Man’s best friend gives more than loyalty and love

Abstract

Man’s canine companion is set to unravel the mystery of human disease through a study about to commence at UP’s Faculty of Veterinary Science. Prof Andrew Leisewitz is embarking on a study of canine diseases which will hopefully lead to a better understanding of human diseases such as malaria and multiple sclerosis and possibly yield more effective treatments. Using animal models to learn more about these human diseases, Leisewitz’s two research areas are a tick-borne disease and a viral disease, namely canine babesiosis and canine distemper.