Inaugural lecture: Confronting the microbial menace in our food

Farmed animals are vital to global food security but can transmit harmful microbes to humans through the food chain. Among these are bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli that cause gastroenteritis in people. Worldwide, these three agents cause an estimated 174 million cases of food-borne illness every year at a high recurring cost to society and the economy and in some instances, such microbes can also cause disease in their farm animal hosts to the detriment of productivity and welfare.