After
being cancelled last year due to COVID-19, the Campbell Centre for the Study of
Animal Welfare (CCSAW) Annual Research Symposium is back in a virtual format.
The 2021 CCSAW 3MT
Research Symposium, taking place Wednesday, May 12, 2021 from 9:30 AM to 11:45 AM,
will feature graduate students giving Three-Minute Thesis style presentations,
with Q&A following each presentation.
The Symposium opens with
welcoming remarks from Dr. Malcolm Campbell, U of Guelph VP Research,
and Dr. Georgia Mason, CCSAW Director, followed by talks on behaviour and
welfare of poultry, pigs, horses, zebra fish and lab mice.
Mason will wrap up the symposium with a 3MT presentation on
parrots.
In addition to the best 3MT Award and Runner-up Prize, attendees
will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite 3MT presentation, which
will receive a special People’s Choice Award.
There is
no charge to attend and pre-registration is not required. Find more information and the link to attend on
the CCSAW website.
Dr. Hause is a
virologist with a primary interest in emerging viruses associated with porcine
and bovine disease. His research group focuses on the detection and
characterization of these viruses and studies their role in animal health. He
spent a large part of his career in the veterinary vaccine industry and
continues research and development of novel and effcacious vaccines for swine
and cattle.
OVC is pleased to welcome Katherine Galley to
the position of Director, Marketing and Communications.
Katherine Galley
Katherine is an award-winning strategic
communication and marketing professional with more than 12 years’ experience
delivering thoughtful, results-driven programs in both the private and public
sectors, as well as the university setting. She will join the OVC Marketing Communications
team on May 31, 2021.
She is currently a Strategic Communication and
Program Advisor in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer at the City
of Guelph. She also has communications experience in a comparable academic
environment from her time at McMaster University.
Katherine prides herself on being a relationship
builder and brings a dedication to any role that will allow for the creation of
innovative solutions to complex problems. With an undergraduate degree from the
University of Western Ontario, Katherine subsequently honed her communications
and marketing skills with a post-graduate certificate in Public Relations.
The Director will be part of the OVC External
Relations Leadership Table, together with the Directors of Advancement and OVC
Pet Trust and the Dean. The Table will be an important resource to the Dean in
implementing college strategy as it pertains to communications and marketing,
fundraising, alumni relations, private sector partnerships, community outreach
and overall societal impact.
We will be reaching out over the next while to
strategize Katherine’s onboarding and ensure connection with all stakeholders.
Please welcome Katherine to the OVC community.
You can contact her at kgalley@uoguelph.ca
There have been rapid changes in the number and
distribution of tick species in Canada. Certain tick species such as the
blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) can transmit disease-causing
pathogens through their bite.
One pathogen of particular concern is Borrelia
burgdorferi, a bacterium that causes Lyme disease in humans and some animal
species. This has become a major health issue in Ontario, as the risk of
contracting Lyme disease has been steadily increasing due to the expanding
range of blacklegged ticks.
In Lyme Disease Awareness Month, we are highlighting
four graduate students at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College
(OVC) whose research focuses on Lyme disease and tick populations.
Emily Robinson, an MSc student in OVC’s Department of
Population Medicine, is assessing spatial and temporal patterns of the
blacklegged tick (how patterns change over space and time) as well as Borrelia
burgdorferi bacteria in Ontario.
Emily Robinson, an MSc student in OVC’s Department of Population Medicine.
Robinson’s work is building on previous research co-authored
by OVC’s Drs. Katie Clow, Claire Jardine, and David Pearl, which demonstrated
that blacklegged ticks were spreading northward Ontario between 2014 and 2016.
The data for her research project was collected via tick
dragging, a form of active surveillance that consists of dragging large flannel
sheets over vegetation where ticks might be, which was conducted at sites in
southern, eastern and central Ontario in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Of those ticks
collected by dragging, blacklegged ticks were identified and removed to be tested
for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi, as well as other tick-borne
pathogens.
