The Abstinence Method

In the United States, the use of antibiotics in livestock operations has become relatively standard, but a practice in Denmark is proving that antibiotics aren't necessarily crucial to the process. Although not all buy into this practice, one veterinarian has stated that “by changing the way farmers raise their animals, Denmark has shown that you can substantially reduce antimicrobial use in pig production and that it can be done without any long-term impact on productivity.”

For years, a rancher in Southern Oregon has been trying to keep a local pack of wolves from killing his livestock, and after many rounds of trial and error and collaborative efforts, a high-tech fence may be the solution. Although the fence isn't cheap, many came forward to help make this a possibility and show their support for a project that united people that historically have stood politically opposed.

Connecting villagers to local governments and researchers is important to controlling possible disease outbreaks at their source. The One Health disease protection program, also known as PODD, uses funding from Ending Pandemics, a San Francisco nonprofit, to run an app and system through which villagers and local officials can interface with health organizations. A special app developed translates local languages and transmits information back to organizations, agencies, and researchers at local universities.

Racing to contain the Zika outbreak, Brazil has deployed an army of health workers to eradicate mosquitoes. But in a country where standing water abounds, giving mosquitoes endless opportunities to breed, the task is daunting.

Researchers and livestock farmers in Montana are using drones with speakers that play human voices to scare off predators and mitigate conflict between the animals.

Mobile applications such as iCow and Smart Nkunganire System allow Rwandan farmers to submit data and information about disease symptoms they observe in their cattle, which is then reviewed by community animal health workers and veterinary professionals. The data has helped identify outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever and improve vaccination efforts.

The turkey and chicken industries have struggled with salmonella outbreaks that are more virulent and less responsive to antibiotics. The turkey industry responded immediately, forming a task force to study and fight the strain, vaccinating breeding flocks, setting up better barn sanitation, and making changes in processing plants to reduce cross-contamination. The chicken industry’s response has been slow and not transparent, and as a result it continues to spread and make people sick. On the other hand, 73% fewer turkeys are found to have the bacteria and reports of people getting sick have fallen by 65%.

Kano State in Nigeria has implemented a strategy to increase the likelihood of children receiving necessary vaccinations to reduce cases of polio. The strategy, which included enhanced training on administering the vaccinations, taking the vaccines directly to homes and "collaboration between policy makers and traditional leaders," has resulted in no cases of polio for the last five years.

Vaccinating and sterilizing canines proves more effective in curbing rabies than culling the stray animals. In Mumbai, India, city authorities have partnered with NGOs like In Defense of Animals India (IDA India) and Welfare for Stray Dogs (WSD) to vaccinate and sterilize the city’s stray dogs. The campaign has been effective in reducing human cases of rabies.

Drug-resistant cases of tuberculosis have been known to be impossible to cure, but a new drug trial in South Africa has changed the outcome for many suffering from this diagnosis. Although the trial that implements a three-drug regimen over the course of several months is still fairly new to the market, it has already gained approval by the Food and Drug Administration.