MUVS Connect #21 Jan 2015

MUVS Connect January 2015

Newsletter of the Melbourne University Veterinary Society

GreetingsWelcome to 2015; it is already speeding by. Australia day is a memory, Valentines day is just around the corner, Chinese (Lunar) New Year is shortly thereafter and Easter eggs and hot cross buns are in the supermarkets! Happy Year of the Goat/Sheep! Warm regards from Joseph Galbally (MUVS President) and Bruce Parry (Professor Emeritus) Email any contributions or comments for MUVS Connect to Bruce Parry at [email protected] or to [email protected]

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ValeMikeHarrisonMUVS notes with sadness the passing of Dr Michel Harrison (11 Feb 1942-25 Jan 2015). Alumni were sent an email from the Deans office, outlining Mikes important contribution to veterinary science and to the vet school, so we shall not chronicle it again in this issue. Suffice it to say that he was a caring coordinator of farm work for first and second year students, and as a respected mentor for international students for almost a decade (1998-2007), always vitally interested in the professional development young veterinarians, ready to lend a sympathetic ear and share a practice-based anecdote.

Mike was a devoted family man and our condolences are extended to his wife Vicky and family. His life was celebrated at a service in St Augustines Anglican church on 30 January. Thanks to Kevin Choy (2006) for the photo-montage. If you have a thought or photo about Dr Harrison that youd like to share in the next newsletter, please email [email protected]

MUVS Connect Issue 21 January 2015

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ReunionoftheClassof1974Fortyyearson!David Moroney writes: Fifty fresh faced youngsters eagerly started in 1970, 40 slightly the worse for wear graduated in 1974, and 20 grizzled veterans made it to the reunion in August 2014(about average). Some were unable to come (Waz being busy with camels in Qatar) and a few couldnt be found, despite Lindys dedicated detective work. Jack Arundel, Bruce Christie and Pat Wright, lecturers from '74, graciously came along to see how their protges had turned out and to relive, in Pats case, two years as KH warden. No water bombs were thrown this time!

Grads came from all states except NT, and Bruce Andison, now a human specialist, did the long haul from Washington State. Seven brave partners came along to put faces to the names theyd heard stories about, and see if they were true, or exaggerated. Ken Hinchcliff, the incumbent Dean, and his wife Carole, provided a current link with the Vet School and were welcome guests. Of the 20 grads attending, about half were either retired, or engaged in non-veterinary pursuits, ranging from law, medicine, business and entrepreneurial pursuits through to politics. The remainder were still actively practising or involved in veterinary research or teaching. In deference to our advancing years (and inability to stay up late) and the desire not to drive home in the dark, a lunch was organized at Dimmattina's Italian restaurant in Lygon St, Carlton. We had a private room upstairs away from the general public (word must have spread about the 1970's Vet Balls!) and enjoyed a delicious lunch washed down with drinks from our private bar, while catching up with the last 40 years. Many of us had not set eyes on each other since graduation; fortunately most were externally recognizable (personalities never seem to change), albeit in a slightly altered form, but not too shabby considering. All present considered the reunion (despite some initial misgivings about coming) a success, so much so that a hard core of about half stayed on for dinner downstairs to continue reminiscing about a unique 5 years of our youth and the effects of 40 years hence. Thank you to all who made the effort to come, especially Jack, Bruce, Pat and Ken. See you all in 5 years.


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ReunionoftheClassof1984Thirtyyearson!

Some had a hit of tennis, others fed a dolphin and we all enjoyed ourselves a lot. So much so in fact that we are having a second bite of the cherry in Feb in Melbourne, where hopefully a few who couldnt make it north will be reunited too. Contact Lisa Richards at [email protected] for more details.

The graduating year of 1984 - or at least about half of us - had a weekend of reunion and reminiscing, updating and relaxing, in October 2014 at Tangalooma Resort, Moreton Island in Queensland. Some had apartments, some hotel rooms and some rented a house. We ate, drank, swam, talked, snorkelled, paddled, golfed and generally socialised and remembered when.....


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GraduationDinner2014The veterinary graduands of 2014 gathered at Leonda by the Yarra for their graduation dinner on Thursday 11 December. As in recent times, the dinner was the night before the graduation ceremony. It was a glittering event, with congratulations to the organisers, especially Gemma Berkett and Lauren Foster.

It was an occasion to reflect on academic achievements, the journey thusfar and the road ahead. The Dean, Professor Ken Hinchcliff, introduced the presenters and recipients of awards and explained the areas that they covered.

Fiona Knox was Dux of the Class of 2014 and therefore recipient of the Australian Veterinary Association (Victorian Division) Prize, which was presented by Dr Trish Stewart. Fiona is the 48th graduate to receive this award and her name will be added to the honour board in the Kendall Hall dining room.


