Molecular approaches to solving current and emerging problems in the epidemiology and diagnosis of Marek's disease in Australia. Marek's disease (MD) is a ubiquitous viral disease of chickens that is currently controlled in meat chickens by blanket vaccination of all chickens. However, as has happened overseas, the efficacy of the HVT vaccine being used in Australia is breaking down resulting in subclinical and clinical losses due to MD. To assist industry deal with this situation we propose to ....Molecular approaches to solving current and emerging problems in the epidemiology and diagnosis of Marek's disease in Australia. Marek's disease (MD) is a ubiquitous viral disease of chickens that is currently controlled in meat chickens by blanket vaccination of all chickens. However, as has happened overseas, the efficacy of the HVT vaccine being used in Australia is breaking down resulting in subclinical and clinical losses due to MD. To assist industry deal with this situation we propose to develop novel molecular methods for the quantification of Marek's disease viruses (MDV) in the host and the environment, to use these methods to design effective early monitoring systems for MD in broilers that predict disease and performance outcomes, and to develop an epidemiological model that will predict the spread and severity of MD as failure of vaccinal protection progresses.Read moreRead less
Emergence of a virulent strain of West Nile virus causing fatal equine encephalitis in south-eastern Australia. In 2011 a large outbreak of encephalitis in horses occurred in south-eastern Australia that was caused by a new virus that is transmitted by mosquitoes and is related to West Nile virus, known to cause severe disease in humans and horses. This project will study this new virus and develop improved methods for diagnosis and control of this disease.
Prevention and treatment of chlamydiosis and cryptococcosis in koalas. This project aims to generate increased understanding of the aetiology and pathogenesis of the two most prevalent and debilitating infectious diseases of koalas to make improved decisions regarding therapeutic intervention, prevention and management. Chlamydiosis, caused by two chlamydial bacteria, affects koala fertility, urinary tract function and eyesight. Cryptococcosis, caused by the fungus Cryptococcus gattii, may resul ....Prevention and treatment of chlamydiosis and cryptococcosis in koalas. This project aims to generate increased understanding of the aetiology and pathogenesis of the two most prevalent and debilitating infectious diseases of koalas to make improved decisions regarding therapeutic intervention, prevention and management. Chlamydiosis, caused by two chlamydial bacteria, affects koala fertility, urinary tract function and eyesight. Cryptococcosis, caused by the fungus Cryptococcus gattii, may result in koala morbidity and death. Planned therapeutic trials, prevention strategies and the development of optimal husbandry strategies will provide knowledge that will lead to reduced koala morbidity through improved understanding of the interactions amongst infectious pathogens, the animal host and the environment.Read moreRead less
Establishment of Therapeutically Relevant Animal Models and Markers for Crohn's Disease. Crohn's disease is a devastating life long disease, affecting 0.5% of the world population. There is urgent economic and social need to develop new and better drugs to treat the symptoms and underlying cause of this debilitating disease. Social benefits include the improved quality of life of sufferers that positively impacts society. Economic benefit includes income derived from commercialisation of rese ....Establishment of Therapeutically Relevant Animal Models and Markers for Crohn's Disease. Crohn's disease is a devastating life long disease, affecting 0.5% of the world population. There is urgent economic and social need to develop new and better drugs to treat the symptoms and underlying cause of this debilitating disease. Social benefits include the improved quality of life of sufferers that positively impacts society. Economic benefit includes income derived from commercialisation of research outcomes and the contribution this project makes to high value employment in the biotechnology sector.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of chronic infection, immunotolerance and coevolution in avian circovirus infections. This project will generate fundamental new knowledge into the pathogenesis of persistent, chronic viral diseases in a wide range of animal hosts. Furthermore, beak and feather disease virus is listed as a Key Threatening Process under the Endangered Species Protection Act (1992) to at least sixteen endangered Australian bird species. Very little is known about the host-virus interactions that occur d ....Mechanisms of chronic infection, immunotolerance and coevolution in avian circovirus infections. This project will generate fundamental new knowledge into the pathogenesis of persistent, chronic viral diseases in a wide range of animal hosts. Furthermore, beak and feather disease virus is listed as a Key Threatening Process under the Endangered Species Protection Act (1992) to at least sixteen endangered Australian bird species. Very little is known about the host-virus interactions that occur during the early stages of infection or why some birds recover yet others develop full blown disease. This project will provide new knowledge that can be used to counteract its effects on current and future endangered species recovery program.Read moreRead less
