Research Summary:
Epidemiology
of foodborne and zoonotic diseases, including animal reservoirs of infection
and environmental dissemination of pathogens; development of rapid methods
for detection and differentiation of zoonotic and foodborne bacterial
pathogens, including PCR, molecular probes, ELISA; molecular typing of
human and animal pathogens using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; disease
control strategies, including vaccine development; HACCP in food-producing
industries.
Focusing
on Salmonella, since 1995 I have been involved with a number of
project in New Zealand investigating the epidemiology of salmonellosis
in sheep. These have included abattoir surveys to determine prevalence
in sheep, DNA analysis of Salmonella strains from sheep, transmission
studies, vaccine trials and development of new vaccines and serological
tests. Although now based at Murdoch University, I am still actively
involved with students involved in the above projects. Currently,
I am involved with projects investigating the epidemiology of leptospirosis
in pigs in WA; the epidemiology of zoonotic pathogens in pigs and rodents
in the South Pacific (including Leptospira, Trichinella and Angiostrongylus)
and the development of rapid methods for the detection of Leptospira
and Aphanomyces astaci (the causative agent of crayfish
plague). In addition, I am a member of the Fish Health Unit, a group
of academics and postgraduates involved in research into aspects of diseases
and ecology of fish in WA.
|