Robinson’s work provides up-to-date results on blacklegged
tick distribution and Borrelia burgdorferi prevalence at sites in Ontario,
which is foundational knowledge to better understand the spread of Ontario’s blacklegged
ticks.
“This research will provide further knowledge and
understanding of how blacklegged ticks are spreading,” Robinson shares. “Understanding
how ticks and the pathogens they carry are spreading in our province could help
to target certain public health interventions to reduce possible blacklegged
tick exposure, thus minimizing the transmission of tick-borne pathogens.” She
adds, “If we know where ticks are and where they may be going, it gives us the
chance to better protect ourselves.”
Robinson is currently completing this MSc thesis
chapter on the expansion of blacklegged ticks and their associated pathogens in
southern, eastern, and central Ontario, with hopes to publish her findings
within the year.
Robinson is advised by Dr. Katie Clow, a professor in
OVC’s Department of Population Medicine.
Funding for Robinson’s work was provided by the Public
Health Agency of Canada as well as a stipend from OVC’s Department of
Population Medicine.
Graduate Student Spotlight: Grace Nichol, Tick and Lyme Disease Researcher
Ticks are
small, parasitic arachnids that feed on the blood of humans or animals as a
part of their life cycle. Humans and animals alike can contract Lyme disease
from the bite of certain tick species, as they can transmit disease-causing
pathogens.
In Lyme
Disease Awareness Month, we are highlighting four graduate students at the
University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) whose research focuses
on Lyme disease and tick populations.
Grace Nichol,
a master’s student in OVC’s Department of Population Medicine, has participated
in two research projects on Lyme disease in Canada, and is currently completing
her master’s thesis on Dermacentor tick range expansion in the western
Canadian provinces.
Grace Nichol, a master’s student in OVC’s Department of Population Medicine, in the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses lab.
Nichol’s
first research project focused on assessing the knowledge, attitudes and
practices of Canadian veterinarians regarding Lyme disease in dogs by surveying
almost 200 veterinarians across the country. “This assessment was needed as
there is a lack of consensus on best practices related to Lyme disease for
certain aspects of diagnosis and treatment, so we wanted to see what strategies
veterinarians are currently using in practice” Nichol notes.
The research
findings suggest that a wide variety of clinical approaches are currently used
to address Lyme disease with regional differences in the approaches taken by
veterinarians, along with significant differences in tick distribution between
regions. Published in the Journal of
Veterinary Internal Medicine, this research identifies areas for
future study and opportunities for knowledge mobilization with veterinarians. Nichol
began this research during her U of G undergraduate degree, as part of an
Undergraduate Research Assistantship led by OVC faculty Drs. Scott Weese and
Katie Clow, alongside Dr. Michelle Evason of the Atlantic Veterinary College.
Nichol’s
second project is ongoing and
focused on isolating Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme
disease, from ticks collected off dogs in Ontario to identify which strain types
of the bacteria are currently present in Ontario. This research, led by
Clow, Weese, and Joyce Rousseau of OVC’s Department of Pathobiology, will examine the potential
relationship between strain-type and clinical signs observed in dogs, as well
as help to identify strains of B. burgdorferi that are present
regionally.
Preliminary
research has investigated the role of B. burgdorferi strain-type in human
Lyme disease, but no research has examined the role of strain-type in canine
Lyme disease. Nichol hopes her findings will help to determine whether there is
a relationship between the B. burgdorferi strain-type carried by the
tick and the development of clinical disease in dogs.
As part of
her master’s thesis, Nichol’s current research focuses on the range expansion
of Dermacentor tick species in the western Canadian provinces. She is
using data collected from the Canadian Pet Tick Survey, a national survey from
April 2019 to March 2020, that collected ticks from companion animals, submitted
by veterinary clinics across Canada.
