We investigate the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of bacteria that cause both animal diseases and zoonotic infections. We also study bacterial virulence factors, or traits associated with pathogenicity, and the pathogenesis of bacterial diseases, or their onset.
Epidemiology is a highly interdisciplinary field that collaborates with many other disciplines.
In research relating to infectious disease epidemiology, the goal is to describe, with the help of the data collected, mortality, morbidity and other epidemiological phenomena occurring in populations; to look for risk factors or protective factors associated with diseases; and to carry out predictions on the occurrence of diseases or identify ways to prevent their occurrence.
Previously completed studies have focused on, among other topics, management methods against viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) in salmon; investigating the risk factors associated with Puumala virus infections and bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD); surveying the zoonoses, or diseases transmitted between humans and animals, occurring in veterinarians; and the development of antibodies engendered by canine and feline rabies vaccines.
In contrast, analytic epidemiology and its methods assist in a range of mapping and risk factor studies as well as in the validation of various diagnostic tests. Examples of previously completed studies include participation in investigating factors affecting reproduction, respiratory tract disease and gastric ulcers in equines and factors affecting the mortality of sows as well as the validity of bovine disease registers in Nordic countries. Participation has included also studies concerning certain diseases and their risk factors in cats with the help of a feline disease register, and the occurrence of certain infections and associated risk factors in pet rabbits.
We investigate the functioning of the immune system in production and domestic animals. Our research topics include passive immunity, the development of immunity and certain immunological diseases.
The research groups active in virology investigate the molecular epidemiology, disease associations and pathogenesis of zoonotic viruses, and develop diagnostics for the infections caused by these pathogens. Some of the research focuses on new pathogens occurring in humans and animals, looking for ways to identify and prepare for the risks posed by such pathogens.