Future biosecurity strategies for the Australian beef industry
Event Details
- Date:
- Tuesday, 03 March 2015
- Time:
- 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
- Room:
- Level 3, Large Seminar Room
- UQ Location:
- Queensland Bioscience Precinct (St Lucia)
- URL:
- http://www.qaafi.uq.edu.au/qaafi-science-seminars-2015
- Event category(s):
Event Contact
- Name:
- Mrs Luba Hickey
- Phone:
- 62092
- Email:
- l.kakoychenko@uq.edu.au
- Org. Unit:
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Event Description
- Full Description:
- Presented by A/Prof. Tim Mahony
Principal Research Fellow, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation,The University of Queensland
Abstract
Australia's recognised freedom from diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy and foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) underpins the marketing success of Australian beef products across the world. The maintenance of this status does not occur by chance, but through the implementation of strong biosecurity measures managed by all levels of government and industry. Of all the sectors in the Australian beef industry, the extensive beef herds in the north are perhaps most at risk due to the close proximity to neighbouring countries where some agents of concern, such as FMDV, are endemic. Also essential management practices such infrequent mustering can add to the challenges of maintaining biosecurity in this population. While traditional approaches, such as detection and vaccination, will continue to play a role in biosecurity these are restricted by the need to know what pathogen is present.
The future of biosecurity will likely depend on detection strategies which are not dependent on the identification of specific pathogens but by changes in the host through better understanding the biology of disease. Recently there have been quantum leaps in explaining biology complexity driven by technologies such as next generation sequencing. As these advances continued to be made, it is highly likely that biomarkers of infection will be identified that will allow the rapid identification of disease incursions. The partnering of biomarker detection with in vivo sensing devices, under development for use in human medicine, provides a potential solution for biosecurity in challenging production environments such as northern Australia. Further, the linking of these devises with remote data collection could help revolutionise disease management in extensive cattle herds. While likely to be expensive to implement, it has been estimated that a large FMDV outbreak would cost Australia $23.7 billion. Thus one strategy for future sustainable biosecurity of the Australian beef industry is shifting the focus from the identification of the pathogen back to the host so that disease status is the starting point. This can only be achieved by better understanding the host/pathogen interactions at the molecular level.
Apart from better management of exotic diseases, this approach may also deliver additional value to the beef industry. The ability to remotely monitor physiological status could facilitate better management of endemic disease and other factors that currently limit beef production, particularly in the extensive herds of northern Australia.
About A/Prof. Tim Mahony
A/Prof. Tim Mahony received his PhD in molecular biology from James Cook University. He is a molecular virologist who joined the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation in 2010, after 15 years working with the Queensland Government. His research interests include the characterisation of animal pathogens and how they interact with their respective hosts. By better understanding disease development, his research is improving disease prevention and management in livestock industries. A/Prof. Mahony's research has been published in international journals and has been subjected to patenting. Tim currently leads research projects targeting bovine respiratory disease and cattle ticks.
Directions to UQ
- Google Map:
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- Directions:
- St Lucia Campus | Gatton campus.
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