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Matt also received: The Australian Small Animal Veterinary Association (ASAVA) Award for Clinical Proficiency from ASAVA Committee member Dr Caitlin Horwood-Skelton. The prize recognises the graduate who was top student in clinical rotations in final year that relate to small animal medicine and surgery, thus the most outstanding student clinician, surgeon, anaesthetist, radiologist and intensivist.

Matthew Munro received the Equine Veterinarians Australia (EVA) Prize in Equine Medicine and Surgery from Professor James Gilkerson. The prize is awarded to the top graduate in equine medicine and surgery and comprises the most recent three years of Bain-Fallon Proceedings from the Annual Conference of the EVA.

The Hills Prize in Small Animal Medicine from Dr Kate Stevens of Hills Pet Nutrition. The prize acknowledges the graduate who obtained the highest marks in Dogs, Cats and Miscellaneous Companion Animals in third year and the Small Animal Medicine clinical rotations in fourth year. It was first awarded in 1993. The Memorial Prize in Veterinary Surgery from Dr Stewart Ryan. First awarded in 1967, the prize was donated to commemorate those veterinary graduates who gave their lives in the two world wars. It recognises the graduate who, in the opinion of the clinical staff, has demonstrated the most outstanding skills in surgery. And the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) Student Award from Dr Trish Stewart, President of the Victorian Division of the AVA. This prize is to the graduate who, through their academic work and participation in student affairs, is considered to be a future leader in the veterinary profession and the AVA. It consists of a certificate and two years membership of the Association.


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Josephine Beck received the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists Epidemiology Chapter Prize from Associate Professor Peter Mansell. The award recognises the graduate who demonstrated the best understanding of epidemiology in written examination papers in third year and/or in the fourth year annual project.

Michelle Hall received the VetPrac Vetlink Prize for Surgery, presented by Dr Ilana Mendels. This is a new prize, awarded to the graduate with the highest achievement in the fourth year annual research project on a surgical topic.

Thomas Fluen was awarded the Hills Buddy Prize in Small Animal Nutrition. Buddy was one of the first guide dogs in the U.S.A. When she developed renal failure, she was one of the first dogs to be put onto a special pet food formulated to manage canine chronic renal failure. This was the beginning of dietary management of disease in dogs and cats. The recipient of the prize has demonstrated the best understanding of the importance of nutrition in the overall management of disease in dogs and cats. Tom received the award from Dr Kate Stevens of Hills.


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Ruth Lindsay received the Deans Award for Contribution to Animal Management Programs in Indigenous Communities from Associate Professor Liz Tudor. Established in 2005, the award is made to the graduate who has demonstrated excellence in, and commitment to, animal management programs in indigenous communities.

Jonathan Schaefer received the Jan Blackburn Prize in Small Animal Intensive Medicine and Critical Care. This prize is donated by Mr and Mrs Blackburn in memory of their daughter and was awarded by Jans sister, Fiona OConnor. The prize recognises the graduate who achieved the highest mark in rotations in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care

Leighton Burger received the IDEXX Prize in Clinical Pathology from Emeritus Professor Bruce Parry. This prize was initiated by Dr Peter Lording, who established Melbournes first large-scale commercial clinical pathology lab (Central Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory) in the 70s. CVDL merged with IDEXX in the 90s. The award is made to the graduate who demonstrated greatest competency in the clinical pathology components of third and fourth year.


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Sam also received the Lyppard Australia - Colin Basset Prize from Associate Professor Michael Pyman. The prize recognises the graduate with the most outstanding ability in those studies applicable to large animal veterinary practice. It was named in honour of Dr Colin Basset former principal of the Korumburra Veterinary Practice, Member of the Veterinary Board of Victoria, President of the Victorian Division of the AVA, and President of the AEVA (now EVA) who died in 1995.

Samuel Morgan received the Mary Wilson Prize in Beef Cattle Medicine from Associate Professor Peter Mansell. The prize recognises the graduate with the most outstanding performance in studies related to beef cattle. Mrs Mary Wilson, with her husband Bill, ran a very successful Angus Stud (Roseneath) at Lancefield. Bill Wilson was a President of the Victorian Graziers Association and was one of the prominent people whose fundraising efforts were instrumental in re-establishing the Veterinary School at the University of Melbourne in 1962.

