Events

View the webinar, held on 30 March 2023.

Co-hosted by: University of Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute (Sydney ID) together with the Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases (ASID), the Australian Veterinarians in Public Health (AVA-AVPH) and Queensland Health.

An outbreak of a febrile illness among workers in an abattoir in Queensland, Australia, in 1933 by Edward Derrick led to him coining the name “Q fever” to the syndrome with the “Q” standing for Query because there were so many unanswered questions about the disease. We now know Q fever is caused by the bacterial pathogen, Coxiella burnetii, that livestock are the most important reservoir for the disease in Australia, and that Q fever occurs around the globe, but many questions about this disease remain unanswered 90 years later.

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the first reports of this disease, this webinar will discuss international research into Q fever as well as some updates on what is happening here in Australia to address some of the queries about this fascinating disease.

Presentations:

• Q fever outbreak on a dairy goat and cattle farm – an example of the One Health approach. Dr Ben Bauer, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover.
• Coxiella as multi-host pathogen in Tanzania. Dr Jo Halliday, University of Glasgow.
• QFIG – surveillance and the group’s activities plus epidemiology across Australia. Dr Candice Holland and Dr Robert Horvath, Queenland Health.

View the webinar, held on 21 April 2022

Co-hosted by Sydney ID, Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases (ASID) Zoonoses Special Interest Group (ZooSIG), and Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) Veterinary Public Health Special Interest group (AVPH-SIG) the webinar explores International perspectives on Japanese Encephalitis virus as a One Health challenge.

Presentations:

• JEV at the nexus of humans, animals, and the environment in India.   Dr Mudassar Chanda, Chief Scientist with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics, India

• Back to its roots: JEV in Japan. Prof. Ken Maeda, Director, Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan 

• JEV in non-human hosts in New South Wales. Dr Sarah Britton, Chief Veterinary Officer for NSW

Watch the presentation on the progress towards the establishment of Tadra Vanua, a world-class, action-oriented, place-based, interdisciplinary research hub that aligns with the aspirations of Pacific Islanders and the urgent global need for integrative solutions for future health and wellbeing.

We highlight policy context, our ongoing studies and capacity building initiatives that we are using to build upon existing relevant investments by global philanthropic bodies and development aid agencies in the region (e.g., RISE and WISH projects), and the recent establishment of the Fiji Institute of Pacific Health Research (FIPHR), to lead regionally appropriate approaches to sustainable health.

Drawing on existing strengths and partnerships, this emerging vision of Tadra Vanua is poised to become a globally recognized champion of fields at the nexus of health and our shared environment (e.g., One Health, EcoHealth, Planetary Health).

Crucially, this initiative will provide global exemplars of approaches that improve human development and prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable while simultaneously promoting environmental sustainability.

TADRA (Fiji) = dream, to dream of; VANUA (Fiji), FONUA (Tonga), WHANUA(Maori), ‘ENUA (Cook Islands) = “people of/and place” - a Pacific-wide term acknowledging that material, biological, social, and cultural dimensions are inextricably interrelated; a recognized Pacific model for health and well-being.