Nigel French
Nigel French is Professor of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health at Massey University, New Zealand. He is Director of the Infectious Disease Research Centre (www.idrec.ac.nz) at Massey University and Head of the Molecular Epidemiology and Public Health laboratory in the Hopkirk Research Institute (http://mepilab.massey.ac.nz/), specializing in research and training in molecular epidemiology, food and water safety and the control of infectious diseases. Nigel has led a number of inter-disciplinary research programmes, combining microbiology, molecular biology and modeling, in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, and 5 book chapters; many in the area of food and water safety and public health. Nigel is a Fellow of Food Standards Australia New Zealand and member of the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Studies. He is also a Principal Investigator in the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution. Prior to joining Massey University in 2004, Nigel held a number of academic positions at the University of Bristol and, between 1996 and 2004, at the University of Liverpool, where he was Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology. Although his current focus is on molecular epidemiology of bacterial pathogens, he has also published extensively in the fields of equine welfare (colic and racing injuries), ruminant parasitology (ectoparasites and tick borne disease) and the health and productivity of smallholder dairy farming in East Africa. He graduated as a veterinary surgeon from the University of Liverpool in 1987, and in 1993 he was awarded a PhD (Bristol) and a Masters degree in epidemiology (University of London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), funded by a Wellcome Trust Research Training Fellowship in Clinical Epidemiology.
Waterborne Zoonoses in NZ Main Session  Friday, 13 June 2014 Start 4:30pm Duration: 25mins Baytrust It seems a contradiction that New Zealand is renowned for its pristine environment and yet we have some of the highest notification rates in the developed world of illnesses associated with waterborne pathogens; such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia spp. In this talk the reasons for this will be explored by examining when, where and how we come into contact with waterborne pathogens, and the role played by zoonotic transmission from farmed livestock and wildlife. As a result of recent advances in molecular epidemiology and microbial genetics, we can estimate how important cattle, sheep and wild birds are as sources of these diseases, but the question remains: how will this information help us to reduce contamination of recreational and drinking water, and lower the rates of disease in the New Zealand population? Zoonotic Mischief From Cattle Concurrent Workshop Repeated Saturday, 14 June 2014 Start 2:00pm Duration: 55mins Room 7 Start 3:05pm Duration: 55mins Room 7 It is estimated that New Zealand cattle deposit around 80 million tonnes of faecal material per year into the rural environment. Importantly, they are also a reservoir for several of our notifiable enteric pathogens, including Salmonella spp., Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Cryptosporidium spp. and Campylobacter spp. Not surprisingly, pre-school children residing in areas with high densities of cattle represent the highest risk group for many of these enteric diseases, and notification rates in this group in New Zealand exceed those in many other developed countries. Infections are acquired via direct contact with cattle faeces and contamination of food, water and the environment, resulting in multiple transmission pathways. Emerging issues include the use of antimicrobials in cattle, and the increased consumption of raw, unpasteurised milk - with its associated risks and perceived benefits. In this workshop we will discuss the latest research into the epidemiology of cattle-associated infections in New Zealand, identifying the most important infection pathways and potential measures that could help to reduce the incidence of zoonotic disease. What You Can Catch from Your Pets Concurrent Workshop Sunday, 15 June 2014 Start 8:30am Duration: 55mins Room 5 Start 9:35am Duration: 55mins Room 5 The phrase “a lick may be as bad as a bite” has appeared in a number of publications summarising cases of severe disease, such as Pasteurella meningitis, associated with intimate contact with a family pet. Fortunately these are rare events, and the major globally-important dog-associated diseases such as rabies, hydatidosis and leishmaniasis are absent from New Zealand. However, there are a number of diseases people acquire from their pets in New Zealand, and many of these are relatively common in the animal population. Diseases include toxoplasmosis, visceral and cutaneous larva migrans, campylobacteriosis and ringworm. In this workshop we will discuss how veterinary and medical practitioners recognise and manage both common and rare pet-borne zoonoses, and the potential for new and emerging issues associated with antimicrobial use in companion animals.