Parasites of Humans & Animals
Parasites pose a real threat to the health of
humans and animals. Current broad spectrum anti-parasitic
drugs often fail to deliver effective control. This project
will use of genomics to develop new approaches for parasite
diagnosis and control.
Australia derives substantial earnings from the
export of quality certified animals and animal products. A
key component to maintaining its competitive position in
international trade flows from an advantageous animal
health status and “clean-green image” globally.
Parasites of livestock and other animals cause diseases of
major socio-economic importance world-wide. The current
financial losses caused by parasites to agriculture have a
major impact on farm profitability. For instance, the
annual cost associated with parasitic diseases in sheep and
cattle in Australia has been estimated at ~1 billion
dollars. Thus, there are major economic gains to be made in
Australian agriculture by enhancing the control of
important parasitic diseases.
Parasitic diseases of animals
are predominantly controlled through the reliance on
chemotherapeutic agents (anthelmintics). Even with
optimally-timed (strategic) treatments, this type of
control is expensive and, in most cases, only partially
effective. Also, the excessive and uncontrolled use of such
agents has resulted in serious problems with anthelmintic
resistance. Furthermore, the use of such drugs poses risks
of residue problems in meat, milk and the environment, as
well as potential risks of resistance in pathogens of
humans. Given the increasingly stringent demands placed on
maximum residue levels, the ongoing development of novel
and improved control strategies (including non-chemical
means) are crucial to the future sustainability of the
livestock and associated industries. Consequently, there is
a serious need and significant global interest in the
development of alternative means of controlling parasitic
organisms, which has major economic and biotechnological
implications.
The possibilities include the rational development of
safe anti-parasitic compounds, diagnostic tests and/or
vaccines built on a detailed understanding of parasite
genomes, the host-parasite relationships and the molecular
biology of the parasites themselves. Such an outcome would
benefit producers enormously by reducing the risk of
chemical residues in food products, thereby protecting
against lost revenue due to rejection of meat shipments and
preventing exclusion from export markets, as well as
increasing the level of consumer acceptance. There has been
an increasing trend in export markets for agricultural
produce to be restricted on the basis of safety concerns,
centred around the use of chemicals during production.
While concern to date has centred on the freedom of
products from chemical residues, there are already
restrictions, for example, in Europe on the use of
chemicals (in particular anti-parasitic drugs and
antibiotics) during production in conventional or organic
farming.
Potential export restrictions are driven by fears that
treatment of food animals can result in the development of
resistance in target pathogens as well as in many
non-target organisms. There is also growing international
concern that a reliance on such
measures is influencing human health by contributing
to the pool of organisms which are resistant to many of the
drugs currently in use for treating infectious disease. In
addition, there are adverse effects on the environment due
to the release of relatively high concentrations of
chemicals capable of disturbing local ecosystems.
Therefore, there is a clear need for more effective and
sustainable solutions to major parasitic disease problems.
Australia’s freedom from many major animal and human
pathogens and the quality of its animal health
infrastructure offer considerable advantages to
manufacturers of biologicals. A parasite genomics and
genetic focus offers the capacity of developing niche
markets in the supply of veterinary biologicals. The
current international market for animal health products is
estimated at ~$10-15 billion per year. A proportion of this
relates to parasites and other pathogens.
Contact
Robin B Gasser
Professor in Veterinary Parasitology
Associate Dean International
The University of Melbourne, Faculty of Veterinary Science
250 Princes Highway, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
EMAIL:
robinbg@unimelb.edu.au
PHONE:: + 61 3 9731 2000
FAX: + 61 3 9731 2366
