Emerging Tick-borne Diseases of Companion Animals in Australia, by Peter Irwin

Presented: Thursday 1 December 2022

Presenter: Emeritus Prof. Peter Irwin BVetMed PhD FANZCVS MRCVS

Host: Prof. Abdul Jabbar MVetPath (Hons) PhD GCUT, Professor in Veterinary Parasitology

Topic: ‘Emerging Tick-borne Diseases of Companion Animals in Australia’

In This Talk: Australia was once considered to be relatively free of companion-animal tick-borne diseases (TBD), yet 2020 saw the addition of the most serious disease to date, canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME), caused by Ehrlichia canis. Genomic data indicates the strain is most closely aligned with E. canis isolates from Asia and the Middle East, and the clinical disease in dogs ranges in severity, with alarming morbidity and mortalities reported from Indigenous communities. This presentation discussed the Australian CME outbreak, and provided an update on other canine tick-borne diseases.

About the Presenter: Emeritus Prof. Peter Irwin graduated in veterinary science from the Royal Veterinary College, London University, and has a PhD from James Cook University for studies into canine babesiosis in Australia. Prof. Irwin has worked in academia in Australia, including with the Melbourne Veterinary School, and overseas for more than thirty years as a teacher of companion-animal medicine and as a researcher in the fields of veterinary parasitology and medical microbiology. He is an internationally recognised expert in vector-borne diseases. Prof. Irwin’s current research concerns tick-borne infections of companion animals, wildlife and humans in Australia. Prof. Irwin is appointed Emeritus Professor at Murdoch University.

Melbourne Veterinary School Seminar Series Enquiries: [email protected]

Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences: https://fvas.unimelb.edu.au