Elsa Glanville received the Harry Worthington Prize, which recognises the graduate who achieved the highest result in the study of diseases of either cattle or sheep. Harry was a graduate in veterinary science from the University who served in Egypt and Palestine with the 9th Light Horse Brigade during World War I. He was an amateur rider who won many picnic races around the country, and established a Corriedale stud at Deniliquin, where he also ran shorthorn cattle. He died in 1942 and the prize was a bequest from his wife in 1963. The presentation was made by Associate Professor Michael Pyman.

Gayle Kothari was awarded the Payne Exhibition and the Centre for Veterinary Education Prize for Clinical Competency in absentia. The Payne Exhibition has been awarded since 1967 to the graduate who obtains the highest aggregate marks in the clinical subjects of the final year of the veterinary science course. The prize comes from an endowment to the University of Melbourne by Mr and Mrs J.W. and Mr and Mrs A.E.T. Payne in 1915.


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The Centre for Veterinary Education Prize for Clinical Competency was first awarded in 1997 and is awarded on the basis of the aggregate marks for the clinical subjects of the third and fourth years. The prize is educational products from the Centre for Veterinary Education to the value of $1000.

A graduation dinner would be incomplete without speeches. Dr-to-be Matthew Munro, former VSSV President, spoke on behalf of the graduands assembled, perhaps for the last time in such a large social gathering, and reminisced on their time together over the past 4 or more years, the support of their families and friends, and the journey before them.

Associate Professor Liz Tudor, Associate Dean for Curriculum, reflected the challenges that had faced both students and staff over the past 4 years, as the DVM program was rolled out, while simultaneously there was teach out of the BVSc degree for a small, but still important cohort of students. It was obvious from the response of the Class of 2014 that they held Liz in great esteem, for the equanimity and care that she unstintingly showed through this historic time. Both students and staff (teaching and administration) are indebted to Liz for her leadership.

Associate Professor Peter Mansell was invited (nay challenged) to reflect on the members of the Class of 2014 and how they would each be remembered in rhyming verse as has been his want since time almost immemorial. However, he conceded defeat; beaten by the growing cohorts numbers, now hovering around 120, and the diversity of names which are now appearing on the list of graduates. He confessed that he has thought of breaking into song instead, but discovered that he could neither sing nor strum a ukulele. Nevertheless, he managed a spoken fond farewell to the graduands of 2014.


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The dinner concluded with the Veterinarians Oath, lead by Katherine Adriaanse and toasts: to family and friends by Gemma Berkett, to the staff by Lauren Foster and to the students by Associate Professor Michael Pyman.

Of course there was one last group photo.


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Captured by proud family and friends!

Graduation2014December saw the making of further history in the evolution of the veterinary school, with the first graduation ceremony for the new Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences and the awarding of the first (103) Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees. There were also 12 BVScs. In addition: Dr Patricia Ellis (BVSc 1968, MVSc 1973) was awarded a Doctor of Veterinary Science (honoris causa) in recognition of important contributions to the Australian equine industry, especially in biosecurity and quarantine, and to the veterinary profession, through work with the AVA and its equine special interest group. Trish received an Order of Australia (AM) in June 2013 for work in these areas.

Dr Adrian Witham (2000) received the 2014 Teaching Excellence Award for his work on web-based learning modalities, including development of a virtual veterinary hospital and on-line problem based clinical scenarios. Adrian is also committed to the acquisition of communication skills by veterinary students and to provision of continuing education for practising veterinarians.


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Dr Vern Dove (2004) received the Recent Alumnus Achievement Award for work with marine mammals, Dr Helen Jones (1968) received the DC Blood Professional Achievement Award for work related to occupational health and safety, including maintenance of personal wellness, of veterinarians, especially young graduates, and Dr Stewart Routledge (1973) received the KVF Jubb Community Achievement Award for community-based activities in developing countries, especially related to livestock health and farmer livelihoods. Stewarts background story was printed in the last issue of MUVS Connect. The tales of Vern and Helen appear later in this issue. Dr Linda Beer (1994) was awarded a Master of Veterinary Science for studies on track injuries in Greyhounds (and has enjoyed the research so much that she is embarking on a PhD, while continuing to work for Greyhound Racing Victoria as their animal welfare officer). Finally, there were 5 PhDs: Bronwyn Clayton: for investigations into the differences in transmissibility of Nipah viruses from Malaysia and Bangladesh Jo Coombe (2007): for studies on the health and welfare of dairy cows in response to feeding mixtures of pasture and grain Harshanie Erandi Abeywardena Habarakadage: who used advanced molecular biology tools to characterise cryptosporidia and giardia from water buffalo Anoma Dilrukshi Hetti Arachchige: who investigated the feeding behaviour and social interactions of dairy cows in pasture-based systems Indu Somasundara Panicker: who studied protein expression in mycoplasmas and its relationship to virulence of the organisms

The occasional address was delivered by Dr Bruce Car (BVSc 1983, MVS 1985). Bruce reflected on his career since graduating from the University of Melbourne and the versatility of veterinary education. Although entering the course with a rural background and anticipating a life working in that sphere, the lad from Leongatha pursued a career revolving around pathology (influenced largely by Professor Jubb) and the pharmaceutical industry. He now lives in New Jersey and is Vice President of Pharmaceutical Optimization at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute USA. The valedictory speech was given by Dr Matthew Munro, who also featured prominently in the honours at the graduation dinner (mentioned above).


