![]() Citation: New knowledge could combat fly strike in sheep (2011, May 26) retrieved 5. Blowfly strike is a major animal welfare concern: an average of 1.5 of ewes and 3 of lambs in the UK may be affected each year, despite preventative measures. "The enzymes have a role in protection against toxins but they also have a number of roles in normal development."ĭr Pal completed her undergraduate and Master's degrees at Sardar Patel University in Gujarat, India, and won a scholarship to carry out PhD study at Victoria.īefore coming to New Zealand she worked in health research, investigating the effect of insecticide poisoning on another important enzyme, acetyl cholinesterase, in humans. New knowledge could combat fly strike in sheep. "Another, which we have found to become prominent only in the adult, is thought to be involved in the flight muscle."ĭr Pal says the research, which is to be published in international scientific journals, has contributed important new information to the body of knowledge about GSTs which she describes as a "huge family" of enzymes.įinding ways of preventing or reversing resistance in insect pests to typical treatments, perhaps by targeting GST enzymes, is Dr Pal's ultimate goal although she says it is a complex area of science. For example, we have shown that one form of the enzyme previously suggested to be important in some insects' ability to smell is more abundant in the larvae and adult, the mobile phases of the life cycle of the blowfly, "We found out a lot of new things about these enzymes. Under Queensland legislation, if you suspect the presence of this disease, you must report it to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 or contact the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888. These birds are highly territorial and will aggressively defend their nests from any perceived threats, including people who get too close. Screw-worm fly infestation is a notifiable disease. Using novel techniques, Dr Pal discovered that different types and quantities of the enzymes are present at different stages in the blowfly's life cycleegg, larvae, pupae and adult. Magpies are a type of bird that is known for its distinctive black and white plumage, as well as its tendency to dive-bomb humans during the breeding season. It's common for sheep to be struck by blowflies in the hot summer months in New Zealand, creating a condition that is debilitating for the affected animals and costs the industry up to $50 million a year in lost production and treatments.Īlthough farmers can buy a range of drenches and sprays to prevent fly strike, there is a growing problem with blowfly resistance to the treatments available.ĭr Ramavati Pal, who graduated from Victoria with a PhD in Cell and Molecular Bioscience last week, has been studying a family of naturally occurring enzymes called the glutathione transferases or GSTs which most living organisms, including blowflies, use to defend themselves against toxins.īlowflies that are resistant to the usual preventive treatments may have more of the GST enzymes in their bodies and could be using these protective enzymes to effectively detoxify the poisons being used against them, or to help the fly to resist their toxic effects.
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