Shot in the arm for cattle vaccine trials

INDONESIAN expertise in preventing Bali cattle from contracting the fatal Jembrana disease virus (JDV) has been beefed up by a three-month internship at Murdoch University earlier this year.

This internship was supported by the Crawford Fund, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes scientific and technological expertise in agriculture research and development with the ultimate aim of improving global food production.

Dr Eli Supartika, a pathologist with the Bali Cattle Disease Investigations Unit, was awarded a grant from the Crawford Fund to learn the cutting edge techniques necessary for the next stage in the fight against JDV.

Two years ago, a Murdoch research team was awarded nearly $1 million by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research to produce a commercially marketable vaccine for JDV.

The disease caused by JDV first swept through Bali in 1964, killing 30,000- 70,000 Bali cattle in the first 12 months before spreading to Java and Sumatra.

In 1987, virology expert Professor Graham Wilcox was first invited to collaborate with the Bali Cattle Disease Investigations Unit, who were trying to prevent further spread of JDV throughout Indonesia.

The joint Indonesian/Murdoch team succeeded in creating a crude vaccine as an interim measure while the research for an improved vaccine has continued.

“We have just completed our first vaccination trial with a vaccine produced using recombinant DNA technology and the results are very promising,” said Professor Wilcox.

“We are excited to have Dr Supartika trained in these new technologies so he can return to Indonesia as a key team member with the skills to test and evaluate the vaccine.”