Dermacentor ticks do not carry the bacteria
that causes Lyme disease, but they are able to transmit other pathogens of
human and animal health significance. This includes multiple bacteria species that
cause rickettsial infections, a group of similar diseases caused by tick-borne
bacteria, in humans and animals alike.
Nichol is advised by Dr. Katie Clow, a professor in
OVC’s Department of Population Medicine.
Funding for
the Canadian Pet Tick Survey used to inform Nichol’s MSc research, as well as
the study on B. burgdorferi strain-typing, was provided by OVC Pet
Trust. Nichol has received additional funding from the OVC’s Undergraduate
Research Assistantship program, an Andrea Leger Dunbar Summer Research
Assistantship, an OVC MSc Scholarship, as well as a Canada Graduate Scholarship
– Master’s (CGS-M) from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
of Canada (NSERC).
Graduate Student Spotlight: Sydney
Dewinter, Tick Population Researcher
Ticks are small, parasitic
arachnids that feed on the blood of humans or animals as a part of their life
cycle. Recently, Canada has been experiencing rapid
changes in the prevalence and distribution of these parasites, as well as
increased spread of tick-borne diseases.
The Ixodes genus is a group of hard-bodied tick
species of particular concern for human
and animal health. They are important vectors of several human and animal
diseases, and are noteworthy spreaders of certain tick-borne diseases. In
particular, blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis)and western
blacklegged ticks (Ixodes pacificus) are two species within this genus that
can transmit Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme
disease in humans and some animal species.
Throughout Lyme Disease Awareness Month, we are
highlighting four graduate students at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary
College (OVC) whose research focuses on Lyme disease and tick populations.
Sydney
Dewinter, an MSc candidate in OVC’s Department of Population Medicine, is studying the expanding range of the Ixodes species across Canada to provide
up-to-date regional data on the distribution of the Ixodes tick species,
as well as infestation
patterns of several tick species found on Canadian companion animals.
Sydney Dewinter, an MSc candidate in OVC’s Department of Population Medicine.
To achieve this, Dewinter is analyzing data collected
from the Canadian Pet Tick Survey, which ran from April 2019 to March 2020.
Ticks were collected from companion animals and submitted by veterinary clinics
across Canada for tick species identification.
It has been previously determined that drastic environmental
changes, such as climate change, in recent years have led to changes in tick
populations across the country. Many tick species are expanding their range, which
is also increasing the number of humans and animals at risk to contract Lyme
disease.
Dewinter hopes her work will help to inform members of
the public of tick ‘hot spots’ so that anyone visiting or living in these regions
may take the appropriate preventative measures to prevent tick bites. Her
research will also inform veterinary and public health professionals on tick
acquisition risk specific to their location. This will allow for more
regionally-appropriate recommendations such as, increased protective clothing
for people and specific preventative medications for dogs and cats.
“As we continue to increase awareness of ticks and
tick-borne disease, we can continue to educate the public on how to prevent
bites, and what to do when they have acquired a tick,” Dewinter shares. “It is
my hope that through education and knowledge translation, tick-borne disease
prevalence will begin to decrease - including the prevalence of Lyme disease!”
Dewinter is advised by Dr. Katie Clow, a professor in
OVC’s Department of Population Medicine.
Funding for the Canadian Pet Tick Survey used to
inform Dewinter’s MSc research was provided by OVC Pet Trust. Additional
funding has been provided by an OVC Graduate Scholarship, awarded through OVC
for incoming students.
Graduate Student Spotlight: Cyril
Akwo, Tick and Tick-Borne Disease Researcher
Ticks are small, parasitic arachnids that feed on the blood of humans or
animals as a part of their life cycle. Recently, Canada has been experiencing
rapid changes in the prevalence and distribution of these parasites, as well as
increased spread of tick-borne diseases.
Several tick species pose a risk to human and animal health as they can transmit
pathogens through their bite, which cause illnesses like Lyme disease. Monitoring
the changing distribution of tick species in Canada, as well as tracking the
incidence of tick-borne diseases, can help to inform prevention methods that better
protect human and animal health.