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UpcomingReunionsOnly one that we know about at present is a reprise of the 1984 reunion held in Moreton Bay, but this time occurring in Melbourne in February. See the reunion report earlier in this issue.

If YOU are thinking of organising a class reunion and need some help getting started, please contact the Facultys Advancement Manager - Peter Moran at [email protected] or [email protected]

NewsfromtheU

CongratulationsDennis Wormald (2010), currently a PhD student in the Faculty, has been awarded the RSPCA Alan White Scholarship (valued at $8,364) for the funding of original research to improve the welfare of animals in Australia. Associate Professor Chris Whitton has been appointed a Scientific Editor with The Veterinary Journal (UK). Drs Abdul Jabbar, Ian Beveridge, Jane Vaughan and Angus Campbell received a grant of $133,000 from the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation for a 3-year study entitled Studies on gastrointestinal nematodes of alpacas Dr Cristian Alvarez has been awarded $5,000 under the 2015-2016 Group of Eight Australia - Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme for the project Microdiversity of Echinococcus granulosus in Australia Dr Christina Murray received a project grant of $29,394 for Recording of procedures in the anatomy laboratory through remote control Farewells Ms Rowena Morrison, long time librarian at the Werribee branch, finished work at the University in December, as did Mr Peter Cowling, Senior Technical Officer in (poultry) microbiology at the Werribee laboratory. SymposiumonVeterinaryLearningandTeaching More than 110 people, including international key-note speakers, and delegates from Malaysia, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, as well as around Australia, attended a two-day symposium on Innovative Learning and Teaching: the why and the how. Thanks to the many members of MAVALT (Melbourne Academy for Veterinary and Agricultural Learning and Teaching) who contributed to the meeting, it was deemed a great success by those attending. It is planned to make this symposium a regular event, with the next meeting focused on teaching in agriculture, in December 2015 and the next veterinary-focused meeting in December 2016.

AlumniAchievementAwardees2014In the December issue, we profiled Dr Stewart Routledge (1974), recipient of the KVF Jubb Community Achievement Award. In the next issue, we shall feature Dr Vern Dove (2004), who was the Recent Alumnus for 2014. So in this issue we look at the career of Dr Helen Jones (1968), who received the DC Blood Professional Achievement Award.


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Helen Jones was in the second graduating class (1968) from the University of Melbourne School of Veterinary Science, after it reopened in 1963. She then spent a year in the small animal clinic at the Veterinary Clinical Centre in Werribee, before moving to Western Australia and starting a family. In 1974, Helen received an Australian Agricultural Research Fellowship to undertake research into farmers attitudes to veterinarians, which resulted in her being the first postgraduate student to graduate from Murdoch Universitys new Veterinary School. Her subseqent research on occupational health and safety in veterinarians spurred her and WA colleagues, Brian McErlean and Paul Davey, to run seminars on wellness for veterinarians, aimed at reducing stress, depression and the risk of suicide. Helen and her colleagues worked with the Veterinary Benevolent Fund to initiate the Wellness Centre at the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) National Conference in 2009 and has been running it for the past 5 years. At the Wellness Centre, conference delegates participate in wellness testing, including stress evaluation. Helen also set up an Art and Photography Show within the Wellness Centre, to demonstrate that veterinarians can and should have a balanced lifestyle. Helen has convened two AVA National Conferences in Perth and was Deputy Chair of Organising Committee for the XXII World Veterinary Congress in Perth in 1983. She was the first woman, as well as the first alumnus from the reopened Melbourne Veterinary School, to be elected National President of the AVA (in 1982) and is a Fellow of the AVA. She received the AVA Presidents Award for service to the profession/association in 2014.In the wider community, Helen has thrown herself into the efforts to save the African rhinoceros from extinction, running annual conservation tours to Zimbabwe, and finding ways to support the veterinary school there. She developed the Rotary community markets at Canning Bridge (Perth) and was recently named as her Clubs first Paul Harris Fellow, for her work with Rotary International. Since retiring as an Associate Professor in Public Health at Curtin University in 2010, Helen has completed a course run by the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is also writing a book about Australian women veterinarians, which was started by the late Robin Giesecke, for the Australian Veterinary History Society. The book should be available on-line by mid-year.


