ORCID

0000-0003-4146-8585

Department

Biological Sciences

Year of Study

1

Full-time or Part-time Study

Full-time

Level

Postgraduate

Presentation Type

Poster

Supervisor

Jim O'Mahony

Supervisor

Lorraine Endersen

Supervisor

Niamh Field

Abstract

Johne’s disease is a scourge to dairy farmers all over the world. It is an infectious disease that causes chronic inflammation and lesions along the inside of the small intestine of, primarily, ruminant animals (i.e., cattle and sheep). It is an incurable disease and urgently requires new and radical intervention strategies. Apart from careful on-site farm management practices, little can be offered to farmers to reduce the risk of infection, and nothing short of livestock culling is effective once an animal becomes infected. Currently, there are no vaccines licensed in Ireland or antibiotic treatment strategies available for Johne’s disease. This study is currently investigating the feasibility of introducing bacteriophage therapy as a means of controlling Johne’s disease by targeting the drug-resistant pathogen responsible, Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. Bacteriophage therapy is the practice of using bacteriophages, genetically diverse viruses that specifically infect and destroy bacteria hosts, to treat bacteria-based infections as an alternative to antibiotic-based treatment methods. Preliminary research has indicated that two individually tested environmental samples presented bacteriophage activity when used on host bacteria Mycobacterium smegmatis. Future research will include the investigation, isolation, and propagation of the potential bacteriophages from these two individual samples and their potential application as anti-mycobacterial agents on more virulent mycobacteria pathogens, such as Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis.

Keywords:

Microbiology, Virus, Bacteriophage, Phage Therapy, Bacteria, Mycobacteria, Cattle, Johne's Disease, Mycobacteriophage

Start Date

14-6-2022 10:45 AM

End Date

14-6-2022 2:00 PM

Comments

I have already submitted once before but I never received a confirmation email so I am submitting again for a second time just in case.

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Jun 14th, 10:45 AM Jun 14th, 2:00 PM

An Investigation of the Novel use of Bacteriophages to Diagnose and Treat Johne's Disease in Cattle

Johne’s disease is a scourge to dairy farmers all over the world. It is an infectious disease that causes chronic inflammation and lesions along the inside of the small intestine of, primarily, ruminant animals (i.e., cattle and sheep). It is an incurable disease and urgently requires new and radical intervention strategies. Apart from careful on-site farm management practices, little can be offered to farmers to reduce the risk of infection, and nothing short of livestock culling is effective once an animal becomes infected. Currently, there are no vaccines licensed in Ireland or antibiotic treatment strategies available for Johne’s disease. This study is currently investigating the feasibility of introducing bacteriophage therapy as a means of controlling Johne’s disease by targeting the drug-resistant pathogen responsible, Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. Bacteriophage therapy is the practice of using bacteriophages, genetically diverse viruses that specifically infect and destroy bacteria hosts, to treat bacteria-based infections as an alternative to antibiotic-based treatment methods. Preliminary research has indicated that two individually tested environmental samples presented bacteriophage activity when used on host bacteria Mycobacterium smegmatis. Future research will include the investigation, isolation, and propagation of the potential bacteriophages from these two individual samples and their potential application as anti-mycobacterial agents on more virulent mycobacteria pathogens, such as Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis.