A5026329288- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Medical and Health Sciences Research
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Influenza Virus Research Studies
- Rabies epidemiology and control
- Animal Virus Infections Studies
- Respiratory viral infections research
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiology
- Medical Practices and Rehabilitation
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Virology and Viral Diseases
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
- Biomedical and Chemical Research
- Health and Medical Studies
- Bird parasitology and diseases
- Metabolism and Genetic Disorders
- Pediatric health and respiratory diseases
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Systemic Sclerosis and Related Diseases
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Studies
- Plant Virus Research Studies
The University of Melbourne
2021-2025
Peter Doherty Institute
2021-2025
James Cook University
2015-2024
Agricultural Institute
2017
Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness
2017
Ruhr University Bochum
2002
Bayer (Germany)
1963
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine
1959
The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has seen an unprecedented amount of rapidly generated genome data. These data have revealed the emergence lineages with mutations associated to transmissibility and antigenicity, known as variants concern (VOCs). A striking aspect VOCs is that many them involve unusually large number defining mutations. Current phylogenetic estimates substitution rate suggest its accrues around two per month. However, can 15 or more it hypothesized they emerged over course a...
Abstract Genomics is a cornerstone of modern pathogen epidemiology yet demonstrating transmission in One Health context challenging, as strains circulate and evolve within between diverse hosts environments. To identify phylogenetic linkages better define relevant measures genomic relatedness context, we collated 5471 Escherichia coli genome sequences from Australia originating humans ( n = 2996), wild animals 870), livestock 649), companion 375), environmental sources 292) food 289)...
Molecular sequence data from rapidly evolving organisms are often sampled at different points in time. Sampling times can then be used for molecular clock calibration. The root-to-tip (RTT) regression is an essential tool to assess the degree which behave a clock-like fashion. Here, we introduce Clockor2, client-side web application conducting RTT regression. Clockor2 allows users quickly fit local and global clocks, thus handling increasing complexity of genomic datasets that sample beyond...
Phylodynamic analyses infer epidemiological parameters from pathogen genome sequences for enhanced genomic surveillance in public health. Pathogen and their associated sampling dates are the essential data every analysis. However, usually with hospitalisation or testing can sometimes be used to identify individual patients, posing a threat patient confidentiality. To lower this risk, often given reduced date-resolution month year, which potentially bias inference. Here, we introduce...
Amphibian populations suffer massive mortalities from infection with frog virus 3 FV3, genus Ranavirus, family Iridoviridae, a pathogen also involved in of fish and reptiles. Experimental oral FV3 captive-raised adult wood frogs, Rana sylvatica Lithobates sylvaticus, was performed as the first step establishing native North American animal model ranaviral disease to study pathogenesis host response. Oral dosing successful LD50 102.93 2.423.44 p.f.u. for frogs averaging 35mm length. Onset...
Characterised by benign tumours, fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a debilitating disease that predominantly afflicts the endangered green turtle (Chelonia mydas). A growing body of histological and molecular evidence has associated FP tumours with Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5). However, recent study which detected both ChHV5 Chelonia mydas papillomavirus 1 (CmPV1) DNA in tumour tissues challenged this hypothesis. The present aimed to establish probe-based qPCR assess wider prevalence CmPV1...
Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) are healthcare-associated opportunistic pathogens of global significance. Genetic tools needed to understand the molecular basis for VREfm clinically relevant phenotypes, such as persistence within human gut or antimicrobial resistance. Here, we present a transposon-directed insertion-site sequencing (TraDIS) platform optimised E. faecium. We engineered transposon delivery plasmid, pIMTA(tetM), that can generate high density mutant libraries,...
Ranaviruses can infect many vertebrate classes including fish, amphibians and reptiles, but for the most part, research has been focused on non-reptilian hosts, in particular. More recently, reports of ranaviral infections reptiles are increasing with over 12 families currently susceptible to infection. Reptiles infected by ranaviruses that genetically similar to, or same as, viruses fish; however, physiological ecological differences result study designs. Although disease is often...
Ranaviruses are able to infect multiple species of fish, amphibian and reptile, some strains capable interclass transmission. These numerous potential carriers reservoir compound efforts control contain infections in cultured wild populations, a comprehensive knowledge susceptible life stage is necessary inform such processes. Here we report on the challenge 6 water-associated reptiles with Bohle iridovirus (BIV) investigate its pathogenicity common native aquatic riparian fauna northern...
