Professor Ruth Zadoks
People_

Professor Ruth Zadoks

Prof Zadoks is currently Professor of Production Animal Health at the Sydney School of Veterinary Science.

She received MRes, MSc, DVM and PhD degrees from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Her MRes was based on research into bovine papilloma virus in Zimbabwe, whilst her PhD work focussed on the molecular and mathematical epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus uberis mastitis in dairy herds. She subsequently worked at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, in the USA before returning to Europe where she held positions as Moredun Chair of Veterinary Epidemiology at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, and as Professor of Molecular Epidemiology in the Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow.

When leaving the UK, she supervised more than 10 postgraduate students and held a portfolio of projects worth over £3.5M spanning research into antimicrobial resistance, food safety, Klebsiella, and group B Streptococcus across humans, cattle and aquaculture species in Europe, South America, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. She joined SSVS in September 2019, where she will focus on interdisciplinary research in the areas of One Health and Food Security.

Prof. Zadoks’ interests include the use of molecular epidemiology to understand sources and transmission routes of bacterial infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance across host species, and the development of disease control programmes to support human and animal health and food security.

Building on a foundation in bovine herd health and molecular epidemiology, she works with experts across the STEM and HASS spectrum, including medics, genomic microbiologists, mathematicians, economists, engineers, anthropologists, pharmacists, human geographers, media experts and artists, to explore and influence sociocultural and biological drivers of disease, productivity and health.

Undergraduate, Honours, Clinical residents, Masters, and PhD level teaching or supervision in:

  • Food Security
  • One Health
  • Bovine herd health, mastitis
  • Molecular epidemiology
  • Zoonoses
  • Bacterial infectious diseases
  • Antimicrobial resistance
  • Group B Streptococcus

Antimicrobial resistance

  • Supporting the National Action plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (SNAP-AMR) in Tanzania
  • Use of wildlife to biomonitor antimicrobial resistance in the environment

Group B Streptococcus

  • Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) ST283: assessing the threat to food security and food safety
  • Role of the mobilome in host adaptation of Streptococcus agalactiae
  • Point of care testing for GBS in humans and fishes
  • JUNO: a global genomic survey of Streptococcus agalactiae

Bovine herd health and mastitis

  • Point of care testing for bovine mastitis
Project titleResearch student
Prediction and prevention of Japanese encephalitis in AustraliaTroy LAIDLOW
The interactions between dietary composition nutrient uptake gut health and growth performance in poultryShay SADR
The underlying mechanisms of vibriosis: host-pathogen interactions between Vibrio harveyi and barramundi (Lates calcarifer)Roisin SULLIVAN
Development of mucosal-binding antigens to enhance vaccine responses in salmonid aquacultureWilliam ZHANG
Mathematical modelling of Coxiella burnetii transmission and impact on livestock populations to inform control strategiesMei ZHENG

Publications

Journals

  • Levesque, Z., Walsh, M., Webb, C., Zadoks, R., Brookes, V. (2024). A scoping review of evidence of naturally occurring Japanese encephalitis infection in vertebrate animals other than humans, ardeid birds and pigs. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 18(10), e0012510. [More Information]
  • Mutua, E., et al, Zadoks, R. (2024). Antibiotic prescription, dispensing and use in humans and livestock in East Africa: does morality have a role to play? Monash Bioethics Review. [More Information]
  • Berteau, M., Pepler, P., Broadhurst, A., Hammond, G., Zadoks, R., Viora, L. (2024). Assessing teat canal morphology in the dry period and during lactation by high-resolution ultrasound. Journal of Dairy Research, 91(1), 57-64. [More Information]

2024

  • Levesque, Z., Walsh, M., Webb, C., Zadoks, R., Brookes, V. (2024). A scoping review of evidence of naturally occurring Japanese encephalitis infection in vertebrate animals other than humans, ardeid birds and pigs. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 18(10), e0012510. [More Information]
  • Mutua, E., et al, Zadoks, R. (2024). Antibiotic prescription, dispensing and use in humans and livestock in East Africa: does morality have a role to play? Monash Bioethics Review. [More Information]
  • Berteau, M., Pepler, P., Broadhurst, A., Hammond, G., Zadoks, R., Viora, L. (2024). Assessing teat canal morphology in the dry period and during lactation by high-resolution ultrasound. Journal of Dairy Research, 91(1), 57-64. [More Information]

2023

  • Zadoks, R., Scholz, E., Rowe, S., Norris, J., Pooley, H., House, J. (2023). A framework for evaluation of on-farm mastitis diagnostics in Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal, In Press, 1-11. [More Information]
  • Bashir, S., Nguyen, P., Herath, T., Basit, A., Zadoks, R., Murdan, S. (2023). An oral pH-responsive Streptococcus agalactiae vaccine formulation provides protective immunity to pathogen challenge in tilapia: A proof-of-concept study. PloS One, 18(3), 1-15. [More Information]
  • Haenen, O., Dong, H., Hoai, T., Crumlish, M., Karunasagar, I., Barkham, T., Chen, S., Zadoks, R., Kiermeier, A., Wang, B., et al (2023). Bacterial diseases of tilapia, their zoonotic potential and risk of antimicrobial resistance. Reviews in Aquaculture, 15(S1), 154-185. [More Information]

