Avian Health Online - Online Courses for Avian Veterinarians

Unit 3: Microbiology and Serology: Disease Control

This Unit looks at bridging the activities of field veterinarians with the work done by diagnosticians in the laboratory. You will learn the fundamental concepts used in serological, virological and bacteriological tests and explore the use of molecular biological techniques in disease diagnosis. Control of disease on poultry sites is explored in detail in the last month of this subject.

Class Activities

This subject involves a combination of reading articles, online exercises, essay writing, interactive case studies and class discussions. Students are required to spend time in a virology, serology and bacteriology laboratory as part of this subject.

Assessment

Assessment is carried out monthly with "progress checks" performed every two weeks. The final examination is held in week 16 and is a three-hour written and online exam. You will be required to identify a University near you where you can be supervised when sitting the exam.

Tutors

Dr Trevor Bagust is an avian virologist based at the University of Melbourne. Before coming to the University, he worked at the Veterinary Research Institute, CSIRO where he established the first SPF flocks for vaccine manufacture in Australia. He also worked on several international projects to develop the diagnostic and vaccine manufacturing capabilities of China and Vietnam. Trevor headed up the International Avian Health Diagnostic Laboratory currently based at the University of Melbourne before becoming manager of the Avian Health Online™ project.

Dr Karen Burns Grogan received her DVM from North Carolina State University in 2000, followed by a Masters in Avian Medicine from the University of Georgia. For four years, Dr. Grogan served as a technical services veterinarian for Lohmann Animal Health International, supporting customers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. She then joined the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) staff in 2004, serving as a Veterinary Medical Officer, supporting all NPIP programs, with a focus on the H5/H7 LPAI Control Program for commercial poultry.

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