The identification of constraints and possible remedies to livestock production by zoonotic diseases in the South Pacific

• National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority, Papua New Guinea
• Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Fiji
• University of Melbourne, Australia
• Children's Hospital, Westmead, Australia
• Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Australia
• WHO/FAO/OIE Collaborating Centre for Reference & Research on Leptospirosis, Australia
• National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority, Papua New Guinea

Most countries and territories in the South Pacific are experiencing a growing demand for animal products, as human populations increase and expectations rise for higher living standards. Greater intensification of animal production in areas with limited land resources has increased the possibility of human-animal contact, and thus the risk of zoonotic disease. Trichinellosis, leptospirosis and angiostrongylosis are the diseases of most concern in the region. Leptospirosis infection causes production loss in livestock and is a serious public health issue, especially for owners of livestock and workers in the processing industry. Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection is an unquantified threat to livestock health and is emerging as a serious public health problem. Trichinella infection in pigs is a barrier to livestock trade and could result in a significant loss to producers. If this organism entered Australia, it could cause severe economic losses to the Australian pork industry.

Zoonotic diseases (diseases transmitted from animals to humans) are thought to be increasing in the South Pacific as livestock production intensifies. The aim of this project is to determine the extent of the problem posed by zoonotic diseases, and to develop control strategies to reduce their impact.

The project team will first develop and validate serological techniques for the detection of Leptospira, Trichinella and A. cantonensis in livestock and rodents. They will then use these techniques to survey for the three zoonotic infections in Fiji and Kiribati. The surveys will focus on these two island groups because there is serological and direct evidence of each of the three zoonotic infections in both, there are good networks for local cooperation and they have significantly different livestock densities (6 pigs per km2 or 0.15 pigs per person in Fiji compared to 34 pigs per km2 or 0.32 pigs per person in Kiribati).
The team will conduct surveys in Papua New Guinea (PNG) for Trichinella and investigate the pathology of T. papuae infection in pigs. The researchers It will also investigate the pathogenesis of A. cantonensis in ruminants. In the final year of the project, findings will be disseminated through a workshop involving key personnel from the agriculture and health departments of Fiji and Kiribati. This workshop will help to formulate education and control programs for zoonotic diseases where appropriate and establish a regional network on zoonoses.