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ColleaguesCornerJulie Paris (1976) writes: A few months ago, Bruce Parry asked me to write a few words about my veterinary career.

Trekking in Nepal

Nepalese teahouse

We both graduated in 1976, when only 10% were female and there was a slight down-turn in the Australian economy. Since I was very keen to get straight into practice, I moved to WA while there was still a shortage of vets in the west. This was before Murdoch University produced any graduates. I enjoyed 5 years there, mainly in Perth, starting with Tom Edwards at Wattle Grove Vet Hospital, a mixed practice on the outskirts of Perth. Tom was a great mentor and ensured that I understood what it meant to be a professional, striving to provide the best possible service to our clients and the animals in our care. After 3 years, I felt I needed more experience before heading overseas, so switched to working as a locum. Although this was a bit stressful, it was a valuable experience, adapting to different styles of practice. I later travelled through Nepal, India, Pakistan and Turkey before starting the next phase of my career in the UK.

Scottish highlands with Syd, the JRT,

circa 1985

I was employed by the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) for 18 months as a locum vet, working all over England and Wales. These clinics were located in disadvantaged areas where vaccination and desexing rates were low. The clinics were only permitted to treat sick or injured animals; so no vaccinations, desexings or other preventative medicine or surgery were carried out, something which I found frustrating. It was very sad to see dogs dying needlessly from diseases such as distemper. Subsequently, I returned to private practice in the UK for the next 7 years, mainly in scenic rural areas, which I loved, before coming back to Melbourne in 1989 with my English husband Jonathan. I missed England initially and took a couple of years to settle back into Australian-style small animal practice. I started with locums, and then did longer stints at practices in Ashburton and later Sandringham, with Stephen Coles. In 1997, I entered the next phase of my career, as a small animal practice owner, in Port Melbourne. After about 20 years as an employee, it was a challenging experience owning a small business.


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We sold our home to finance the clinic, so for the first couple of years we lived with our two young children, cats and Jack Russell-cross in a small flat above the practice. I mainly learnt by trial and error, initially making quite a few managerial mistakes. In hindsight, some basic training in management would have been of great benefit.

Jonathan, Jeremy, Sophie and me

in Tassie in 2000

Im still working in Port Melbourne, and last year I was approached by a talent scout as the Yellow Pages were looking for small business owners to feature in a series of TV advertisements. I was very surprised to get through an audition and to be asked if the agency could spend a morning filming at the clinic. I agreed, and although it seemed slightly risky, I hoped I would be able to represent the profession in a good light.


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On the day, I was surprised that our whole car park was filled with the film crews trucks, including, much to the amusement of everyone at the clinic, one whole makeup truck just to prepare me for the camera. Thankfully, I believe the end result did not embarrass either me or our profession! After 38 years in practice, I feel satisfied with the career path I chose, and still feel privileged to work in a profession which I enjoy so much.

Wherearetheynow?

Ever wondered what became of one of your lecturers from a bygone era? Drop us a line and well do our best to let you know -

JackArundel

Jack Arundel turned 90 in January and will be remembered fondly by many former veterinary students. A consistent theme in comments from students about Jack is that although most (from his era) forget much of what they learned at vet school, none of them forget parasitology, largely due to Jacks enthusiastic teaching - and all of them know about Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus (the longest name of any veterinary parasite). A student survey (probably the first such survey ever carried out by the Faculty) in the 1980s placed Parasitology as the best taught subject of the course, in significant part due to Jacks ability to engage students. Jack started life as an industrial chemist but became interested in veterinary science, taking up a Victorian Government scholarship in 1947 and graduating from the University of Sydney.

Subsequently he worked as a veterinary officer for the Victorian Department of Agriculture in various parts of the state before moving into research at the Nicholas Institute for Medical and Veterinary Research at Sassafras in the Dandenong Ranges. In 1964, at the invitation of Professor Ken Jubb, Jack joined the veterinary school to teach parasitology and established the course from scratch, initially based in Parkville and then, when facilities were built at Werribee, he transferred most of his activities there. Jack taught across the course from basic parasitology to clinical parasitology. His earlier life as a chemist resulted in a particular interest in antiparasitic chemicals and in the publication of a book on Veterinary Anthelminthics (among with other numerous publications).

