Abstract

Respiratory disease in pigs is the most important health concern for swine producers today, making the development of efficacious vaccines and therapeutic interventions that can protect against respiratory infections a top research priority. The primary bacterial agents responsible for respiratory disease in swine include Haemophilus parasuis, Streptococcus suis, and Bordetella bronchiseptica. In addition to contributing to respiratory disease, bacteria such as H. parasuis and S. suis and can cause systemic diseases such as meningitis, polyserositis, arthritis and septicemia. Antibiotics can be costly, of limited value against mixed infections, and may eventually be limited in their use in domestic livestock. In addition, several bacteria, such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), while causing minimal disease in swine, are zoonotic agents with potential economic consequences to the swine industry. The overall goals of my research are to: (1) identify the transmission, genetic, and pathogenic mechanisms used by these bacterial pathogens (2) develop and evaluate candidates for improved diagnostic tests, vaccines, biotherapuetic, and novel non-antibiotic strategies to prevent, reduce, or eliminate colonization and diseases caused by these pathogens.