Safeguarding cattle and sheep health

Volume 7 Number 3 March 14 - April 10 2011

Livestock health is an issue that Australia cannot afford to take for granted, and a new appointment in the Faculty of Veterinary Science will lead new research into the area. By Zoe Nikakis.

The Faculty of Veterinary Science has appointed Professor Andrew Fisher as its inaugural Chair of Cattle and Sheep Production Medicine. Professor Fisher will lead scholarship in production medicine of cattle and sheep.

In consultation with industry stakeholders, he will develop a program of activities, including research, teaching and outreach which will enable identification and development of solutions for some of the major problems affecting animal health and productivity, including their commercial impact.

The appointment was made possible by generous donations from the estates of the late RC and EC Webb – former servicemen (and later graziers), who were well-known and respected in Seymour, Victoria. Both men generously bequeathed their estates to fund agricultural research in Victoria.

Professor Fisher was first appointed to the Faculty of Veterinary Science in 2009 as an Associate Professor in Production Animal Management and Welfare in a joint appointment with the Victorian Department of Primary Industries. He has significant experience in the area of production animal management, including animal welfare.

Professor Ken Hinchcliff, Dean of the Faculty of Vet Science says: “It goes without saying we needed to appoint an experienced veterinarian with a strong understanding of the agricultural industries and demonstrated capacity to form teams to address complex problems.

“But most importantly we needed someone who, as well as possessing excellence in research, leadership and teaching, can relate to, engage and consult extensively with industry stakeholders throughout the region.”

In 2010, Professor Fisher was awarded Fellowship (by examination) of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists, and over the past eight years, with the University and CSIRO, has led teams that have successfully identified and addressed key issues for livestock industries, including enhanced feeding systems and research on parasites.

Professsor Fisher says, “I am excited by this opportunity to contribute to knowledge and practice in animal health and welfare, and to work with other colleagues, organisations and industry members to benefit the sheep, beef cattle and dairy farming industries.

“Livestock health is an issue that Australia cannot afford to take for granted, and I look forward to continuing our work at the Faculty with the DPI, veterinary practitioners and producers in safeguarding and enhancing the health status of our animals.

“In Australia, we have livestock that are amongst the highest in disease-free status in the world. However, that should be an incentive for greater vigilance rather than complacency. Across the world, there are new or re-emerging diseases arising to challenge both animal and human health. Many of these new diseases are zoonotic – that is they are able to be transferred from animals to humans.

“So we need to ensure there are linkages between the disease experts at universities, the government veterinarians and animal health officers of the DPI and the veterinary practitioners who are working with farmers in the field.

“We will also work to improve control and management of existing disease conditions for cattle and sheep in Australia. Diseases such as internal parasites and flystrike in sheep for example are estimated to cost $650m every year. By working on these problems and measuring their prevalence, we will also be much more likely to pick up an introduced or emerging disease threat.

“At the Faculty of Veterinary Science, we have the advantage of having veterinarians with daily interaction with the farming sector working under the same roof as researchers applying the latest molecular techniques to understand and tackle the biology of disease-causing organisms.

“We will also link these research efforts with our role in training future veterinarians and enhancing veterinary capability in Australia. An example of this is the Dairy Residents Program, where Faculty veterinarians are placed in major rural veterinary practices to undertake field research and training of veterinary students as part of their work in the practice.”