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Animal Diseases and the Threats They Pose to the Food Supply
Newswise — More than 40 scientists, led by a group of project directors, will focus on six economically important species and their relatives to develop the tools needed to create vaccines and tests for infectious animal diseases that threaten agriculture and the food supply. The $2.1 million project, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), will concentrate on cattle, poultry, horses, swine, catfish and salmonids. A list of project directors and their areas of responsibility follows. Cynthia Baldwin of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who leads the cattle group, also serves as principal investigator for the project as a whole.
[See related Newswise story about the new U.S. Veterinary Immune Reagent Network at http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/517856/]
CATFISH
Norman Miller
Melanie Wilson, Eva Bengten, Gregory Chinchar
University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Miss.
The leading aquaculture industry in the United States, catfish has reached an annual value of $425 million (2003 data). About 45 percent of inventory losses on catfish fingerling farms are attributable to various infectious diseases. Bacterial infections such as columnaris and viral infections caused by channel catfish virus (CCV) can spread quickly, and in acute cases they can wipe out entire populations of fish within hours. There are also several disease syndromes for which the exact causes remain in question, such as channel catfish anemia (CCA), also known as "no blood disease" and visceral toxicosis of catfish (VTC), believed to be caused by a toxin. Virus models, such as CCV, are currently being used to understand the basis of anti-viral immunity in catfish.
CATTLE
Cynthia Baldwin
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, Mass.
The estimated $78 billion U.S. beef industry is still feeling the effect of the confirmed positive tests for mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in the United States in June 2005 and December 2003. Other ailments of concern include Johne's disease, a chronic wasting disease brought on by a bacterium related to tuberculosis, which causes serious production loss in cattle, sheep and other ruminants. The prevalence of respiratory viruses and bacteria make bovine respiratory disease complex a risk in most cattle populations, and bovine mastitis in dairy cattle continues to take an economic toll. Also problematic are new diseases, such as infections caused by strains of the bacteria Leptospira that were not prevalent previously.
HORSES
Dave Horohov
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Ky.
Infectious and parasitic diseases remain a serious threat to the multi-billion dollar equine industry worldwide. The impacts of these ailments include the recent outbreaks of equine herpesvirus-mediated neurological diseases, which caused the death of a number of horses and prompted quarantines at racetracks and training facilities. Outbreaks of equine influenza and strangles, though less lethal, resulted in significant interruptions in horse-related activities. The rapid spread of West Nile Virus through the horse population of North America, in addition to being a human health concern, demonstrated the susceptibility of the industry to emerging diseases.
POULTRY
Hyun Lillehoj
USDA-Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
Beltsville, Md.
The major poultry diseases in the United States include Marek's disease, respiratory diseases, infectious bursal disease (Gumboro) and coccidiosis. Coccidiosis is caused by several different species of the protozoa Eimeria and impairs growth, resulting in loss of productivity. Infectious bursal disease is a highly contagious viral disease of young chickens that causes heavy mortality and reduces the birds' ability to develop immunity to other diseases. Increasing regulations and bans on the use of anticoccidial drugs coupled with the associated costs in developing new drugs and live vaccines underscores the need for developing novel approaches and alternative control strategies for many poultry diseases.
RECOMBINANT CYTOKINES AND RECEPTORS
Joanna LaBresh
Kingfisher Biotech
Roseville, Minn.
The immune system comprises many different kinds of cells that act together to regulate immune functions. Cytokines are proteins produced by immune cells to communicate and orchestrate cellular responses. There are a variety of cytokines that carry out different tasks, but all of them act on their target cells by binding to specific receptors, signaling the cell. Having a source of cytokines for different species is critical to developing additional products such as antibodies, ELISAs and other tests, which will allow research to develop treatments for animal infectious diseases.
RECOMBINANT PROTEINS, HORSE BIOASSAYS
Bettina Wagner
School of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University
Ithaca, N.Y.
The mammalian immune system includes various proteins. Receptor proteins sit on the surface of cells and are able to recognize foreign structures, such as viral or bacterial components. Other proteins are secreted, such as antibodies, which help in fighting harmful substances that attack the host. These interactions are crucial for activation of the immune system and the removal of invaders of the body. The characterization of specific molecules of the immune system is critical to develop potent vaccines and treatments for animal infectious diseases. Recently, researchers established a new system to generate recombinant proteins for use in veterinary research, which will serve for reagent development within the U.S. Veterinary Immune Reagent Network.
SALMONIDS (Including Salmon and Trout)
John Hansen
Western Fisheries Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey
Seattle, Wash.
Salmonids are plagued by a variety of pathogens that result in severe losses for the United States' aquaculture industry and for wild and hatchery stocks. Major ailments include bacterial kidney disease, a chronic infection that can be difficult to control and virtually impossible to cure. Infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV) causes chronic disease in both wild and farmed Atlantic salmon, and can also infect sea run brown trout, rainbow trout and marine fish such as herring. Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and F. psychrophilum (cold-water disease) are the most significant pathogens affecting farmed rainbow trout and are major concerns for wild populations. New reagents are critical for improving the health of the nation's wild and cultured fish stocks.
SWINE
Joan Lunney
USDA-Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
Beltsville, Md.
Disease caused by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the major threat to swine operations today. It appeared in the United States in 1987. While the total cost to industry is difficult to assess, estimates suggest the financial impact of PRRSV is likely to exceed $500 million annually. Other respiratory infections, such as Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and bacterial infections, result in porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC). Type A swine influenza virus, which can also infect humans, and circoviruses, which are associated with porcine multisystemic wasting disease (PMWS), are newly emerging threats. Tools to improve vaccines and identify better adjuvants and biotherapeutics are needed for pig health and well-being.
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