Infections gets nosis put out of joint

The UK’s National Centre for Zoonosis Research, dedicated to the study of animal-borne human diseases, has been opened at the University of Liverpool.

Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph shows splenic tissue from a monkey with inhalational anthrax; featured are rod-shaped bacilli (yellow) and an erythrocyte (red). Credit: Arthur Friedlander

Funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) the Zoonosis Centre is a collaboration between the University of Lancaster, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA).

Zoonoses - diseases that originate in animals but can jump species and infect humans - have received much media attention in recent times due to the emergence of bird flu. However, there are many types of diseases that the centre will study.

Professor Malcolm Bennett, Veterinary Pathologist and Co-Director of the centre, said: “Diseases such as SARS and avian flu are examples of new and emerging zoonotic diseases that hit the headlines, but around two thirds of all human infections are transmitted from animals, and some of these can be very serious. Rabies, for example, still kills more than 50,000 people every year, mainly in developing countries, while closer to home, most cases of food poisoning are also caused by zoonoses.”

While many people associate zoonoses with wild or farm animals, pets can also be sources of important human infections, sometimes even with fatal consequences. Equally, however, human beings can sometimes be the source of animal infections.

Dr Chris Parry, Medical Microbiologist and Co-Director of the centre said: “Antibiotic resistance is a problem in many zoonotic bacteria, and this complicates the treatment of patients. The Centre brings together scientists with different backgrounds in order to tackle not just theoretical issues but very practical problems in disease control and management.”

The new centre was opened by Lord David Owen, the University’s Chancellor, and Lord Lawson Soulsby, former President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and honorary graduate of the University.