Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) are of significant concern for both animal and human health. EIDs involve agents new to our understanding or that have recently become prevalent in a new geographic area or population.
Effective management of EIDs requires a One Health approach in which vets, medicos, ecologists and scientists work together to rapidly identify the disease and use appropriate biosecurity and treatment procedures to limit spread and impact.
As one of a series of events to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UQ School of Veterinary Science, the School held a public lecture addressing these issues, entitled 'Emerging Infectious Diseases – a rich vs poor nation problem?' on Monday 19 September 2016.
The lecture was held alongside the International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria, and was preceded by an alumni reception that brought together both local alumni and those from further afield who were also attending the conference.
Guests were welcomed to the lecture by Associate Professor Jenny Seddon and heard from Dr Federico Costa from Gonçalo Moniz Research Center (CPqGM) – Fiocruz of Salvador, Brazil, about his work to manage leptospirosis transmission by rats.
Associate Professor Rowland Cobbold convened a panel discussion that followed, featuring:
- Dr Federico Costa
- Dr Hume Field, Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) researcher and One Health practitioner
- Dr Janine Barrett, Principal Veterinary Officer (Surveillance), Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
- Professor John Reeder, Director of the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR)
- Professor Nigel Perkins, Professor of One Health and Academic Superintendent within the School of Veterinary Science
