 |
| From left: Lord Owen, Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, Professor Malcolm Bennett, Co-Director of the Zoonosis Centre, and Dr Chris Parry, Co-Director of the Zoonosis Centre |
 |
| Lord Soulsby (pictured, left) and Lord Owen unveil the Zoonosis Centre |
 |
| Lord David Owen with technician Gill Hutchinson |
The center was set up using a GBP 1.7m ($3.4m) investment by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), and is a collaborative venture involving the University of Lancaster, the Health Protection Agency and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
Professor Malcolm Bennet, co-director of the center, said: "Diseases such as SARS and avian flu are examples of new and emerging zoonotic diseases that hit the headlines, but around two thirds of all human infections are transmitted from animals, and some of these can be very serious. Rabies, for example, still kills more than 50,000 people every year, mainly in developing countries, while closer to home, most cases of food poisoning are also caused by zoonoses."
One of the center's goals will be to study antibiotic resistance in zoonotic pathogens, and how it can be managed. Co-director Dr Chris Parry said: "Antibiotic resistance is a problem in many zoonotic bacteria, and this complicates the treatment of patients. The center brings together scientists with different backgrounds in order to tackle not just theoretical issues but very practical problems in disease control and management."
The center was opened at 12.30 pm by Lord David Owen, chancellor of the University of Liverpool, and Lord Lawson Soulsby, former president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Email a friend
Digital RSS Feed
