Winter arrives, coats thicken, and lice populations tend to explode—quietly cutting gains, damaging hides, and even causing anemia. We sit down with Thach Winslow DVM, a veteran beef cattle veterinarian and technical consultant, to map out a clear, workable plan for winter lice control that protects herd health and the bottom line.

We start by breaking down how lice survive summer heat in protected areas and why they surge as cattle “hair up.” Dr. Winslow explains the difference between chewing lice that irritate skin and sucking lice that draw blood and can debilitate animals, and he quantifies the real costs: lost weight, facility damage from rubbing, and downgraded hides. From there, we tackle strategy. You’ll hear why early treatment sets you up for a rebound, what the old two-pass system got right and wrong, and how modern options that target both adults and eggs can deliver season-long control—if you hit the window when winter truly settles in.

Application makes or breaks success. We share the exact placement from forehead to tailhead, why a stream nozzle beats a shower pattern, and how to get product onto the hide where lice live. Miss one animal and you risk reseeding your entire herd, so we cover simple checks to avoid costly do-overs. We also address real-world constraints: using temporary knockdowns when processing comes early, planning a return visit for the definitive treatment, and troubleshooting re-emergence without jumping to resistance.

If winter lice have ever blindsided your herd, this conversation gives you a plan to act with confidence. Treat late, treat right, and treat every head. If you find this helpful, follow the show, share it with a neighbor, and leave a quick review so more producers can dial in their winter health protocols.

Hunger rises fastest when good intentions collide with bad rules. We sit down with Brazil’s poultry leader, Ricardo Santin, to unpack how a country at the heart of global protein supplies is navigating animal diseases, as avian influenza; biosecurity; vaccination, and fair trade—without pricing families out of a meal. Ricardo shares data on Brazil’s production scale in chicken, pork, and eggs, then walks us through the real-world costs of blanket trade bans. The science is clear: properly handled and cooked meat doesn’t spread avian influenza, yet many markets still shut their doors, driving up prices for the poorest consumers.

We dig into One Health thinking—protecting animals, people, and the environment together—and why biosecurity remains the first line of defense. When diseases become endemic, vaccination matters, but markets have to recognize it. Ricardo makes the case for extending regionalization, zoning, and compartmentalization to vaccinated areas just as we do for outbreak zones. That shift protects flocks while keeping protein affordable, and it secures access to genetic material that low-income countries rely on to sustain their poultry sectors. Along the way, we explore the roles of WOAH, FAO, and national authorities in turning science-based standards into consistent, fair trade practices.

If you care about global food security, this conversation offers a pragmatic playbook: align policy with evidence, reward prevention, and design rules that keep safe food moving. We close with a simple principle that doubles as a challenge to policymakers and industry alike: There should be no borders for food. If this resonated, share it with a friend, leave a review, and subscribe so you never miss a candid look at where animal health meets our dinner tables.

Your co-hosts for ONE Health Live are Sarah Muirhead of Feedstuffs and Dennis Erpelding of Global Farm View.

Calves don’t read the playbook, so we wrote one that actually works on the ground. We brought in Dr. Jeremi Wurtz, a beef cattle technical consultant and veterinarian, to map out a clean, science-first path from the first sip of colostrum to a calm, productive post‑weaning period. The focus is simple: reduce stress, build immunity, and protect gains with choices that pay back in healthier calves and better margins.

We start where lifetime health really begins—colostrum. You’ll hear why poor passive transfer can multiply BRD risk and how that early immunity shapes everything that follows. From there, we get practical with low-stress weaning: fence-line or two-step approaches, gentle handling that keeps cattle thinking instead of reacting, and the small facility tweaks that make processing days smooth. Then we stack a smart vaccine plan on top, dialing in timing so calves get a priming dose before separation and a booster after they settle.

Nutrition and preconditioning take center stage as we talk bunk training, water access, and the role of ionophores like Rumensin in boosting average daily gain, feed efficiency, and coccidia control. If you’re developing heifers, you’ll learn how small efficiency gains bring more heifers into puberty earlier, improving conception rates and lifetime productivity. If you’re shipping steers to a feedlot, we outline how to hit intake fast and hold health steady to lower cost of gain. Finally, we dig into parasite control with real numbers.

Disease keeps moving faster than our systems, but prevention can win if we line up science, policy, and delivery. We sit down with HealthforAnimals’ executive director Carel du Marchie Sarvaas to unpack what the global animal health industry is seeing on the front lines—from avian influenza behaving like an annual wrecking ball to the quiet progress of antimicrobial stewardship that rarely makes headlines. The throughline is simple and urgent: healthier herds and flocks mean steadier food supplies, lower emissions, and less pressure on hospitals, yet animal health receives a tiny sliver of funding compared to its impact.

We pull back the curtain on why vaccines for HPAI remain underused despite proven options: fears of export bans, uneven regulation across borders, cold-chain gaps, and the hard math faced by smallholders. Then we dig into what would actually change outcomes—harmonized trade rules that recognize vaccination, targeted financing and delivery support, and agile regulation that keeps pace with new biologics and diagnostics. Along the way, we explore the AMR Roadmap’s 25 commitments, the data behind falling antibiotic use in many countries, and how new vaccines and diagnostics are helping shift from blanket use to precision stewardship.

Zooming out, we examine how the quadripartite (FAO, WHO, WOAH, UNEP) is raising the One Health bar while national silos still slow real-world coordination. We talk practical steps: shared metrics across ministries, reliance and data-sharing among regulators to cut duplication, and sector-wide principles that unify producers, vets, and industry around sustainable livestock. If you care about food security, climate-smart agriculture, trade resilience, and public health, this conversation lays out a path where prevention is the strategy, not the afterthought.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone in your network who works in food or health, and leave a quick review with your top takeaway. Co-hosts of ONE Health Live are Sarah Muirhead of Feedstuffs and Dennis Erpelding of Global Farm View.

Dr. Abhijit Mitra, Vice Chancellor at DUVASU, Mathura, and former Animal Husbandry Commissioner of India, brings decades of experience at the intersection of government policy and academic research to this fascinating conversation about One Health implementation in the world's most populous nation.

The discussion reveals how India—home to 1.4 billion people and 300 million bovine —approaches the critical connection between animal, human, and environmental health. Dr. Mitra shares his success story of securing a $25 million grant from the G20 pandemic fund to strengthen animal health security, demonstrating how strategic government investment can protect global health.

A recurring theme emerges throughout the conversation: the necessity of collaboration across sectors. "Nobody is safe if my neighbor is not safe," Dr. Mitra emphasizes, highlighting how COVID-19 reinforced this fundamental principle. He outlines how international organizations, national ministries, local governments, and communities must coordinate their efforts, with academia serving as "the bridge between government policies and field realities."

Perhaps most fascinating is Dr. Mitra's description of India's unique food production landscape, where traditional and modern systems coexist. Small-scale farmers with just one or two animals collectively produce 26% of the world's milk, while high-tech operations employ artificial intelligence to manage millions of birds. This diversity creates both challenges and resilience in the face of disease threats.

The conversation concludes with Dr. Mitra's five-point call to action: investment, collaboration, deliberation, sustainability, and awareness. These principles provide a roadmap for strengthening One Health approaches globally, ensuring we're better prepared for future health challenges that cross species boundaries.

Subscribe to One Health Live for more thought-provoking conversations at the intersection of animal, human, and environmental health. Your ONE Health Live co-hosts are Sarah Muirhead and Dennis Erpelding of Global Farm View.

Ever wonder why calves struggle a bit after vaccination? The culprit might be hidden in plain sight: endotoxin load.

Dr. Brett Terhaar, Beef Technical Consultant with Elanco Animal Health, dives deep into this often-overlooked aspect of cattle vaccination protocols. He explains that gram-negative bacterial vaccines—those used for respiratory diseases, pinkeye, and other common cattle ailments—naturally contain endotoxins that signal the immune system. While some immune stimulation is necessary, the cumulative effect of multiple vaccines administered simultaneously can overwhelm calves, especially during already stressful periods like weaning.

