Other Completed Research Projects
A Training and Research unit in Epidemiology and Pathobiology
Review of arbovirus surveillance needs
Live bird market research
Strategic approach to unwanted animals in rural communities
Disease threats in the intensive livestock
Surveillance Systems
Borna Disease Virus
Animal Welfare Education
An epidemiology and pathobiology, training and research unit at the University of Sydney (AHW.007)
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public HealthHealth Staff
Professor Richard Whittington
Dr Jenny-Ann Toribio
Dr Nick Malikides
Ms Hannah Forsyth
Mrs Anna Waldron
Ms Marion Saddington
National Collaborators
Australian Biosecurity CRC
International Collaborators
Professor Ian Gardner, University of California Davis
Summary
In 1999 the gross value of Australian livestock production was $13.4bn of which $11.5bn came from exports. The Australian economy and the rural sector depend on this trade, which is based on efficient production, marketing, quality assurance and access to major markets in the developed world. Most of these markets have a favourable status for the major epidemic diseases of livestock. Compared to many competitors, Australia enjoys privileged access due to the historical absence of important livestock diseases.
This project was undertaken because a critical shortage of the skills required by the livestock industries is looming. The loss of animal health laboratories, trained livestock health specialists, together with the loss of government employed district veterinary officers and epidemiologists, has dramatically weakened the national defences against disease incursions, threats to product integrity and market access.
The aim of this project was to establish a new teaching and research unit in the Faculty of Veterinary Science. Research and training programs in epidemiology, disease surveillance, pathobiology and food safety were developed and delivered to postgraduate and undergraduate students. A new post graduate degree program in Veterinary Public Health Management commenced. Ties were established with overseas universities to enable future development of joint teaching and research programs. Staff from the unit are active in the research community, in industry groups and the media, ensuring wide communication of research results. Staff work together with stakeholders in the livestock sector to promote the benefits of the research programs. This MLA project has led to immediate benefits for industry, and many of these will endure into the long term: undergraduate veterinary students are better equipped to enter rural veterinary practice; graduates working in animal health now have a flexible post graduate coursework program to learn skills in epidemiology and public health for immediate application; a steady stream of young post graduates is becoming available to fill retirement positions; young post doctoral fellows and PhD research students have greater opportunity to work on real world problems and provide service longer term to the livestock sector; significant critical mass now exists to conduct research on priority livestock health issues.
Source of Funding
Meat & Livestock Australia Limited
Project Timeframe
February 2002 - January 2006
Review of arbovirus surveillance needs and the National Arbovirus Monitoring Program (NAMP)
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health STaff
Professor Michael Ward
Dr Marta Hernandez Jover
Summary
The Terms of Reference for the review:
- Identify and describe the future national arbovirus surveillance needs in Australia and near northern Asian and pacific neighbours for agriculture, public health (zoonotic arboviruses) and the environment and the benefits of a future national surveillance program to address these needs:
- Assess the contemporary relevance of the four objectives of the NAMP and the appropriateness of the NAMP to deliver on future national needs (identified in TOR 1 above);
Recommend an evaluation method applicable to NAMP and other targeted national animal disease surveillance programs; - Evaluate the effectiveness, including the cost effectiveness, of the current NAMP activities in meeting each of its four objectives by applying the recommended evaluation method (identified in TOR above). Provide practical recommendations to address any shortfalls or needs for refinement of the NAMP;
- Identify and describe current and potential collaborations in arbovirus surveillance with public health and environment agencies and identify efficiencies for livestock arbovirus monitoring;
- Identify and describe arbovirus surveillance research needs for agriculture;
- Provide a view on the NAMP contribution to, and consistency with, the National Animal Health Surveillance Strategy (NAHSS)
Source of Funding
Animal Health Australia
Project Timeframe
October 2008 - April 2009
Live Bird Market Research
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health Staff
Dr Marta Hernandez Jover
Professor Michael Ward
Dr Jenny-Ann Toribio
Mrs Nicole Schembri
Summary
Live bird markets in overseas countries (eg Asia and United States) have been implicated in the spread of low pathogenicity (LP) and highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza viruses and other infectious diseases of birds. Little is known about live bird markets and sales in Australia, and the Biosecurity risks associated with them.
A Biosecurity Consultative Group (BCG), comprising representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), Animal Health Australia (AHA) and poultry industry sectors, was formed as a result of a resolution from the 2007 Government-Industry Avian Influenza Forum. At a meeting of the BCG in February 2008, poultry industry representatives identified live bird markets and bird sales as posing a possible Biosecurity risk to commercial poultry producers. This project is a part of a broader commitment by DAFF to assist the poultry industries in documenting and enhancing their Biosecurity systems.
Objectives
- Identify the locations of the major live bird markets in Australia in relation to the location of the major commercial poultry-producing areas
- Describe the characteristics of the sale of live birds at the markets, including:
a. number and types of poultry presented for sale
b. method of sale
c. type of vendors involved: commercial producers, hobby farmers, poultry fanciers etc
d. type of housing of birds at the live market - Describe parameters related to Biosecurity:
a. cleaning and disinfection of housing and market venue
b. traceability system used for birds presented for sale
c. register and identification of vendors and buyers
d. location of vendors
e. destination of birds post-sale and proportions: processors, hobby farmer, private slaughter, returning to property of origin etc - Describe links between the live bird markets and commercial poultry companies or processors (including ducks and game bird companies/processors), such as delivery vehicles, personnel, equipment (eg crates/cages/pallets) etc.
