PhD studentship - Food Safety Risks Associated with Pets Fed Raw Diets in the Clinical Environment

Award summary

100% of home-fees, minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £18,622 (2023/24 UKRI rate).

Overview

Little work has been done to understand if feeding raw food to pets increases the risk of infections being passed to owners through zoonotic pathogen transmission; evidence so far is rare. In addition, it is not known whether raw fed pets, when examined or hospitalised, cause occupational threats to veterinary practice staff and other patients. Certainly, foodborne pathogens e.g., Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Yersinia, and E. coli occur in raw diets and could be passed to people. Enterobacteriaceae in raw diets are also linked to shedding antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria. Currently, pets fed raw diets are examined in the same facilities, using the same clinical protocols, as other pets.

This project will explore hypotheses that a higher prevalence of pathogens will be identified in pets fed raw diets compared to conventional processed diets, and there are specific pathways which increase risk of pathogens from raw food being transmitted into clinical environments.   

The student will assess the risk associated with feeding raw diets to pets and the clinicians providing their care. This will facilitate development of appropriate biosecurity protocols for veterinary treatment, reducing transmission potential of pathogens and their AMR traits. They will learn how: to undertake literature reviews leading to creation of ‘living’ portals of evidence; laboratory techniques to sample food, faecal and environmental samples for pathogens; to deliver epidemiological investigations, and work on biosecurity in a clinical environment. They will be based in the MEP group at Newcastle University and spend time at FERA, and working with VetPartners.

Number of awards: 1

Start date: 16 September 2024

Award duration: 3 Years

Sponsor: IAFRI

Supervisors: Dr. K. Marie McIntyre  (Newcastle University), Ms. Emiline Quill (FERA Science Ltd.) and Dr. Jenny Stavisky (VetPartners)

Eligibility criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 honours degree or international equivalent in biological/microbiological sciences or related discipline. A clinical qualification (e.g. veterinary surgery, veterinary nursing) is ideal, but not essential.

Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills.

This studentship is only available to applicants with Home fee status (UK and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status, meeting residency criteria).

How to apply

All applicants should complete the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal - applyto.newcastle.ac.uk .

Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study: 

• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8020F
• Research Area: Biological Sciences
• Select ‘PhD Biology as the programme of study

You will then need to provide the following information in ‘Further Details’:

• A ‘Personal Statement’ (mandatory field) - upload a document or write a statement directly in to the application form
• The studentship code SNES279 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field
• When prompted for how you are providing your research proposal - select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.

In the ‘Supporting Documentation’ section please upload: 

Contact Details

Dr. K.Marie McIntyre, Email: [email protected]