Virulence determinants influencing re-emergence of a complex RNA virus. This project intends to examine the effects that specific genes in naturally occurring recombinants have on their capacity to cause disease and spread between chickens. Coronaviruses are major pathogens of domestic animals throughout the world. Recurrent re-emergence of the coronavirus of chickens, infectious bronchitis virus, has been associated with recombination between wild type viruses and vaccine viruses, but the facto ....Virulence determinants influencing re-emergence of a complex RNA virus. This project intends to examine the effects that specific genes in naturally occurring recombinants have on their capacity to cause disease and spread between chickens. Coronaviruses are major pathogens of domestic animals throughout the world. Recurrent re-emergence of the coronavirus of chickens, infectious bronchitis virus, has been associated with recombination between wild type viruses and vaccine viruses, but the factors influencing this, and in particular the selective advantages genes from vaccine viruses confer on these recombinants, are unknown. The ultimate aim of the project is to identify both novel vaccines and alternative management strategies that might reduce the frequency of re-emergence of this virus and other coronaviruses.Read moreRead less
Reduction of antibiotic usage in the commercial pig industry. This project intends to identify factors that make a pig enterprise more likely to use high levels of antibiotics and develop alternative, vaccination-based methods for disease control. The development of multi-drug resistance in zoonotic bacterial pathogens (e.g. Salmonella and Campylobacter spp.) in pigs has raised concerns that antimicrobial resistance can be transferred from livestock to humans. Although the epidemiology to suppor ....Reduction of antibiotic usage in the commercial pig industry. This project intends to identify factors that make a pig enterprise more likely to use high levels of antibiotics and develop alternative, vaccination-based methods for disease control. The development of multi-drug resistance in zoonotic bacterial pathogens (e.g. Salmonella and Campylobacter spp.) in pigs has raised concerns that antimicrobial resistance can be transferred from livestock to humans. Although the epidemiology to support a claim that there is a causal association between antimicrobial use in food animals and public health is complex there is universal agreement that use of antimicrobials in food animal production should be minimised. This project intends to deliver outcomes that will reduce antibiotic use on commercial pig farms.Read moreRead less
Reducing antibiotic usage in pig herds: controlling Lawsonia intracellularis by vaccination, housing and hygiene. Pigs are major consumers of antibiotics in Australia. Many of these antibiotics are fed to pigs to prevent proliferative enteritis (PE). There are increasing public concerns regarding the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the potential impact on human health. The adoption of an effective commercial vaccine to prevent PE will reduce the volume of antibiotics ....Reducing antibiotic usage in pig herds: controlling Lawsonia intracellularis by vaccination, housing and hygiene. Pigs are major consumers of antibiotics in Australia. Many of these antibiotics are fed to pigs to prevent proliferative enteritis (PE). There are increasing public concerns regarding the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the potential impact on human health. The adoption of an effective commercial vaccine to prevent PE will reduce the volume of antibiotics used in the pig industry and hence reduce the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria developing.Read moreRead less
Functional identification of vaccine targets in pathogenic mycoplasmas. Mycoplasmas are important bacterial pathogens in domestic animals that are incompletely controlled by current vaccines. As a result current control measures for the diseases they cause rely on ongoing treatment with antibiotics. This project will aim to use functional genomics and metabolomics to determine the function of specific surface proteins of a model mycoplasma to identify targets for novel approaches to vaccines aga ....Functional identification of vaccine targets in pathogenic mycoplasmas. Mycoplasmas are important bacterial pathogens in domestic animals that are incompletely controlled by current vaccines. As a result current control measures for the diseases they cause rely on ongoing treatment with antibiotics. This project will aim to use functional genomics and metabolomics to determine the function of specific surface proteins of a model mycoplasma to identify targets for novel approaches to vaccines against these pathogens, and to then assess the potential for inclusion of these proteins in vaccines. Ultimately this will lead to improved vaccines against these important pathogens, improving agricultural productivity and reducing the use of antibiotics in intensively raised livestock.Read moreRead less
Optimising the efficacy of mycoplasma vaccines in the field. Optimising the efficacy of mycoplasma vaccines in the field. This project intends to examine the effect of antibiotic treatment, killed vaccines and immunosuppressive viruses on the protective immunity induced by a model novel vaccine against the important poultry pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The continued circulation of pathogenic mycoplasmas in intensively managed animals is a major animal health problem. Live attenuated vaccin ....Optimising the efficacy of mycoplasma vaccines in the field. Optimising the efficacy of mycoplasma vaccines in the field. This project intends to examine the effect of antibiotic treatment, killed vaccines and immunosuppressive viruses on the protective immunity induced by a model novel vaccine against the important poultry pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The continued circulation of pathogenic mycoplasmas in intensively managed animals is a major animal health problem. Live attenuated vaccines could reduce disease, but we have limited understanding of the best conditions for their use. This project will generate data to guide both use and development of live mycoplasma vaccines. It is expected to have significant impacts on animal health, welfare and production, and public health by reducing the use of antibiotics to control mycoplasmoses.Read moreRead less
Vaccine against leptospirosis. This project will utilise the information from the determination of the complete genome sequence of Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Hardjobovis at Monash University. Bioinformatics analysis will be used to allow a global approach to identify all putative vaccine antigens which will be cloned, expressed and purified and their protective capacity investigated.
Immunonutrition: A novel concept to overcome gastrointestinal tract mucosal damage after weaning in pigs. A sustainable Australian pork industry relies on further reductions in costs whilst considering the enhanced health and welfare of pigs. This project will lead to more precise estimates of amino acid requirements in the post-weaning period, which will contribute to an increased efficiency of nutrient utilization and enhance the welfare of pigs recovering from the weaning process.
What role does wildlife play in emergency disease? The case of the feral pig. Wildlife populations have been responsible for many disease emergencies with economic and human health impacts, but our current understanding limits their management. This project focuses on the feral pig, an introduced wildlife species. It will develop an understanding of disease spread in feral pigs and from feral pigs to cattle. Using feral pig disease genetics, climate and environmental data, disease spread models ....What role does wildlife play in emergency disease? The case of the feral pig. Wildlife populations have been responsible for many disease emergencies with economic and human health impacts, but our current understanding limits their management. This project focuses on the feral pig, an introduced wildlife species. It will develop an understanding of disease spread in feral pigs and from feral pigs to cattle. Using feral pig disease genetics, climate and environmental data, disease spread models will be developed. These models will be used to better manage emergency disease outbreaks in feral pigs and other wildlife species. This project will deliver practical outcomes, such as the best method of discovering disease and the most effective methods to control emergency animal diseases in wildlife and domestic animals.Read moreRead less