JCU boffin helps fight outbreaks

A JAMES Cook University veterinary scientist has joined a taskforce to train new animal disease detectives in 11 countries across southeast Asia and the Pacific to help prevent future pandemics.

Professor Bruce Gummow, a JCU specialist in veterinary preventive medicine and epidemiology, said diseases were having a significant impact on global economies and public health, as evidenced by the current COVID-19 pandemic.

He said North Queensland was in the firing line if new diseases crossed to our shores, most likely making their way over the Torres Strait.

“Preparing our neighbours to prevent, control and eradicate these diseases helps keep Australia safe,” Prof Gummow said.

The scientific consortium includes more than 40 experts from veterinary schools across Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-pacific.

Program leader Associate Professor Navneet Dhand, from the University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science, said the coronavirus outbreak had underlined how urgent the work was.

“The majority of emerging infectious diseases, such as coronaviruses, are zoonotic – they spread from animals to humans. To protect humans from these diseases we must look for pathogens and disease ‘upstream’ in domestic animals and wildlife before they spread to the human population,” Dr Dhand said.

“A year after African swine fever wiped out more than a quarter of the global pig population and with more than 150,000 dead from COVID-19, equipping veterinarians … for disease outbreak investigation and surveillance has never been more important.”

Prof Gummow said JCU had the only veterinary school in the Australian tropics and had experience working in the Asia-pacific region.

“We live and breathe the tropics and are familiar with the diseases found in this region. Our veterinary specialist knowledge, expertise and experience will be invaluable to the program,” he said.

“We live in a global village, so what happens in neighbouring countries ourselves.”

The $4.3 million program will run for five years and operate in Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, East Timor, Vanuatu and Vietnam. will happen to