Improving the diagnosis, management and control of chlamydial infections in Australian livestock. Chlamydial diseases, such as arthritis and encephalomyelitis, are associated with significant economic losses for Australian livestock producers. Effective surveillance and management of Chlamydia infections is problematic due to: the absence of epidemiological data; the lack of an accurate and easily interpretable diagnostic test; and the lack of an available vaccine. This project aims to evaluate ....Improving the diagnosis, management and control of chlamydial infections in Australian livestock. Chlamydial diseases, such as arthritis and encephalomyelitis, are associated with significant economic losses for Australian livestock producers. Effective surveillance and management of Chlamydia infections is problematic due to: the absence of epidemiological data; the lack of an accurate and easily interpretable diagnostic test; and the lack of an available vaccine. This project aims to evaluate factors associated with chlamydial disease in Australian livestock and thereby improve on-farm diagnosis. With the concomitant development of a chlamydial vaccine for sheep, this project aims to provide veterinarians and producers with important tools to reduce the on-farm impacts of chlamydial disease.Read moreRead less
Harnessing the genome of the Australian paralysis tick to develop effective control products. This project aims to examine the potent cocktail produced by the salivary gland of Australia's paralysis tick. The paralysis tick continues to cause severe illness and deaths for companion pets with up to 100,000 cases of toxicoses per year. This project aims to develop new safe treatments and/or preventative vaccines.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100026
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$230,000.00
Summary
VetCompass: Big Data and Real-time Surveillance for Veterinary Science. VetCompass: big data and real-time surveillance for veterinary science:
The VetCompass data service intends to collect real-time records from veterinary clinics and aggregate them for researchers to interrogate. It aims to provide Australian researchers with sustainable and cost-effective access to authoritative data from hundreds of practitioners in Australia and the United Kingdom. These data will be essential for researc ....VetCompass: Big Data and Real-time Surveillance for Veterinary Science. VetCompass: big data and real-time surveillance for veterinary science:
The VetCompass data service intends to collect real-time records from veterinary clinics and aggregate them for researchers to interrogate. It aims to provide Australian researchers with sustainable and cost-effective access to authoritative data from hundreds of practitioners in Australia and the United Kingdom. These data will be essential for research on disease distribution and determinants, and surveillance and diagnostics that underpin evidence-based practice. The expected outcomes include identification of the most prevalent disorders and their causes and optimal treatments. The data may also revolutionise clinical auditing in Australia, help the veterinary profession to rank research priorities, and inform companion animal and equine curricula in our universities.Read moreRead less
Chemo-prevention of tropical canine parasitoses and vector-borne diseases. This project will determine the prevalence and diversity of established, emerging and novel canine vector-borne agents and endoparasites in a tropical setting by using conventional and next generation molecular diagnostic tools. It will fill an important gap by providing independently-verified evidence on how well canine anti-parasitic products marketed in Australia and Asia by Bayer Animal Health, perform in high-infecti ....Chemo-prevention of tropical canine parasitoses and vector-borne diseases. This project will determine the prevalence and diversity of established, emerging and novel canine vector-borne agents and endoparasites in a tropical setting by using conventional and next generation molecular diagnostic tools. It will fill an important gap by providing independently-verified evidence on how well canine anti-parasitic products marketed in Australia and Asia by Bayer Animal Health, perform in high-infection pressure settings, as a chemo-preventative for these disease agents. Tropical regions spanning northern Australia and Southern Asia are highly conducive to a plethora of canine vector-borne and parasitic pathogens that cause significant morbidity and mortality in dogs. Many of these agents also pose a risk to public health. The outcomes will be directly translated to best-practice guidelines for the advancement of companion animal (and indirectly human) health and welfare.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE170100093
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$510,000.00
Summary
High-throughput technology targeting antimicrobial resistance in animals. This project aims to establish reference laboratories as biobanks for resistant isolate collections from veterinary diagnostic laboratories / surveillance programmes and a national research network to mitigate antimicrobial resistance in animals. Antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic/foodborne pathogens and livestock commensals is a global issue. This project will use mass-spectroscopy biotypers, information management soft ....High-throughput technology targeting antimicrobial resistance in animals. This project aims to establish reference laboratories as biobanks for resistant isolate collections from veterinary diagnostic laboratories / surveillance programmes and a national research network to mitigate antimicrobial resistance in animals. Antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic/foodborne pathogens and livestock commensals is a global issue. This project will use mass-spectroscopy biotypers, information management software, robotic liquid handling and a research dairy to develop high-throughput screening technologies to rapidly determine major animal species’ resistance status, and research anti-infectives and vaccines for livestock diseases. This will improve the health and production of Australian livestock, leading to greater market access for high quality products.Read moreRead less