The UK Veterinary Vaccinology Network will draw together major UK research players, in a bid to enhance the uptake of new technologies to create, develop and deliver safe and effective next-generation vaccines against new and (re)-emerging diseases. Experts believe that changes wrought by anthropogenic climate change will cause shifts in the distribution of disease, and possibly lead to new strains emerging – such as Schmallenberg disease, which was first identified in late 2011.

The new network includes experts from AHVLA, Cambridge Veterinary School, Edinburgh University, Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Moredun Research Institute, Oxford University, The Pirbright Institute, The Roslin Institute, The Royal Veterinary College and the University of Stirling. It has been granted five years of funding by the Research Council.

Vaccines represent one of the most cost effective ways of preventing and eradicating diseases and they are an important tool in the armoury against infectious diseases. With approximately 60 percent of animal diseases having the potential to cause human infections, these vaccines protect public health as well as providing animal welfare and helping livestock producers.

BBSRC said on Tuesday that, while vaccination campaigns have had success, such as the eradication of rinderpest and reducing the usage of antibiotics and other drugs, new diseases, exotic strains (such as bird flu) and re-emerging diseases (e.g. Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome), have highlighted the need to re-think the current methods for developing vaccines.

A good research base in veterinary science in Britain, combined with recent advances in biotechnology, mean there are opportunities for researchers to create new veterinary vaccines and increase efficient development pathways for them.

Dr Bryan Charleston, head of the Livestock Viral Diseases Programme at The Pirbright Institute, and Network Coordinator, commented, "There is huge potential to improve animal welfare, human health, and the economic performance of the UK livestock industries by developing new vaccines for widespread infectious diseases caused by parasites, bacteria and viruses. The network will facilitate and promote coordination of research in this important field to generate the scientific knowledge and discoveries needed for a step change in veterinary vaccinology."

Advances born out of the network are expected to directly benefit the UK livestock industry, which had an estimated value of over £14bn in 2013.

Professor Melanie Welham, BBSRC's Science Director, added, "We have an excellent breadth of skills in this area across the UK but a strategic, concerted effort is required to improve animal health, ensure global food security and reduce the impact of animal diseases on public health. The network will advance the field by sharing resources, encouraging collaboration between experts in veterinary and medical sciences, and establishing links with industry."