Canine leptospirosis at home and abroad: Matching the vaccine with the infection

与MSD动物健康中心合作，并与动植物健康机构(APHA)合作，目的是采取跨学科的方法来研究犬钩端螺旋体病。我们将专注于开发改进的分子和免疫学诊断测试，并增加我们对英国和尼日利亚犬类这种传染病的流行病学了解，以期为疫苗设计提供信息。该项目将利用RVC和MSD Animal Health之间建立的伙伴关系，MSD Animal Health在iCASE计划内提供研究生研究培训的记录。该项目将在遗传、分子和宿主反应水平上深入了解这种病原体的抗原变异，与生物科学对健康的综合理解保持一致。同伴动物与人类人口关系密切，控制传染病对人畜共患病病原体特别重要，如同一健康背景下的钩端螺旋体。该项目符合受管理动物福利战略优先领域，通过开发诊断分析和改进的钩端螺旋体病疫苗，钩端螺旋体病是一种影响狗的健康和福利的高发病率/死亡率的疾病。这项研究不仅将解决对了解宿主病原体相互作用至关重要的问题，还将向兽医通报钩端螺旋体病的风险因素，并使商业公司能够更具体地针对目前在犬类中传播和出现的钩端螺旋体血清型定制疫苗。

In partnership with MSD Animal Health, and in collaboration with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), the aim is to take an interdisciplinary approach to studying canine leptospirosis. We will focus on developing improved molecular and immunological diagnostic tests and increasing our epidemiological understanding of this infectious disease in the UK and Nigerian dog populations, with a view to informing vaccine design. The project will exploit an established partnership between RVC and MSD Animal Health, which has a track record of delivering postgraduate research training within the iCASE scheme. The project will provide insight into antigenic variation of this pathogen at the genetic, molecular and host response levels, aligning with Bioscience for an Integrated Understanding of Health. Companion animals enjoy a close relationship with the human population and control of infectious disease is particularly important for zoonotic pathogens such as leptospira in a One Health context. The project fits the Welfare of Managed Animals strategic priority area, by developing diagnostic assays and improved vaccines for leptospirosis, a disease of high morbidity/mortality that impacts on the health and welfare of dogs. Not only will this research address questions of fundamental importance for understanding the host pathogen interaction, but will also inform vets of the risk factors for leptospirosis and enable commercial companies to tailor their vaccines more specifically to those leptospira serovars currently circulating and emerging in the dog population.