Source of Funding
Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Project Timeframe
August 2008 - January 2009
Adopting a strategic and practical approach to the problem of unwanted animals in rural communities: a study of the Companion Animal Welfare Scheme (CAWS)
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health Staff
- Dr Robert Dixon
Dr Jenny-Ann Toribio
BSc(Vet) Student
Ms Megan Prendergast
National Collaborators
Mark Lawrie, RSPCA NSW
Summary
Companion Animal Welfare Schemes are community based and means-tested cat and dog desexing programs that are run by the RSPCA and cofunded by local government and philanthropic organisations. They target rural areas of social disadvantage and aim to improve the health and welfare of companion animals through desexing and education programs.
This project will assess the effectiveness of these programs using a number of measures. These will include data of the number of animals treated, household census of animals, the reduction in the numbers of animals presented at local animal pounds and the changes in owner attitudes toward the health and welfare of their pets.
Source of Funding
RSPCA NSW
Project Timeframe
January 2007- November 2007
Building capacity to model emerging disease threats in the intensive livestock industries
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health Staff
- Dr Jenny-Ann Toribio
PhD Student
Mr Sam Hamilton
National Collaborators
Dr Graeme Garner &
Dr Mike Nunn
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Summary
Emerging infectious diseases have the potential to cause significant impacts on animal health, public health, the economy and/or the environment. A good understanding of the epidemiology and likely spread of these diseases, should they be introduced to Australia, is a necessary component of effective preparedness and response planning. At present there is a shortage of people in Australia with skills to undertake comprehensive epidemiological modelling of animal and human diseases.
This project offers the opportunity to develop advanced skills in disease modelling by development of a stochastic spatial simulation model for a disease of concern to the Australian intensive livestock industries. Diseases that pose a serious threat include Newcastle disease and highly pathogenic avian influenza for the poultry industry and classical swine fever for the pig industry. Disease modelling, by evaluating the behaviour of an exotic disease under Australian conditions and the effect of alternate control strategies, is recognised as an important tool to support Australia's preparedness for a disease incursion. This project, working with government and industry, will develop a new model of the spread of one disease highly pathogenic avian influenza within the Australian intensive livestock population to address issues associated with assessing the extent, impact and control of disease outbreaks. This model will be used to enhance national disease planning and will provide technical underpinning for Australia's outbreak management policies.
Source of Funding
Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases
Project Timeframe
February 2005 - February 2008
Advanced surveillance systems - electronic data collection and decision support
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health Staff
- Dr Jenny-Ann Toribio
Associate Professor Peter Thomson
National Collaborators
Drs Angus Cameron & Chris Baldock (Deceased)
AusVet Animal Health Services
PhD Student
Mr Richard Shephard
Summary
Under-reporting of disease events in farm animals has been identified in numerous studies and is a significant gap in Australia's national surveillance processes in that it becomes difficult to generate information to support claims of freedom from disease and reduces our capacity for early detection of emerging disease problems. The main sources of animal health surveillance information are veterinary laboratories, but these sources have been declining and represent only a small proportion of animal disease events and provide virtually no information on the health status of livestock in the remote pastoral regions of northern Australia which are the main supply areas of our beef exports. This project is a collaboration between researchers and industry to develop tools that assist with the collection of animal disease information using electronic systems based on a pilot project involving beef producers in northern Queensland. The outcome will assist producers and disease managers in collecting and analysing information on disease in Australian livestock and providing evidence for regional freedom from disease.
Electronic data capture can be achieved either using a web-based data submission system (providing real-time access to a centralised database and allowing instant analysis), or by the use of hand held computing devices. The current project therefore proposes that both systems be developed in a staged fashion. Initially, a web-based system was developed and will be followed by a hand-held device for data entry. A central component of each system is the Bovine Syndromic Surveillance System (BOSSS) a tool to assist farmers identify disease problems. This artificial intelligence system controls flow of information about individual diseases, disease investigation and control based upon examination of reported signs, and will promote the capture of negative sign data (ie signs that are definitely not present). It provides producers with information about the most likely diseases that can explain reported signs and undertakes a differential examination of these listed signs by questioning the user about the presence (or absence) of key differential signs. The data entered goes into a syndromic database that includes negative signs and has enhanced ability to differentiate disease and investigate potential exotic disease events.
This project will result in:
- An internet-based animal health information system enabling data entry, data analysis and reporting for a syndrome surveillance system for use by producers in remote areas.
- User-friendly computer-assisted diagnostic aids to help producers in remote areas.
- Software to be used on hand held devices which permits data entry and access to computer-assisted diagnostic aids in the field.
- Software and simple methods to transfer data from hand held devices to a centralised database for more sophisticated analysis of aggregated data as part of Australia's overall disease surveillance system for cattle.
Source of Funding
Australian Biosecurity CRC for Emerging Infectious Diseases
Project Timeframe
February 2004 - March 2007
Exploring animal welfare education materials currently available to primary, secondary and tertiary students
Farm Animal & Veterinary Public Health Staff
Dr Robert Dixon
Summary
The project will explore current education materials available in all forms for primary, secondary and tertiary (including TAFE and Vocational Education and Training - VET) students in the area of animal welfare providing:
- a summary of the key animal welfare issues covered and the perspective they are presented from;
- level of demand for animal welfare education resources;
- explore the activities of other organisations ie NFF, RSPCA, AVA and CIWF in this field;
- develop a list of key contacts within the field of animal welfare education at the primary, secondary and tertiary level
recommendations regarding a need for education materials for either primary, secondary or tertiary students.
At completion, the industry will have the required data to determine the level of demand for and possible uptake of educational materials in animal welfare. This will enable MLA to make an informed decision as to whether they proceed to fund the development and delivery of these materials.
Source of Funding
Meat and Livestock Australia
Project Timeframe
October 2005 - January 2006