In Lyme Disease Awareness Month, we are highlighting four
graduate students at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College
(OVC) whose research focuses on Lyme disease and tick populations.
Cyril Akwo, a PhD candidate in OVC’s Department of
Population Medicine, is focused on developing and evaluating a ‘One Health’
approach to tick and tick-borne disease surveillance in Canada.
Cyril Akwo, a PhD candidate in OVC’s Department of Population Medicine.
The bite of a blacklegged tick can transmit Borrelia
burgdorferi, a bacterium that causes Lyme disease in humans and some
animals. The geographic range of blacklegged ticks is expanding, causing Lyme disease
to rapidly emerge across Canada. The risk of an individual’s exposure to ticks
and the subsequent contraction of Lyme disease is now present in almost all
Canadian provinces, with the level of risk varying depending on the region.
Akwo plans to address the increasing rates of Lyme disease
in Canada by providing an evidence based, One Health approach to tick surveillance
in Canada. His aim is to develop a new
framework to help public health departments as well as researchers better monitor
and control ticks, tick-borne diseases, and the risk of contracting Lyme disease
across the country.
“This information will help to improve current
understandings of what factors might be driving the geographic expansion of
ticks and the emergence of tick-borne diseases in Canada,” he notes. Akwo hopes
to provide researchers and governments with his proposed One Health research
framework so that it can be adapted for use in their own research and policy
processes.
Akwo is engaging with stakeholders who work in any
sector dealing with the health and well-being of humans, animals or the
environment through an online survey. These stakeholders will provide feedback on
Akwo’s proposed One Health approach through voluntary participation in this
survey and are invited to share any perceived challenges or barriers. This
feedback will be used in the planning and implementation of Akwo’s One Health
framework.
This research will also analyse sources of historical
data for tick and tick-borne diseases in Canada to aid in identifying trends or
associations between data sources, which is especially important in
collaborative surveillance frameworks. This will allow Akwo to provide proof of
concept for his proposed collaborative approach to tick and tick-borne disease
surveillance in Canada.
Akwo believes that a population-based, One Health
approach is vital to curbing Lyme disease emergence in Canada. He says his
research will “contribute to helping monitor and more effectively prevent or control
the spread of ticks, and to reduce the incidence and burden of Lyme disease. My
ultimate goal is to improve the health of humans, animals and the environment.”
Akwo is co-advised by Dr. Katie
Clow, a professor in OVC’s Department of Population Medicine, and Dr. Claire
Jardine, a professor in OVC’s Department of Pathobiology.
This research has been funded by the OVC Graduate
Research Assistantship and the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)
through the Canadian Lyme Disease Research Network.
OVC researchers are constantly
discovering, publishing, getting grants, winning awards, building partnerships and
growing their research programs. We are proud of these achievements. Each month,
we highlight researchers, providing a snapshot of their recent publications, grants
and awards, and ‘wins’ for their research program.
Charlotte’s research program
aims to conduct methodologically rigorous research as part of a holistic research
cycle addressing real-life challenges to the dairy industry.
2021 OMAFRA KTT Research Grant: “Improving biosecurity on Ontario
dairy farms: Exploring barriers to current KTT delivery and how to best address
these”
2020 OMAFRA Alliance Tier 1: “Improving the care and management
of down dairy cows through developing evidence-based best management practices”
One Win: New student: Incoming PhD student (F21)
Cora Okkema is currently completing her MSc at Colorado State under Dr. Temple Grandin.
Cora has an extensive background in agriculture and holds numerous awards in animal
behaviour and welfare. We are looking forward to her joining our lab group in September!
Why is dairy research important to you?
