The Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) in Saskatoon is taking its leading research team into new territory in the battle against livestock diseases — they're tackling the horse.
According to Dr. Hugh Townsend, VIDO Senior Scientist and expert on equine viral respiratory diseases, the horse is a good research model to learn more about certain infectious diseases and how to improve or develop new vaccines against these conditions. Horses are also an important part of the agricultural economy and rural culture of Canada.
Combined, those factors make the horse a natural addition to the VIDO research agenda, which is to provide disease control solutions and information for infectious diseases that strike farm animals. “By using the horse as a model, we intend to contribute to the improvement of vaccine effectiveness and delivery methods in general, plus develop vaccines that will be effective in the horse as well,” stated Dr. Townsend. Horses should be especially useful for investigating intranasal vaccine delivery and testing new vaccines under development at VIDO, such as DNA vaccines. “This work could also lead to the development of vaccines specifically for horses,” he says.
The move by VIDO into equine research is also a recognition of the importance of the horse in Canada's rural economy and lifestyle. A number of economically significant industries revolve around the horse: horse racing, pregnant mare urine ranching, feeding and meat industry, tourism, and agricultural fairs.
Dr. Townsend, a long-time professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, will bring new strength to the VIDO team. He adds a wealth of experience in statistical analysis and experimental design, as well as expertise in large animal medicine. Dr. Townsend will split his time between the 2 institutions.
For further information, contact: Stuart Bond, Associate Director, Marketing and Business Development, Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization, telephone: (306) 966-7474, fax: (306) 966-7478, e-mail: <stubond@telusplanet.net>.