The discussion takes a fascinating turn when Dr. Terhaar introduces his "basketball analogy" to explain breakthrough vaccine technology. Traditional vaccines deliver the entire "basketball" (bacteria with endotoxin-containing cell walls) to the calf. The innovative approach shaves off just the "dimples" (surface antigens) while leaving behind most of the endotoxin-containing material. This revolutionary manufacturing process reduces endotoxin levels from the typical 50,000-120,000 units found in conventional vaccines to approximately 1,500 units—a dramatic decrease that allows producers to maintain protective immunity without the negative side effects.

Listen now to discover how the science of endotoxin management could transform your herd health outcomes, and subscribe to One Health Live for more insights on the intersection of animal health, human wellbeing, and environmental sustainability.

Have you ever wondered why it takes so long to bring a new animal health product to market? Dr. Ron Tessman, Beef Cattle Technical Consultant with Elanco Animal Health, pulls back the curtain on the extensive research and development process that ensures the medications your livestock receive are both safe and effective.

What appears on the surface as a straightforward product development cycle actually represents an intensive scientific journey spanning over a decade. Dr. Tessman reveals that while the industry standard suggests 8-10 years for FDA-regulated food animal products, his personal experience shows most take 12+ years before reaching producers. This timeline reflects the meticulous process of screening countless potential compounds for safety and efficacy before narrowing down to those worthy of further development.

The regulatory approval process encompasses multiple parallel workstreams, including target animal safety, effectiveness studies, manufacturing controls, and increasingly important environmental assessments. For food animal products, human food safety considerations add additional layers of scrutiny through residue chemistry, toxicology assessment, and antimicrobial resistance evaluation. Dr. Tessman emphasizes that these regulations aren't simply bureaucratic hurdles but essential safeguards protecting our food supply and ensuring producers receive consistent, dependable products. Unlike many approval processes, animal health products require submission of all raw study data for FDA review, creating unparalleled transparency and thoroughness.

Join us for this exploration of how animal health companies like Elanco navigate complex development pathways while addressing emerging resistance concerns and meeting evolving sustainability expectations. Whether you're a producer, veterinarian, or simply curious about food safety, this episode offers valuable insights into the science behind the products that protect animal health and our food supply. Subscribe to One Health Live for more thought-provoking conversations at the intersection of animal, human, and environmental health.

Avian influenza has become endemic worldwide, threatening poultry production, food security, and potentially human health. While biosecurity remains essential, vaccination offers a powerful complementary tool that deserves serious consideration.

Birthe Steenberg, CEO of AVEC (European Poultry Association), brings remarkable insights from Europe's pioneering vaccination efforts. She highlights France's groundbreaking program that vaccinated over 60 million ducks and achieved a stunning 90% reduction in outbreaks. This success story demonstrates that targeted vaccination, properly implemented with robust surveillance, can dramatically reduce disease spread without compromising safety.

The conversation delves into practical considerations like species-specific approaches (why ducks and layers may warrant vaccination while broilers might not), the critical importance of DIVA strategies to differentiate vaccinated from infected birds, and the necessary veterinary infrastructure to support implementation. Steenberg emphasizes that vaccination requires significant investment in monitoring and surveillance but compares favorably to depopulation when considering not just financial costs but also protein loss, consumer confidence, and ethical concerns.

Perhaps most compelling is her perspective on trade barriers—often the biggest obstacle to vaccination adoption. By engaging early with trade partners, sharing transparent data, and allowing science rather than myths to guide policy, the poultry industry can work toward a more sustainable approach to managing avian influenza. With global population rapidly increasing, we cannot afford to let misconceptions limit our ability to protect both animal health and food security. The question isn't whether we can afford to vaccinate—it's whether we can afford not to.

Your ONE Health Live podcast co-hosts are Sarah Muirhead and Dennis Erpelding, founder of Globabl Farm View.