Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine

• 牛および馬のピロプラズマ症に対する治療薬の開発
• 牛および馬に感染するバベシア・タイレリア原虫の世界的監視
• バベシアもしくはタイレリアに感染した牛や馬の臨床的影響の解析
• 動物原虫病の診断法の開発と活用

私たちの研究室では、実験室での発見を畜産や臨床の現場に役立てることを大切にしています。学生の皆さんには、研究の楽しさを体感しながら、獣医師として感染症を制御する力を身につけ、将来現場で活躍できる力を育んでほしいです。研究や臨床に挑戦したい学生を歓迎します。

My research focuses on protozoan parasites that cause piroplasmosis in cattle and horses, mainly Babesia and Theileria species. These tick-borne parasites cause severe anemia, fever, and productivity loss, leading to major economic damage in livestock industries worldwide. At the National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, I have been studying their genetic diversity, evolution, and distribution to better understand the epidemiology and clinical significance of these infections.

Our recent studies identified two novel tick-borne protozoan species, Babesia naoakii and Theileria sp. Yokoyama, both of which can cause severe clinical disease in cattle. These findings highlight the need for continuous molecular surveillance to detect emerging pathogens that threaten livestock health.

In our laboratory, we combine molecular diagnostics, field surveillance, and parasite culture studies to investigate the relationships between parasite genotypes, host species, and disease symptoms. We are also engaged in discovering and evaluating new drug candidates for the treatment of bovine theileriosis, aiming to develop safe and effective therapeutic strategies.

Through close collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Reference Centers, my goal is to contribute to the global control of animal piroplasmosis. By integrating diagnosis, surveillance, and drug discovery approaches, I hope to establish practical countermeasures that will support sustainable livestock production and improve animal health worldwide.

Global surveillance of bovine and equine piroplasmosis
Investigation of the clinical significance of Babesia and Theileria parasites in cattle and horses
Development of improved diagnostic assays for equine piroplasmosis
Drug discovery for the control of bovine and equine piroplasmosis