2022

  • Elsby, D., Zadoks, R., Boyd, K., Silva, N., Chase Topping, M., Mitchel, M., Currie, C., Taggart, M. (2022). Antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli in Scottish wild deer: Prevalence and risk factors. Environmental Pollution, 314, Article number 120129-1-Article number 120129-11. [More Information]
  • Barsi, F., Carra, E., Ricchi, M., Gnali, G., Pisoni, G., Russo, S., Filippi, A., Arrigoni, N., Zadoks, R., Garbarino, C. (2022). Circulation of Streptococcus agalactiae ST103 in a Free Stall Italian Dairy Far. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 88(11), 1-7. [More Information]
  • Charlier, J., Barkema, H., Becher, P., de Benedictis, P., Hansson, I., Hennig-Pauka, I., La Ragione, R., Larsen, L., Madoroba, E., et al, Zadoks, R. (2022). Disease control tools to secure animal and public health in a densely populated world. The Lancet Planetary Health, 6(10), e812-e824. [More Information]

2021

  • Mitchell, G., Zadoks, R., Skuce, P. (2021). A Universal Approach to Molecular Identification of Rumen Fluke Species Across Hosts, Continents, and Sample Types. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7, 605259. [More Information]
  • Churakov, M., Katholm, J., Rogers, S., Kao, R., Zadoks, R. (2021). Assessing potential routes of Streptococcus agalactiae transmission between dairy herds using national surveillance, animal movement data and molecular typing. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 197, 105501. [More Information]
  • Nguyen, P., Nguyen, L., Crestani, C., Zadoks, R. (2021). Effect of strain and enviromental conditions on the virulence of Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus; GBS) in red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.). Aquaculture, 534, 1-8. [More Information]

2020

  • Silva, N., Phythian, C., Currie, C., Tassi, R., Ballingall, K., Magro, G., McNeilly, T., Zadoks, R. (2020). Antimicrobial resistance in ovine bacteria: A sheep in wolf’s clothing? PloS One, 15(9), e0238708-1-e0238708-15. [More Information]
  • Silago, V., Kovacs, D., Msanga, D., Seni, J., Matthews, L., Oravcova, K., Zadoks, R., Lupindu, A., Hoza, A., Mshana, S. (2020). Bacteremia in critical care units at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania: The role of colonization and contaminated cots and mothers' hands in cross-transmission of multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, 9(1), Art 58-1-Art 58-14. [More Information]
  • Russell, G., Zadoks, R., Willoughby, K., Bachofen, C. (2020). Bovine viral diarrhoea virus loses quasispecies diversity rapidly in culture. Microbial Genomics, 6(4), Article 000343-1-Article 000343-15. [More Information]

2019

  • Taponen, S., McGuinness, D., Hiitio, H., Simojoki, H., Zadoks, R., Pyorala, S. (2019). Bovine milk microbiome: A more complex issue than expected. Veterinary Research, 50(1), 44. [More Information]
  • Crispell, J., Benton, C., Balaz, D., De Maio, N., Ahkmetova, A., Allen, A., Biek, R., Presho, E., Dale, J., Hewinson, G., et al (2019). Combining genomics and epidemiology to analyse bi-directional transmission of mycobacterium bovis in a multi-host system. eLife, 8. [More Information]
  • Graham-Brown, J., Williams, D., Skuce, P., Zadoks, R., Dawes, S., Swales, H., Van Dijk, J. (2019). Composite Fasciola hepatica faecal egg sedimentation test for cattle. The Veterinary Record, 184(19), 589. [More Information]

2018

  • Klaas, I., Zadoks, R. (2018). An update on environmental mastitis: Challenging perceptions. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 65, 166-185. [More Information]
  • Leigh, W., Zadoks, R., Jaglarz, A., Costa, J., Foster, G., Thompson, K. (2018). Evaluation of PCR primers targeting the groEL gene for the specific detection of Streptococcus agalactiae in the context of aquaculture. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 125(3), 666-674. [More Information]
  • Caudell, M., Mair, C., Subbiah, M., Matthews, L., Quinlan, R., Quinlan, M., Zadoks, R., Keyyu, J., Call, D. (2018). Identification of risk factors associated with carriage of resistant Escherichia coli in three culturally diverse ethnic groups in Tanzania: a biological and socioeconomic analysis. The Lancet Planetary Health, 2(11), e489-e497. [More Information]

