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Mr Andrew Peters
PhD Student
School School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences
Location Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga
Phone 02 6933 4543
Fax 02 6933 4348
Email apeters@csu.edu.au
Project
Studies on disease in migratory pigeons and doves
Summary
Australasia has the world’s greatest diversity of wild pigeons and doves, including species which play important ecosystem functions such as seed dispersal. One particular species, the Pied Imperial-Pigeon, regularly migrates in large numbers between northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. This species, because of its distant relationship to the well-researched domestic pigeon, offers a great opportunity to study how infectious organisms such as bacteria, viruses and parasites move around in migrating birds.
The movement of infectious organisms has become an important focus for biosecurity in the wake of the bird flu epidemic across Eurasia and Africa. By looking at how infectious organisms are related to each other in migrating birds we hope to develop a model for mapping out their movement and identifying key places and periods where new strains or species of organisms might enter Australia.
Supervisors
Funding source
CSU Postgraduate Research Scholarship, EH Graham Centre, Wildlife and Exotic Disease Preparedness Program (DAFF) and Australian Bird Study Association