Jack, mulesing at the Nicholas

Institute While many former students will be well aware of Jacks strong advocacy for Parasitology within the curriculum, fewer may be aware of his equally strong advocacy, later in his career, for study of diseases of wildlife. The following item on the Wildlife Disease Unit that he established (albeit


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temporarily) within the Faculty highlights his role in this less known area of research and consultancy at the vet school, which has, in recent years, become much more significant. Jack saw a role for veterinary involvement in wildlife health decades before it became a significant concern of the profession generally and the following sketch of his activities provides some background to the development of the interest in wildlife diseases at the Melbourne Vet School. At his retirement, Jack was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Veterinary Science by the University of Melbourne, a fitting reward for his contribution to the Faculty. WILDLIFE RESEARCH IN THE FACULTY OF VETERINARY SCIENCE 1970-1988 Wildlife research within the Faculty was essentially initiated by J.H. (Jack) Arundel, who at the time was one of the lecturers in parasitology. His interest was stimulated initially by requests from Don White, then the Officer-in Charge of Serendip Sanctuary, near Lara, now part of Parks Victoria, for help in the diagnosis of diseases affecting birds bred at the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary was then engaged in breeding birds which were once common in Victoria but are now rare, such as brolgas and magpie geese, but they were experiencing substantial losses. Autopsies of birds showed that they were heavily infected with a spirurid nematode, Streptocara incognita, which caused an ulcerative oesophagitis and prevented the birds from feeding. After inspecting the breeding areas, management changes were suggested that prevented or at least reduced the severity of the problem.

JB Woolcock, JH Arundel and IK Barker 1974

At about the same time, Keith Dempster, a scientist from the Arthur Rylah Institute, then part of the Fisheries and Wildlife Department (now the Department of Environment) who lived near Jack in Hawthorn approached Jack with a problem they had concerning significant numbers of eastern grey kangaroos dying in northern Victoria along the Murray River which at the time was in flood. The cause of the mortality proved to be coccidiosis, the first time that coccidiosis had been seen in wild kangaroos. Both Jack Arundel and Karl Harrigan already had extensive experience with coccidiosis in chickens while Ian Barker, then a PhD student at Werribee, had experience with

the coccidia of horses. The three of them published a detailed study of the outbreak and this investigation initiated Ian Barkers longer term studies on the coccidia of marsupials. Keith Dempster also asked for assistance with another mortality in grey kangaroos exhibiting severe anaemia at Yan Yean, a water catchment area 30 km north of Melbourne. The presumed diagnosis was malnutrition, but no autopsies had been carried out. At autopsy, it was evident that the anaemia was caused by a blood-feeding nematode, Globocephaloides trifidospicularis, which occurred in the duodenum, although large numbers of other nematodes were also present in the stomach and caecum. The biologists found it hard to accept that small nematodes could cause such serious disease (that winter, they had collected 300 bodies of kangaroos within the reserve) and so a study was commenced at Yan Yean in which both adult and juvenile kangaroos were collected every six weeks throughout the year and total worm counts carried out. The study showed that the juvenile kangaroos picked up the nematodes in autumn and winter but that the adults appeared to be immune. Eggs passed onto pasture appeared to survive to infect the next crop of young the following year. As the problem was thought to stem primarily from a very high population density of kangaroos, culling was advised, but the Department was fearful of an adverse public reaction and failed to act. Subsequently, additional studies on this disease were


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carried out in other parts of Victoria. These studies were unfunded, but Jack was assisted by Rosemary Harrigan (nee Black), the technical officer in Parasitology, by Karl Harrigan, then a Lecturer in Pathology, and by two PhD students, Ian Barker, completing a study of the pathogenesis of Trichostrongylus infections in sheep, and Ian Beveridge working on taeniid cestodes. It may seem odd that that these studies were initiated by parasitologists, but at the time, diseases of wildlife were scarcely on the veterinary radar. Ian Barker, arriving at Werribee in 1970 from the University of Guelph, Canada (a veterinary school with a strong history of wildlife research) reminisces about the ridicule he received when suggesting that an outbreak of mortality in a wild population of kangaroos should be investigated, since they were simply vermin. Fortunately such attitudes have changed. Other staff members of the Faculty, based in Parkville, also became interested in aspects of wildlife at about this time. Judy Burrell, then Assistant Lecturer in Anatomy completed her Masters degree on the anatomy of the kidney in kangaroos, while Drs Jeremy OShea and C.S. Lee, both anatomy teachers, published studies on the vascular supply to the female reproductive tract in brush-tailed possums. Mike Rickard, who taught parasitology in Parkville and Ian Beveridge, collaborated with two colleagues in Tasmania, Barry Munday and Graham Gregory, to work out the life cycle of a common tapeworm of the Tasmanian devil, Anoplotaenia dasyuri, which they showed had an intermediate stage in the muscles of wallabies. Another contributor to wildlife work was Brian Coman, then Officer in Charge of Vermin Research in the state Lands Department and based at the Turnbull Research Institute in Frankston (an institution which no longer exists). Brian had done a Masters degree on the feeding ecology of foxes in Victoria and Jack had assisted him with studies on the parasites of foxes, in particular trying to determine whether foxes were involved in the transmission of Taenia ovis in Victoria. Brians skills as a marksman were subsequently utilised (=parasitised) on numerous occasions by the wildlife unit. Brian subsequently undertook a PhD at Werribee on taeniid cestodes unrelated to wildlife, but continued to act informally as a shooter for the unit for some years.

