Conference on plight of red squirrel

Dec 12 2006 By The Journal

The plight of the red squirrel will be highlighted at a conference in Newcastle tomorrow.

The conference on animal health issues has been organised by animal science students from Newcastle University.

Dr Colin McInnes, principal research virologist at the Moredun Institute in Scotland, is carrying out research on the role of the parapox virus in the decline of the red squirrel. The virus is resisted by the grey squirrel but when it is passed to reds, it is almost always fatal. It is not obvious how the virus is transmitted between the grey population and from greys to reds.

Mark Wilkinson, conservation officer with Northumberland Wildlife Trust's new £1.2m Save Our Squirrels campaign, will be at the conference to hear about the latest research. Sixteen forest reserves are being set up in Northumberland and Cumbria as last refuges for the reds, where the habitat will be managed to favour the native squirrels over the greys.

But Mark said: "The virus is going to be the major threat to reds in the reserves. Research in this field is very important and the hope is that a vaccine can be developed which will give the reds a fighting chance." The other topics that will be addressed at the conference are rabies in dogs, colic in horses, Newcastle Disease and tuberculosis in badgers.

The public conference will be held in the Clement Stephenson lecture theatre in the Agriculture Building of Newcastle University from 1.45pm. Admission is free.

Other speakers include Dr Charlene Vallance, research manager at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition.