University of Otago researchers have discovered a novel property of a new anti-tuberculosis drug which may help develop more drugs to treat the top infectious disease killer in the world. Globally, there are about 1.7 million deaths annually that are attributed to tuberculosis (TB) with rising incidents of drug-resistant TB. Professor Greg Cook from the…

A Massey-led study has been awarded $1,199,841 from the latest Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) funding round to undertake a nationwide case-control study of the disease leptospirosis.  A common workplace hazard in New Zealand’s agricultural sector, leptospirosis can cause disease and death in animals. It can also transfer to humans through direct or…

Public health researcher Professor Michael Baker from the University of Otago, Wellington has been awarded $1,196,974 to develop an optimal strategy for the rheumatic fever endgame. Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and its serious complication rheumatic heart disease (RHD) produce large ethnic health inequities and remain important causes of preventable suffering and death for Māori and…

University of Otago researchers are helping lead international studies which have discovered that exposure to cattle and rice farming are risk factors for the devastating disease leptospirosis in northern Tanzania. Dr Michael Maze from the University of Otago’s Centre for International Health, says the findings from two research papers, which have just been published in…

Our latest newsletter calls for indications of interest to join our One Health Aotearoa Antimicrobial Resistance Work Stream, announces the dates for our 4th symposium and highlights Innovative River Solutions at Massey University. View the One Health Aotearoa Autumn 2018 newsletter

ESR scientists say the flu strain (influenza A(H3N2)) associated with an increase in hospitalisation and deaths in the Northern Hemisphere is part of this year’s vaccine in New Zealand. ESR’s Public Health Physician, Sarah Jefferies, says countries such as the UK reported moderate to high levels of influenza and influenza-like illness during their 2017/18 season.…

New research has found that many New Zealand consumers are unaware of the high levels of Campylobacter contamination of fresh chicken and most want safety labelling about the risks on poultry products. A University of Otago, Wellington study of consumers, published last week in the international journal BMC Public Health, found that only 15 per cent of…

One Health Aotearoa held a strategic retreat at the end of last month to plan for the future of the Alliance. Twenty participants from our key partner institutions – University of Otago, Massey University and ESR – gathered at the Green House in Central Christchurch for the two day retreat. They worked on developing key…

As World Tuberculosis Day looms on 24 March, one of the University of Otago’s latest Sir Charles Hercus Health Research Fellows, Dr Htin Lin Aung, is building relationships to help combat the top infectious disease killer in the world. Awarded the four-year $500,000 fellowship on 1 December last year, Dr Aung is well down the…

Associate Jackie Professor Benschop from Massey University’s Molecular Epidemiology and Public Health Laboratory is in Hawke’s Bay this week to present the most current leptospirosis research and its health impact to the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board. Read the full article on the New Zealand Herald website.