Why are you passionate about this field of study? I’ve had the pleasure of working with dairy
farmers since I graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College’s (OVC) Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
program in 1984 and started work as a food animal
veterinarian. As I transitioned from practice to research, I’ve been able to
lead projects that address practical problems involving animal health and milk
quality on dairy farms. For the last
eight years, the Dairy Farmers of Ontario have funded my research chair in
dairy cattle health, enabling me to focus on dairy research while training the
next generation of dairy researchers. I can’t think of anything I’d rather be
doing.
What is the main focus of your research? My research focuses on the control of diseases of
importance to the dairy industry (i.e. mastitis, lameness, and Johne’s Disease,
an infectious gastrointestinal disease) and
on resolving farm-based milk quality problems. All of these projects provide
foundational support for the Dairy Farmers of Canada proAction dairy quality
assurance program that includes traceability, animal care and welfare,
environmental stewardship and biosecurity.
Why is
this research important? What are the benefits of this work? Dairy farming continues to change and evolve as
farmers look to improve production in an environmentally and financially
sustainable manner, while reducing reliance on antibiotics to treat disease and
continuously improving milk quality. During this process, practical challenges
arise that need solutions. We work with our dairy industry partners to find
solutions.
The research we do benefits the dairy cow, the
dairy producer, the dairy industry and the dairy consumer. With the great team
of Dairy at Guelph researchers here at the University of Guelph, our impact is
felt all along the entire dairy value chain.
Who are your current funders for this
research? Our research is funded by dairy producers (Dairy
Farmers of Ontario and Dairy Farmers of Canada) with support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
(OMAFRA), through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance and the
federal government through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Who are some of your current
collaborators? I have many collaborators at the University of
Guelph, at the other four Canadian veterinary colleges, and at universities in
the United States and across Europe. My
recent collaborators at the U of G are Stephen LeBlanc, David Renaud, Charlotte
Winder, Jan Sargeant, Todd Duffield, Amy Greer and Cathy Bauman at the Ontario
Veterinary College, and Trevor DeVries,
Christine Baes and Gisele LaPointe at the Ontario Agricultural College. Nationally, I
work regularly with Herman Barkema in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary, Simon Dufour in the Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine at the University of Montreal, and Greg
Keefe at the
Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island.
Where
can we read some of your recently-published work?
Roche SM, Renaud
DL, Genore R, Bauman C, Croyle S, Dubuc J, Barkema HW, Keefe GP, Kelton DF.
Communication preferences and social media engagement among Canadian dairy
producers. J Dairy Sci Dec 2020 103:12128-12139.
Denis-Robichaud J, Kelton D,
Fauteux V, Villettaz Robichaud M, Dubuc J.
Accuracy of estimation of lameness, injuries and cleanliness prevalence
by dairy farmers and veterinarians. J Dairy Sci Nov 2020 103:10696-10702.
Shock DA, Coe JB, LeBlanc SJ, Leslie KE,
Renaud D, Roche S, Hand K, Godkin MA, Kelton DF. Characterizing the attitudes
and motivations of Ontario dairy producers towards udder health. J Dairy Sci May 2020 103:4618-4632.
Why is
dairy research important to you? Why are you passionate about this field of
study? I am
particularly interested in the health and well-being of all animals, but
especially food producing livestock, including dairy animals, which provide us
with a rich and nutritious supply of food. If we look after their health, they
are better able to supply us with a safe and sustainable food chain.
What is
the main focus of your research? My research for
the past 25 years has focused on identifying dairy cattle carrying the highest
level of immune-competence and pinpointing the genes that provide that superior
immunity.
Why is
this research important? What are the benefits of this work? We know that
animals carrying the best immune response genes have increased natural disease
resistance, with about half the disease occurrence of their herd mates, so they
require less therapeutic intervention and are able to pass those beneficial
genes onto their offspring with no need for gene modification or therapy.
