Doctor Martina Mosing, a senior lecturer Veterinary Anaesthesia at Murdoch University, has received a grant as part of the Morris Animal Foundation Awards, to explore ways to faster diagnose tuberculosis in African buffalo and elephants.

Morris Animal Foundation, a leader in advancing animal health, has awarded more than $1 million in wildlife health research grants, supporting studies from 16 universities across the world, including Murdoch University.

The Foundation’s Wildlife Animal Scientific Advisory Board reviewed all submitted grant applications and selected, based on scientific merit and impact, the studies with the greatest potential to save lives, preserve health and advance veterinary care.

Dr Mosing said she was thrilled to be awarded $10, 800 for her work with African buffalo and elephants.

“As part of my project, researchers will evaluate if electrical impedance tomography (EIT), a noninvasive imaging technique, can be used as a rapid diagnostic tool for tuberculosis in African buffalo and elephants” she said.

Buffalo and elephants are a key source of infection for tuberculosis (TB) in South Africa for many other species, including humans.

“TB is challenging to diagnose, especially in wildlife during health field checks and currently, there is no highly reliable rapid TB screening test for wildlife,” said Dr Mosing.

“TB screening often involves keeping animals in enclosures until test results are available or, if not possible, recapturing animals which is time-consuming and expensive for wildlife managers.”

Researchers will evaluate if lung images generated by electrical impedance tomography or EIT, a noninvasive imagining technique, can be used to detect lesions associated with TB in buffalo and elephants.

Identifying a new screening tool for use in the field will greatly improve TB management not only in wildlife, but in domestic cattle and companion animals that also serve as reservoirs for the disease.

Dr Mosing’s research project is funded for 12 months.

Morris Animal Foundation, based in Denver, is one of the world’s largest nonprofit organizations that funds scientific studies to advance the health of animals.

Since 1965, it has invested $24 million in more than 650 wildlife health studies across the world.