Typhoid fever is endemic in many parts of the world and remains a major public health concern tropical sub-tropical developing nations, including Fiji. To address high rates typhoid fever, Northern Division Fiji implemented mass vaccination with conjugate vaccine (Vi-polysaccharide conjugated to tetanus toxoid) as control measure 2023. In this study we define genomic epidemiology Salmonella Typhi prior island-wide vaccination, sequencing 85% ( n =419) total cases from Central Divisions that...
Abstract Bayesian phylogenetics has gained substantial popularity in the last decade, with most implementations relying on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). The computational demands of MCMC mean that remote servers are increasingly used. We present Beastiary, a package for real-time and inspection log files generated by analyses. Beastiary is an easily deployed web-app can be used to summarize visualize output many popular software packages including BEAST, BEAST2, RevBayes, MrBayes via web...
Ranaviral infections cause mass die-offs in wild and captive turtle populations. Two experimental studies were performed to first determine the susceptibility of an Australian species ( Emydura macquarii krefftii ) different routes infection second examine effect viral titre on morbidity hatchlings. All inoculation (intracoelomic, intramuscular oral) produced disease, but clinical signs, histopathology time onset disease varied with route. The median infectious lethal doses for...
Abstract Leaving the water to bask (usually in sun) is a common behavior for many freshwater turtles, with some species also engaging “nocturnal basking.” Ectoparasite removal an obvious hypothesis explain nocturnal basking and has been proposed as key driver of diurnal basking. However, efficacy basking, day or night, remove leeches not experimentally tested. Therefore, we examined number that were removed from Krefft's river turtles ( Emydura macquarii krefftii ) after making at range...
Ranaviruses are pathogens of ectothermic vertebrates (fish, amphibians, and reptiles). Turtles the most common group reptiles reported with ranaviral infections. However, there have been no surveys for wild infection in any turtles from suborder Pleurodira, despite distributions experimentally susceptible pleurodiran turtle populations overlapping several areas, including Australia. We assayed 397 pooled blood samples six Australian freshwater species collected five different sites northern...
Ranaviruses are large nucleocytoplasmic DNA viruses that infect ectothermic vertebrates. Here we report the results of a scientometric analysis field ranavirology for last 10 years. Using bibliometric tools analyse trends, identify top publications and journals, visualise ranavirus collaboration landscape. The Web Science core collection contains 545 ranavirus-related from 2010 to 2019, with more produced every year total 6830 citations. Research output is primarily driven by United States...
Abstract Molecular sequence data from rapidly evolving organisms are often sampled at different points in time. Sampling times can then be used for molecular clock calibration. The root-to-tip (RTT) regression is an essential tool to assess the degree which behave a clock-like fashion. Here, we introduce Clockor2, client-side web application conducting RTT regression. Clockor2 uniquely allows users quickly fit local and global clocks, thus handling increasing complexity of genomic datasets...
Background An unusual mortality event in Johnstone River snapping turtles ( Elseya irwini ) Far North Queensland, Australia, occurred during the summer months of December 2014 and January 2015. We report data collected event, including counts sick dead animals, clinical appearance one necropsy. Outbreak description Moribund animals appeared lethargic with variable degrees necrotising dermatitis. Postmortem investigation freshly animal revealed bacterial fungal involvement skin lesions as...
Fish, amphibians, and reptiles exhibit temperature-dependent ranaviral disease. We performed an experimental infection at four different environmental temperatures (16, 22, 28, 34 °C) to investigate the effect of temperature on in Krefft’s turtle ( Emydura macquarii krefftii). Infection rates viral loads were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction detect DNA liver samples 21 d postexposure. The rate differed across treatment groups. 44%, 90%, 60%, 10% for 16, °C groups,...
Abstract The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has seen an unprecedented amount of rapidly generated genome data. These data have revealed the emergence lineages with mutations associated to transmissibility and antigenicity, known as variants concern (VOCs). A striking aspect VOCs is that many them involve unusually large number defining mutations. Current phylogenetic estimates evolutionary rate suggest its accrues around 2 per month. However, can 15 it hypothesised they emerged over course a...
Ranaviral infections have been associated with mass mortality events in captive and wild amphibian, fish, reptile populations globally. In Australia, two distinct types of ranaviruses isolated: epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus fish a Frog 3-like ranavirus amphibians. Experimental studies serum surveys demonstrated that several Australian native species are susceptible to infection supported the theory is naturally circulating herpetofauna. However, ranaviral not detected or lizards...