We can use the
patented U of G High Immune Response (HIR™) Technology to identify dairy cattle
carrying the best immune response genes. This helps the dairy producer save
money, supports the well-being of the cow, and ensures Canadians are receiving
healthful dairy products. The HIR technology is marketed by the Semex Alliance
under the tradename, Immunity+.
Who are
your current funders for this research? This research
has been funded by NSERC (Discovery, Innovation, and Alliance Grants), the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
(OMAFRA) through
various programs including the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance KTT and Gryphon’s
LAAIR programs, CFREF-Food from Thought, and our industry partner, the Semex
Alliance.
Who are
some of your current collaborators? Currently, at
the University of Guelph we are collaborating with Dr. Art Hill, Food
Innovation Centre, and Dr. Kevin Keener, College of Engineering and Physical
Science, to study the unique health components and processing properties of
colostrum from High Immune Response cows. In addition, our lab is working with
Professors Niel Karrow and Angela Canovas, Animal Biosciences–Centre for
Genetic Improvement of Livestock, to evaluate dairy cattle resilience to heat
stress in the face of global warming.
Where
can we read some of your recently-published work?
Why is
dairy research important to you? Why are you passionate about this field of
study? The dairy
industry is a vital part of Canadian agriculture. Dairy research encompasses
everything from crops to feed cattle to animal health and welfare to marketing
dairy products, and helps ensure the Canadian dairy industry stays relevant and
competitive in a global marketplace.
What is
the main focus of your research? My research
focuses on animal health and welfare, primarily in dairy calf care and
management. This involves the full breadth of the research cycles, including
knowledge synthesis, clinical trials, and knowledge translation and transfer
research.
Why is
this research important? What are the benefits of this work? The way we
house and manage young calves on dairy farms in Canada has changed tremendously
in the past decade. Early life care can pay huge dividends down the road and
knowing how to best invest in calves on a dairy operation can be beneficial for
animal health and welfare as well as profitability for the dairy.
For example,
a few of our current projects are looking at pain management for disbudding,
using data from automatic feeding systems for calves to predict disease, and
determining what barriers farmers face when adopting new biosecurity practices
for their young calves. Determining optimal pain management benefits animal welfare
and helps maintain industry sustainability.
Many farmers have adopted new technology like automated calf feeders in
recent years, but data from these technologies can be challenging to integrate
into health management programs. Our work here will help farmers better use
this data to detect illness in calves early on, which may mean we can help
calves recover quicker and avoid the need for antimicrobials. Our work looking
at barriers to biosecurity practices will help us target appropriate extension programming,
and will help the dairy industry refine quality assurance programs to effect
positive changes on farm to better animal health.
Who are
your current funders for this research? Our
disbudding work is funded by the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance,
with support from the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, the Saputo Dairy Care Program,
and Boehringer-Ingleheim. The project
examining automated calf feeding systems is funded through Food From Thought in
partnership with Foerster-Technik, and the project examining barriers to
adopting biosecurity practices on dairy farms is supported through the Alliance
KTT-Research stream.
Who are
some of your current collaborators? Current
collaborators include Dr. David Renaud, Ontario Veterinary College, Dr. Mike
Steele, Ontario Agricultural College, Dr. Joao Costa, University of Kentucky, Dr.
Jennifer Van Os, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Dr. Cynthia Miltenburg,
OMAFRA.
Where
can we read some of your recently-published work?
Why is
dairy research important to you? Why are you passionate about this field of
study? I really
enjoy working with dairy farmers. They are some of the smartest and
hardest-working people that I know. After many years, I still find dairy cows
remarkable and fascinating animals. As a veterinary researcher, I’m motivated
to try to understand whether our interventions are effective and to develop and
test new ways to prevent disease.
