VIDO researches pig barn bacteria

In a research journey that has taken her all the way to Europe, a University of Saskatchewan (USask) doctoral student is investigating the functions and effects of different infectious diseases in animals – and how these could potentially be combatted with vaccines. Kezia Fourie is a PhD student researcher at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at USask, where she has had the opportunity to investigate Lawsonia intracellularis, a bacteria found in pig barns around the globe that mainly infects the intestines of pigs, but also has impacts on many other species. “During infection, pigs gain weight at a slower rate than healthy pigs, leading to economic losses through poor feed efficiency, increased husbandry costs and mortality in severe cases,” said Fourie, who is pursuing her PhD under the supervision of Dr. Heather Wilson (PhD), a research scientist at VIDO and an adjunct professor of veterinary microbiology at the USask Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Fo