Canine leptospirosis at home and abroad: Matching the vaccine with the infection

In partnership with MSD Animal Health, and in collaboration with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), the aim is to take an interdisciplinary approach to studying canine leptospirosis. We will focus on developing improved molecular and immunological diagnostic tests and increasing our epidemiological understanding of this infectious disease in the UK and Nigerian dog populations, with a view to informing vaccine design. The project will exploit an established partnership between RVC and MSD Animal Health, which has a track record of delivering postgraduate research training within the iCASE scheme. The project will provide insight into antigenic variation of this pathogen at the genetic, molecular and host response levels, aligning with Bioscience for an Integrated Understanding of Health. Companion animals enjoy a close relationship with the human population and control of infectious disease is particularly important for zoonotic pathogens such as leptospira in a One Health context. The project fits the Welfare of Managed Animals strategic priority area, by developing diagnostic assays and improved vaccines for leptospirosis, a disease of high morbidity/mortality that impacts on the health and welfare of dogs. Not only will this research address questions of fundamental importance for understanding the host pathogen interaction, but will also inform vets of the risk factors for leptospirosis and enable commercial companies to tailor their vaccines more specifically to those leptospira serovars currently circulating and emerging in the dog population.