What is
the main focus of your research? My research
addresses metabolic and reproductive health in dairy cows. My team studies the
determinants of health in the transition period (before and
after a cow has a calf)
and how these link to later reproductive health and performance. We use large
randomized controlled trials to evaluate interventions to prevent, diagnose and treat disease, as well observational studies, and more recently,
qualitative methods as well. We’ve done several studies to try to optimize the
use of automated activity monitors (“FitBits” for cows), which are becoming
widely used on dairy farms. We have an ongoing project to better understand
dairy farmers’ decision-making and perspectives on antimicrobial use and
resistance.
Why is
this research important? What are the benefits of this work?
Dairy cows
are comparable in some ways to high-performance athletes. We are constantly
looking for better ways to meet their needs for healthy, efficient, sustainable
production of “nature’s most nearly perfect food”.
The primary
users of our research are veterinarians, other advisors of farmers, and dairy
producers themselves. Our aim is to provide rigorous evidence that can be
applied in farm management and in veterinary practice.
Who are
your current funders for this research? Our work is funded
by NSERC (Discovery grant), Food from Thought (CFREF) and OAIA Alliance.
Who are
some of your current collaborators? One of the
strengths is the network of collaborators at U of G, formalized in Dairy at
Guelph. Current internal collaborators
include David Kelton and David Renaud at the Ontario Veterinary College and
Eduardo Ribeiro, Ontario Agricultural College.
Where
can we read some of your recently-published work?
Why is
dairy research important to you? Why are you passionate about this field of
study? The main reasons
I am drawn to the dairy industry for research are: the producers, the animals
and the food products. I know that healthy animals produce healthy products,
which in turn provides a better quality of life for producers. It is the dairy
cycle of always trying to improve at every stage that is addictive and
rewarding.
What is
the main focus of your research? My main research
area focuses on the dairy small ruminant industries. While I have a special
interest in milk quality in dairy goats and dairy sheep, I also am involved in
researching production-limiting diseases. Infections such as Johne’s disease,
caprine arthritis, encephalitis/maedi-visna virus and abortions can have a
large impact on animal welfare, producer well-being and the sustainability of
the industry. It is important to improve testing methods and investigate
intervention strategies as part of the control programs that can help to reduce
the incidence of these diseases.
Why is
this research important? What are the benefits of this work? The Ontario
small ruminant dairy industries have grown and stabilized over the last 10
years with Ontario now producing more than 75 per cent of Canada’s goat milk
and almost half of the country’s sheep milk. Compared to Europe, very little
research has been conducted in the industries in North America, where housing
and rearing systems are quite different. There is also a need to help
veterinary and agricultural students gain experience with goats and sheep.
Our research
projects are “applied research” which means the results are directly applicable
to the issues producers, veterinarians and processors are dealing with on a
day-to-day basis.
Who are
your current funders for this research? Research to date has been largely supported by the main
processors in the industry: Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Ltd., Ontario Dairy Goat
Co-operative and Saputo Inc. Their generous support has allowed us to apply for
further support
from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance. To date, the
collaboration has supported research into neonatal mortality, milk quality and
the pharmacokinetics of veterinary medications in these species.
Who are
some of your current collaborators? At the University
of Guelph, we are collaborating with: Gisele Lapointe in the Ontario
Agricultural College on milk quality, and at the Ontario Veterinary College
with David Kelton on Johne’s and milk quality, Jeff Wichtel on neonatal
mortality, and Charlotte Winder.
Congratulations
to Dr. Andrew Peregrine, in OVC’s Department of Pathobiology, who recently
received the 2021 American
Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AAVP)-Boehringer
Ingelheim Distinguished Veterinary Parasitologist Award.
Dr. Andrew Peregrine, OVC Department of Pathobiology
The award
honors the outstanding contributions of an AAVP member to the advancement of
veterinary parasitology and to the understanding
and control of parasitic diseases of animals.
Peregrine received the award during the AAVP’s
hybrid virtual/in-person annual meeting in late June. During a special awards
session at the beginning of the meeting, he presented a pre-recorded talk, “From
Kenya to Canada: Lessons Learned?” and highlighted the importance of Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion in both the workplace and professional organizations.