By this time, Jack had realised the potential that existed for studies of diseases in wild animals and obtained a grant of money from the Federal Government to establish a specific Wildlife Disease Unit within the Faculty. The Whitlam government in 1973 set aside funds for new initiatives within universities, which they saw as somewhat hidebound, and Jack was able to access this fund for what was truly a new initiative within the Faculty and within the country. He decided that it would be necessary to have a pathologist as the leader of the unit, but also a parasitologist as most of the diseases which had been encountered by that date were due to parasites. These positions were offered to two graduates with experience in the field but neither of them was able to accept the positions. Jack in Guelph, 1974 The positions were finally filled by Ian Barker as the pathologist and Ian Beveridge as the parasitologist, both of whom were within six months of completing their PhDs at Werribee and who were interested in wildlife work. Karl Harrigan, then a Lecturer in Avian Diseases, was also heavily involved in with the activities of the wildlife unit. Although the funding lasted for only 18 months, it was possible to undertake a number of projects as well as to provide a diagnostic service. Diagnostic activities revealed a number of novel disorders such as white muscle disease in captive sugar gliders and swamp wallabies as well as coccidiosis in echidnas, all of which appeared in subsequent publications from the unit.


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From left, Drs Spratt, Beveridge and Speare, examining road-kill near Rockhampton, 1982 (one of many trips north by Ian looking at specimens collected from the side of the road!)

Karl Harrigan led the investigations into massive die-offs in juvenile ibis and pelicans in the Western District of Victoria implicating nutritional factors in the former and a fluke belonging to the genus Ascocotyle in the latter.Mortality in swans in the same are was found to be due to massive burdens of nematodes and cestodes. Ian Barker and Ian Beveridge also became involved with biologists (Tony Lee and Adrian Bradley) at Monash University studying the annual male mortality in the marsupial Antechinus agilis, in which all the males die following a brief mating period. It had been noted that prior to the mortality, there was a dramatic increase in the number of parasites (nematodes and cestodes) in the males and the possibility this caused the mortality was considered.

A one-year joint study, showed that although nematode and cestode numbers did increase in males prior to the mortality, there was extreme adrenocortical suppression and the primary causes of death were more opportunistic, being due to listeriosis, an undescribed species of Babesia or due to gastric haemorrhage. A new species of nematode was found burrowing in the stomach, later named Capillaria rickardi (named after Mike Rickard), and it is possible that its burrowing activity may have precipitated some of the gastric haemorrhages. In 1974, Ian Barker returned to the veterinary school at the University of Guelph, Canada, to take up a lectureship in pathology and he was replaced by another Canadian, Paul Presidente (at right). Paul had completed his PhD on parasitic diseases of deer in the USA and at the time, Jack had felt that there was considerable potential for the deer industry in Australia and that Pauls expertise on deer would be valuable. Paul carried out a variety of studies as well as diagnostic work. He published a series of articles on deer in Australia as well as articles (with Phil Durfee) on Leptospira balcanica in possums, diseases of possums in wild populations in northern New South Wales as well as undertaking extensive studies on the common liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, in marsupials.

In 1974, David Obendorf undertook a Bachelor of Animal Science degree within the unit, beginning work on a lungworm parasite of Antechinus, but later switching to a detailed study of the parasites of the bush rat. On a field trip to Queensland with Ian Beveridge and Paul Presidente collecting parasites from kangaroos, David became interested in the unusual oesophageal anatomy of some of the species of wallabies he dissected, and this subsequently became the topic of his PhD thesis.


