Animal Health

Animal health plays a key role in Queensland agriculture. Whether it’s planning the vaccination of a 900kg stud bull or ensuring laying hens remain disease free, animal health is a priority in terms of wellbeing, public health and the Queensland economy.The primary objective of the animal health sector is to develop and improve the health and wellbeing of animals through discovery, development and distribution of products. These products should improve the safety, performance, quality of life and productivity of livestock, sporting animals and companion animals whilst protecting and preserving human health and the environment. Animal biotechnology also includes; the generation of transgenic animals, gene knockout technology to genetically alter an animal and somatic cell nuclear transfer to produce nearly identical copies of animals.Queensland is a leader in animal health research and next generation product development in Australia – a result of the State’s combination of skilled personnel, world class infrastructure, biosecurity advantages and, of course, its diverse environment.Further investment in this sub sector will ensure that Australian veterinarians, producers and pet owners have access to innovative medicines to ensure their livestock, thoroughbreds or pets receive the best possible healthcare outcomes.Similarly, with recent outbreaks of the Hendra virus in Queensland and New South Wales, there is an identified need for Australia to find applications for biotechnology, in both detecting and preventing infections and parasitic diseases and in the creation of new vaccines which combine efficacy, duration of protection, innocuity, stability, multivalence and ease of use to prevent the spread of disease.