#WeAreSydneyID - Biosecurity

I'm Associate Professor Jenny-Ann Toribio, a veterinary epidemiologist working here at the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute and the Sydney School of Veterinary Science.

Similar to the Covid 19 pandemic in people, pandemics of infectious diseases are occurring in animals, bringing deadly diseases like African swine fever into Asia with the imminent threat of spread to Australia and the Pacific.

I work in biosecurity to safeguard health and food security through the prevention and control of highly infectious diseases of livestock, some of which, such as avian influenza H5n1, also impact wildlife and people.

So, my work helps to protect the health of animals, people and the environment.

I lead multidisciplinary teams; investigating transmission of diseases from farm to farm; dentifying effective biosecurity practices that farmers can implement to prevent disease spread; and helping to inform government decisions on education and animal vaccination programs that act to reduce animal deaths.

In Australia and Asia, my research is helping farmers protect their animals; assisting rural families who rely on their animals for food and income; and ultimately protecting our health, food quality and supply.