2017

  • Russell, G., Grant, D., Lycett, S., Bachofen, C., Caldow, G., Burr, P., Davie, K., Ambrose, N., Gunn, G., Zadoks, R. (2017). Analysis of bovine viral diarrhoea virus: Biobank and sequence database to support eradication in Scotland. The Veterinary Record, 180(18), 447. [More Information]
  • Mitchell, G., Cuthill, G., Haine, A., Zadoks, R., Chaudhry, U., Skuce, P., Sargison, N. (2017). Evaluation of molecular methods for the field study of the natural history of Dicrocoelium dendriticum. Veterinary Parasitology, 235, 100-105. [More Information]
  • Koop, G., Vrieling, M., Storisteanu, D., Lok, L., Monie, T., Van Wigcheren, G., Raisen, C., Ba, X., Gleadall, N., Hadjirin, N., et al (2017). Identification of LukPQ, a novel, equid-adapted leukocidin of Staphylococcus aureus. Scientific Reports, 7, 40660. [More Information]

2016

  • Muellner, P., Stark, K., Dufour, S., Zadoks, R. (2016). 'Next-Generation' Surveillance: An Epidemiologists' Perspective on the Use of Molecular Information in Food Safety and Animal Health Decision-Making. Zoonoses and Public Health, 63(5), 351-357. [More Information]
  • Parker, R., Laut, C., Gaddy, J., Zadoks, R., Davies, H., Manning, S. (2016). Association between genotypic diversity and biofilm production in group B Streptococcus. BMC Microbiology, 16(1), 86. [More Information]
  • Forde, T., Orsel, K., Zadoks, R., Biek, R., Adams, L., Checkley, S., Davison, T., De Buck, J., Dumond, M., Elkin, B., et al (2016). Bacterial genomics reveal the complex epidemiology of an emerging pathogen in arctic and boreal ungulates. Frontiers in Microbiology, 7(NOV), 1759. [More Information]

2015

  • Grant, D., Dagleish, M., Bachofen, C., Boag, B., Deane, D., Percival, A., Zadoks, R., Russell, G. (2015). Assessment of the rabbit as a wildlife reservoir of bovine viral diarrhea virus: Serological analysis and generation of trans-placentally infected offspring. Frontiers in Microbiology, 6(SEP), 1000. [More Information]
  • Toolan, D., Mitchell, G., Searle, K., Sheehan, M., Skuce, P., Zadoks, R. (2015). Bovine and ovine rumen fluke in Ireland-Prevalence, risk factors and species identity based on passive veterinary surveillance and abattoir findings. Veterinary Parasitology, 212(3-Apr), 168-174. [More Information]
  • Tassi, R., McNeilly, T., Sipka, A., Zadoks, R. (2015). Correlation of hypothetical virulence traits of two Streptococcus uberis strains with the clinical manifestation of bovine mastitis. Veterinary Research, 46(1). [More Information]

2014

  • Harrison, E., Paterson, G., Holden, M., Ba, X., Rolo, J., Morgan, F., Pichon, B., Kearns, A., Zadoks, R., Peacock, S., et al (2014). A novel hybrid SCCmec-mecC region in Staphylococcus sciuri. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 69(4), 911-918. [More Information]
  • Zadoks, R. (2014). An update on streptococcus uberis mastitis and control. Cattle Practice, 21(PART2), 181-187.
  • Zadoks, R., Tassi, R., Martin, E., Holopainen, J., McCallum, S., Gibbons, J., Ballingall, K. (2014). Comparison of bacteriological culture and PCR for detection of bacteria in ovine milk-Sheep are not small cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 97(10), 6326-6333. [More Information]

2013

  • Harrison, E., Paterson, G., Holden, M., Morgan, F., Larsen, A., Petersen, A., Leroy, S., De Vliegher, S., Perreten, V., Fox, L., et al (2013). A staphylococcus xylosus isolate with a new mecc allotype. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 57(3), 1524-1528. [More Information]
  • Gilchrist, T., Smith, D., Fitzpatrick, J., Zadoks, R., Fontaine, M. (2013). Comparative molecular analysis of ovine and bovine Streptococcus uberis isolates. Journal of Dairy Science, 96(2), 962-970. [More Information]
  • Bachofen, C., Willoughby, K., Zadoks, R., Burr, P., Mellor, D., Russell, G. (2013). Direct RT-PCR from serum enables fast and cost-effective phylogenetic analysis of bovine viral diarrhoea virus. Journal of Virological Methods, 190(1-Feb), 1-3. [More Information]

Selected Grants

2024

  • Revealing the ecological and evolutionary drivers of microbial spillover in aquaculture, Costa V, Samsing Pedrals F, Zadoks R, Sydney Southeast Asia Centre/SSEAC Incubator Program

2022

  • RFQ-013062 Sustainable Precision Feeding in Broiler Chickens in Australia, Liu S, Zadoks R, Selle P, McPherson A, AgriFutures Australia/Open Call Research and Development Projects
  • Networking One Health laboratories in ASEAN to tackleAntimicrobial Resistance, Beardsley J, Howie L, Phalla M, Zadoks R, Fox G, Guest D, Sorrell T, Tum S, Yorn T, Sok D, Nguyen T, Van Doorn H, Phuoc N, Sothavireak B, Phouthavong K, Putthana V, Vannamahaxay S, Ashley E, Dat V, Bao V, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Federal)/Australia-ASEAN Council (AAC)