Department of Comparative Medicine School of Medicine University of Washington Seattle, WA 98368 email: giacomo@uw.edu

Research interests are the natural history of disease, particularly infectious diseases, zoonotic diseases, and disease surveillance. The study of infectious diseases in laboratory animals serves the following purposes: to identify methods of control for the disease and to assess whether the disease can serve as an animal model. Studies of pasteurellosis in rabbits focus on the natural history of the disease, the immune response to infection, and the use of whole and subunit vaccines for prevention. While rotavirus appears to have a role in the etiology of diarrheal disease in rabbits, the contribution of other infectious agents, particularly Escherichia coli, have not been elucidated. Rotavirus is also a significant human pathogen and the disease in rabbits parallels the disease in children, making it a useful model for study. A more recent interest is the use of molecular biologic methods to characterize microorganisms in epidemiologic investigations.

Publications

Deeb, B.J., DiGiacomo, R.F., Bernard, B.L. and Silbernagel, S.M. Pasteurella multocida and Bordetella bronchiseptica infections in rabbits. J. Clin.Microbiol. 28:70-75, 1990.

Shelton, G.H., Grant, C.K., Cotter, S.M., Gardner, M.B., Hardy, W.D.,Jr. and DiGiacomo, R.F. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemiavirus (FeLV) infections and their relationships to lymphoid malignanciesin cats: A retrospective study (1968-1988). J. Acq. Immun. Def. Synd. 3:623-630,1990.

Zimmerman, T.E., Deeb, B.J. and DiGiacomo, R.F. Polypeptides associated with Pasteurella multocida infection in rabbits. Am. J. Vet. Res. 53:1108-1112,1992.

DiGiacomo, R.F., Deeb, B.J., Brodie, S.J. Zimmerman, T.E., Veltkamp,E.R. and Chrisp, C.E. Toxin production by Pasteurella multocida isolated from rabbits with atrophic rhinitis. Am.J.Vet.Res. 54:1280-1286, 1993.

DiGiacomo, R.F. and Mare, C.J. Viral Diseases. In Manning, P., Ringler,D.H. and Newcomer, C.E. (eds). Biology of the Laboratory Rabbit. Orlando,Academic Press, 171-204, 1994.

Thouless, M.E., DiGiacomo, R.F. and Deeb, B.J. The effect of combined rotavirus and Escherichia coli infections in rabbits. Lab. Anim. Sci. 46:381-385,1996.