VALIDATE One Health Seminar Three: Cross-species Disease Transmission and Mitigation Strategies
https://www.youtube.com/embed/7iRDqh0noEU?si=eRuB5wOqNc0Ajfw5
In September 2023, members of the VALIDATE network and subject matter experts from around the world convened in Paarl, South Africa, to explore the application of the One Health model in the development of vaccines for Tuberculosis (TB) and Leishmaniasis. The One Health model is an interdisciplinary approach that acknowledges the interrelationships between human health, animal health, and environmental health.
During the workshop, valuable presentations were delivered by VALIDATE members and others, and we are pleased to share these insights with the broader VALIDATE Community through a series of Online Seminars.
Seminar Three will take place on Tuesday, December 13, 2023, at 10:00 GMT.
- The Role of Vaccination in Controlling Animal TB with Prof. Eamonn Gormley, UCD, Ireland
In the context of One Health epidemiology for M. bovis infection, managing wild animals' involvement can be challenging, often involving segregation, test-and-cull, or enhanced biosecurity. Vaccination, such as the BCG vaccine, shows promise in reducing tuberculosis burden in wildlife, as seen in badger vaccination in Ireland and the UK. In this talk, Eamonn will discuss the challenges of managing wild animals' involvement in the One Health epidemiology of M. bovis infection, highlighting vaccination as a promising strategy, as exemplified by badger vaccination in Ireland and the UK. - Tip of the Iceberg: TB in South African Wildlife with Prof. Michele Miller, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Michele will provide an overview of TB in wildlife in the South African context. Using a One Health approach, this talk will cover some of the underlying issues contributing to TB presence and spread within wildlife and at human-livestock-wildlife-environmental interfaces.
Register using the online form below.
About the Speakers
Prof Eamonn Gormley is a Professor of Veterinary Microbiology at University College Dublin, Ireland.
Eamonn is the Director of the Bovine TB Diagnostics and Immunology Research laboratory in the School of Veterinary Medicine at UCD. The principal work of the laboratory is diagnostic blood testing on TB-infected animals, used as a tool to assist in the eradication of bovine TB from the national cattle herd. The laboratory also conducts significant research into improving the performance of the blood test by investigating different antigen combinations, novel antigens and different cytokine assay platforms. Eamonn also directs the wildlife BCG vaccination research programme for the national Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM).
Prof Michele Miller is a Professor and the South African Research Chair in Animal Tuberculosis, at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
Michele received her MS and PhD in Immunology, and DVM from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Masters’ in Public Health (MPH) at the University of Florida-Gainesville. Michelle is also a diplomate of the European College of Zoological Medicine. She moved to South Africa in 2013 and is currently the NRF South African Research Chair in Animal TB at Stellenbosch University, although she is based full-time in Kruger National Park. Michele is actively involved in wildlife research, particularly focusing on TB and other zoonotic diseases at human-animal-environment interfaces, using a One Health approach.