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David Obendorf (right) and Peter Stevens with a lace monitor at Bemm River

In the interim, Jack had been extremely busy attempting to find funding to keep the wildlife unit functioning. A request to the Faculty for support was unsuccessful as was a request to the state government, even though it had the enthusiastic backing of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. He was however successful in obtaining Federal government funding for a project at Kinchega National Park in western New South Wales. Formerly a sheep property, the park had been dedicated as a reserve for several years and while the kangaroos in surrounding areas were culled regularly, numbers in the park had increased dramatically leading to the possibility of overpopulation and therefore the increased likelihood of disease transmission. Jack hired Chris Belcher (on left at right) as an assistant for the project in part because it involved shooting samples of kangaroos and Chris was an excellent marksman. For the first year of the project, Jack and Chris made trips to Kinchega every two months to collect kangaroos. In the second year, Ian Beveridge returned from a postdoctoral year in Switzerland and Ian and Chris made the bi-monthly trips. The project provided extensive quantitative details on the parasites of red kangaroos and provided extensive collections for later studies on the individual species present. It also allowed a detailed study of a species of hook-worm-like parasite, occurring in the colon, Hypodontus macropi, that appeared to be potentially pathogenic. During this same period, John Burton completed a PhD thesis on oral necrobacillosis or lumpy jaw in kangaroos. John obtained much of his material from Melbourne Zoo with the help of the zoo veterinarian, Ray Butler, but was also able to use material provided by the wildlife unit from a variety of sources. The project at Kinchega was expected to run for three years, but was terminated at the end of 1977 when the Fraser government, with John Howard as the treasurer, made large cuts to scientific research across the country. Without any continuing funding, the unit effectively closed. Ian Beveridge moved to a research position at James Cook University in Townsville and Chris Belcher worked for the Department of Environment, eventually completing a PhD thesis on the ecology of the tiger quoll.


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In spite of the lack of funding, wildlife research was continued. Karl Harrigan carried out general diagnostic work on wild birds and Jack and Karl became involved in investigating causes of mortality in little penguins around the state, but centred mainly on the penguin colony on Phillip Island. Karl performed autopsies and Jack carried out total worm counts. They demonstrated that substantial mortalities in chicks could be caused by a liver fluke, Mawsonotrema, while many of the young dispersing penguins found dead on beaches in the west of the state as well as chicks born late in the season essentially died from starvation. These results were subsequently published and represent a major work on the diseases of penguins.

From Annual Report of Phillip Island Nature Parks 2006-2007

Although the wildlife unit had ceased to exist, the Faculty had developed a reputation for wildlife work particularly through its extensive publications. As a consequence, Jack was invited to join various committees. One was the Commonwealth Committee given the task of developing a code of conduct for the shooting of kangaroos, to approve management practices for kangaroos in each state and to set kangaroo quotas for those states whose practices had been approved. Jack and David Obendorf were also invited to be involved in the preparation of plans for the recovery of whales and dolphins.

An additional contribution made by Jack was to establish a series of lectures for undergraduate students on wildlife, at which attendance was voluntary. In spite of them being voluntary, attendance was high due to the interesting nature of the topic as well as the fact that some of the speakers, as well as being informative, were highly entertaining. These lectures persisted until Jacks retirement in 1988. Wildlife disease research continues in the Faculty to the current day and now lectures on diseases of wildlife are part of the core curriculum. However, much of this activity was due to Jacks initiatives in the area and his advocacy for the inclusion of wildlife in the veterinary curriculum.


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WILDLIFE HEALTH SURVEILLANCE VICTORIA In summer 1974-5, Drs Ian Barker and Peter Moore arranged for student Pam Whiteley to work with Dr Ian Norman from Fisheries and Wildlife on blood parasites of ducks at Serendip, Lara. Later Pam was appointed as Veterinarian at Healesville Sanctuary, did her masters at the US National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, and worked at CSIRO AAHL and DEPI Attwood. In July 2008, Professor Ian Beveridge, Associate Professor Andrew Vizard and Pam Whiteley, with support from the Hermon Slade Foundation, established Wildlife Health Surveillance Victoria (WHSV) at the Faculty of Veterinary Science.

WHSV collaborates with the Victoria public, communities (LandCare, Wildlife Carers, Bird observers, Field Naturalists etc) and government organisations to improve our understanding of the normal patterns of morbidity and mortality in free ranging endemic populations of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. This baseline information is used to detect changed patterns of wildlife diseases and identify factors involved. This is important because the health of wildlife, our ecosystems, domestic animals and humans are all interconnected (One Health). We meet and talk with regional groups, receive reports and investigate wildlife health events, are linked with Wildlife Health Australia and are based in the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences.

WHSV undertakes approximately 100 wildlife health investigations annually. Veterinary students contribute to pathology studies and there are opportunities for research projects. Further information is available on the WHSV website www.vet.unimelb.edu.au/wildlifehealthsurveillancevic/ Advice about funding opportunities is welcome. Pam is also keen to establish contacts and to meet with regional groups in Victoria. Please contact Pam Whiteley [email protected] or 0400 119 301 anytime.

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Documents

MUVS Connect #21 Jan 2015