James Cook University will help spearhead efforts to combat dangerous biosecurity threats to Australia as part of a $5 million Asia-Pacific program.
JCU Head of Veterinary Preventative Medicine Professor Bruce Gummow will join experts from Australia and New Zealand to deliver frontline training for biosecurity staff in Laos, Cambodia, PNG and Timor Leste as part of a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade-funded program run by the Asia Pacific Consortium of Veterinary Epidemiology (APCOVE) - managed by the University of Sydney.
African Swine Fever, Foot and Mouth Disease, Japanese encephalitis, and rabies are just some of the disease threats facing Australia.
"It makes a lot more sense to catch these diseases before they can get to us in Australia," Prof Gummow said.
"We are effectively putting a security buffer around us by improving biosecurity in those Asia-Pacific countries.
"Australia is very good at having emergency and disaster protocols in place should a disease outbreak occur. Through this project, these countries will be drawing on the expertise and knowledge of veterinary epidemiologists from several universities that will train them how to respond better in the event of an outbreak in their own countries."
Experts from the University of Sydney, University of Queensland, University of Melbourne, University of Adelaide, Charles Sturt University, Murdoch University, Massey University and JCU are involved in the program.
The program has several aims including providing 'One Health' training to eight Asia-Pacific countries. That involves leveraging the resources of each country's veterinary, public health, and environmental sectors to prevent the spread of animal-based diseases.
"The concept of One Health is getting people to take a holistic approach to solving complex problems," Prof Gummow said.
"So, when we get a problem that is too complicated for one specific sector to deal with, then we have to think about creating transdisciplinary teams to deal with those complex problems."
Prof Gummow said the consequences of a major animal disease outbreak in Australia would be grave.
"African Swine Fever would have devastating economic consequences for the pig industry if it gets into our country. It originated in Africa, spread through Europe and Asia and is knocking on our door in some of these south-east Asian countries," he said.
"Foot and Mouth Disease would be equally devastating for the cattle population if it got into Australia.
"Japanese encephalitis is a mosquito-borne virus that affects multiple species and can cause death in people as well, which is something the medical profession is also concerned about."
Prof Gummow said beefing up biosecurity measures in Australia's neighbouring countries "is essential" to protecting agricultural production as well as public health in northern Queensland.
"Many diseases that affect people come from animals. That's why the Australian Government is investing so much money in this," he said
"They realise that if we can upgrade the animal health workforce in those countries, then they can find those diseases more quickly before they have a chance to make it here.
"It's really a case of being pre-emptive with this strategy."
The latest project follows a previous four-year, $3 million program which saw APCOVE build regional animal health capacity by developing 36 world-class eLearning modules on outbreak investigation, surveillance, data analysis, One Health, biosecurity, risk assessment, disease control, leadership, and communication.
More than 90 candidates from seven countries in south-east Asia were selected to conduct more than 30 field projects under the guidance of in-country mentors as part of that program.
"The current programme will strengthen that animal health network in the region and continue to build the capacity needed to keep our neighbouring countries and Australia free of disease," Prof Gummow said.
