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Dr Ian J Links

BVSc (Sydney), DipBact (London), MACVS

Position National Surveillance Coordinator, National Sheep Health Monitoring Program, Animal Health Australia and Biosecurity Special Projects Officer
Location NSW DPI, Wagga Wagga
Phone 02 6938 1992
Fax 02 6938 1995
Email ian.links@industry.nsw.gov.au

 

Career Brief

Dr Links completed a Veterinary Degree (BVSc) at the University of Sydney in 1969 before undertaking a Diploma in Bacteriology at the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London awarded in 1973. He has been a Member of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists, Pathobiology Chapter (Microbiology and Microbiological Diseases) since February, 1986.

Dr Links joined NSW Agriculture in 1969 as a Veterinary Pathologist at the Regional Veterinary Laboratory Wollongbar, then from 1974 to 1996 at the Wagga Wagga RVL. From 1996 to 1998 he was Senior Field Veterinary Officer for the Riverina region responsible for liaison with Rural Lands Protection Boards in their regional disease management programs.

In 1998 Dr Links was appointed NSW State Coordinator of the $40m National Ovine Johne's Disease (OJD) Control and Evaluation Program responsible for the surveillance program in NSW. He played a major role in the evaluation of new diagnostic tests for this major sheep disease including the Pooled Faecal Culture. He implemented Abattoir Monitoring for OJD in NSW sheep abattoirs, a cost effective and sensitive procedure for detection of OJD infected flocks.

In mid-2006 Dr Links was appointed Manager, Special Surveillance Projects, which included responsibility for both Animal and Plant Health Surveillance in NSW. The additional activities included surveillance for Queensland Fruit Fly, Citrus Canker, Lettuce Aphid, Tomato Leaf Curl Virus, Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus, Lupin Phoma and Anthracnose, Yellow Crazy Ants, Red Imported Fire Ants, ongoing surveillance at NSW ports for Asian Gypsy Moth and Exotic Fruit Flies.

Dr Links retired from NSW DPI in August 2006 and has since been contracted through the EH Graham Centre to Animal Health Australia (AHA) as National Surveillance Coordinator with the National Sheep Health Monitoring Program. This has involved roll-out of abattoir monitoring for OJD and a range of other conditions in export abattoirs across Australia . Dr Links is working closely with the Charles Sturt University veterinary faculty on a survey of producers with hydatids detected in their flocks in abattoir monitoring. This is aimed at establishing the epidemiological factors, including the role of wild dogs, dingos and farm dogs, in maintenance of the hydatid cycle in NSW.

Research

Professional Links

Interests

Selected Publications

Links I, Denholm L, Kingham L and Evers M (2007) Abattoir Surveillance for Ovine Johne's Disease (OJD) in New South Wales . Proc 9th on Paratuberculosis, Tsukuba , Japan p.303-306.

Links I, Denholm L, Kingham L and Evers M (2007) A comparison of vaccination for Ovine Johne's Disease (OJD) and prevalence of lesions detected by abattoir monitoring in New South Wales (NSW). Proc 9th on Paratuberculosis, Tsukuba , Japan p. 307-310.

Eppelston J, Reddacliff L, Windsor P, Links I and Whittington R (2005) Preliminary observations on the prevalence of sheep shedding Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis after 3 years of a vaccination program for ovine Johne's disease. Australian Veterinary Journal 83 , 637-638.

Windsor P, Bush R, Links I and Eppelston J (2005) Injury caused by self-inoculation with a vaccine of a Freund's complete adjuvant nature (Gudair TM) used for control of ovine paratuberculosis. Australian Veterinary Journal 83 , 7-21.

Richardson G, Links I and Windsor P (2005) Gudair (OJD) self-inoculation: a case for early debridement. Medical Journal of Australia 183 ,151-152.