BBSRC scientist awarded first Rooker prize = http://media-newswire.com/release_1098494.html
(Media-Newswire.com) - Dr Simon Carpenter from the Institute for
Animal Health, an institute of BBSRC, has been awarded the first
Rooker prize. The new award is an international annual prize for
individuals who have made a significant contribution to livestock
animal health by way of research.
Dr Carpenter has been awarded the prize by an international award
committee for his research on the biting midges that spread bluetongue
virus. The research by Dr Carpenter and colleagues has already been
shown to have saved the UK economy £485M and prevented the loss of
10,000 agricultural jobs during the 2007 bluetongue outbreak.
Dr Carpenter, who is Head of the Entomology/Modelling Group within the
Vector-borne Diseases Programme at the IAH’s Pirbright Laboratory,
received his award during the Veterinary Laboratory Agency Conference
held at the Royal Holloway, University of London, Surrey ( 2-4
September ). He presented a lecture entitled 'The antennae, shoot the
antennae! The role of entomology during arboviral outbreaks'.
Arboviruses are viruses that are spread by arthropods, such as midges
and ticks.
Dr Carpenter said “The 2007 incursion of bluetongue virus into the UK
presented many unique problems. This award is a reflection of the
professionalism and dedication of the people in the vector-borne
disease programme at IAH as a whole.”
“As an entomologist, it is a rare honour to receive such an award, and
is a reflection of the multidisciplinary nature of science being used
within IAH to combat such incursions.”
“Through the activities of my research group and the vector-borne
disease programme at IAH as a whole, I aspire to maintain the UK’s
current position as world leaders in this field, established by my
predecessors, and to continue to communicate my science effectively
with policy makers and stakeholders at both an EU and UK level.”
Much of Dr Carpenter’s research has been on the Culicoides biting
midges that act as carriers ( vectors ) of bluetongue virus,
transmitting it amongst ruminants. He co-ordinated field
investigations of the various Culicoides midge species within several
European countries as well as the UK. Together with estimations of
bluetongue virus replication temperature limits ( bluetongue virus
replication in midges ceases below 12-15°C, and speeds up as the
environmental temperature increases ), Dr Carpenter and colleagues
used the field data to establish ‘vector-free’ and ‘transmission free
periods’ for bluetongue virus during the UK winter of 2007/8,
following the first incursion of the virus into Britain in August
2007. This facilitated a relaxation of animal movements and saved UK
farming stakeholders millions of pounds in trade.
Earlier IAH studies had revealed that in southern Europe bluetongue
virus was being spread not solely by Culicoides imicola – the species
of midge that had brought the virus from Africa – but also by
Culicoides midge species that were native to Europe. Experiments
within the IAH showed that bluetongue virus could grow well in
Culicoides midges found in northern Europe. Together this information
led Dr Carpenter and colleagues to predict that bluetongue would one
day to spread to northern Europe. This is indeed what happened, in
2006. In the following year bluetongue virus-infected midges were
blown across the North Sea, and subsequently infected ruminants in
East Anglia.
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