient immune system makes bats the ideal host for a large number of viruses at risk of "spillover". Not only Covid-19: Ebola, Sars, the Nipah virus and many others have also jumped into humans from bats. However, this is a consequence of human behavior, which is accelerating the transmission of diseases from wildlife to people.