College of Veterinary Medicine

Education:

DVM, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1967
PhD, Veterinary Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1973
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Microbiologists

Research Interests:

The mission of my laboratory is to improve the recognition and control of selected infectious diseases of animals. I am interested in host responses to infection as they relate to serological diagnosis and the development of vaccines. Antigen production for diagnostic and immunizing purposes is critically important. I work with a variety of infectious agents, including fungi, bacteria, and viruses.
Virus infections of birds, particularly of the parrot family, are a major interest. I investigate disease outbreaks in psittacine aviaries, trying to isolate and identify the causative agent(s). I have worked with psittacine herpesviruses, polyomaviruses, reoviruses, and poxviruses. I am attempting to develop attenuated virus vaccines for Amazonpox, lovebirdpox, and Pacheco's disease. I also seek to find the cause of proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) and a means of identifying asymptomatic carriers of Pacheco's disease.
I'm very interested in infectious diseases of goats. I have developed a caprine cell line which permits me to produce caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) and contagious ecthyma viral antigens. I am interested in the serological detection of CAE and the development of a safe attenuated vaccine for ecthyma (soremouth). In addition, I work with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, the cause of caseous lymphadenitis in sheep and goats, and am evaluating serology as a means of identifying infected animals. I also study C. pseudotuberculosis infections of horses.
Having developed a means to produce precipitating antigens for Rhodococcus equi, I am interested in their application in the diagnosis of rhodococcal infections of foals and other animals. I also am investigating the feasibility of vaccinating against the disease in foals, either through immunization of mares with resultant passive antibody transfer to foals, through direct vaccination of foals, or through a combination of the methods. Analysis of the complexities of the horse/Rhodococcus equi interaction is a major thrust of my laboratory.
Having developed a means to produce precipitating antigens for Rhodococcus equi, I am interested in their application in the diagnosis of rhodococcal infections of foals and other animals. I also am investigating the feasibility of vaccinating against the disease in foals, either through immunization of mares with resultant passive antibody transfer to foals, through direct vaccination of foals, or through a combination of the methods. Analysis of the complexities of the horse/Rhodococcus equi interaction is a major thrust of my laboratory.
Finally, I cannot resist the opportunity to work with other veterinary infectious agents which impact upon my life. Thus, I am trying to develop attenuated virus vaccines for encephalomyocarditis virus infection of zoo animals and flamingopox. I'm investigating desensitization (to staphylococcal antigens) as a means for controlling recurrent staphylococcal infections of dogs. I'm exploring serological means to identify animals infected with pythiosis and conidiobolomycosis. I'm interested in viral diseases of reptiles.

Selected Publications:

For Publications Extracted From Medline Click HERE

Schumacher, J., Jacobson, E.R., Homer, B.L., Gaskin, J.M. Inclusion Body Disease of Boid Snakes. J. Zoo Wildl. Med. 25(4):511-524, 1994.

Homer, B.L., Sundberg, J.P., Gaskin, J.M., Schumacher, J., Jacobson, E.R. Immunoperoxidase Detection of Ophidian Paramyxovirus in Snake Lung Using a Polyclonal Antibody. J. Vet. Diagn. Invest. 7(1):72-77, 1995.

Bradley, J.L., Gaskin, J.M., McGuire, P.M. Antigens of Vibrio vulnificus. Microbios 79:7-17, 1994.

Gaskin, J.M., King, R.R., Lane, T.J., Mayhew, I.J., Brewer, B.D. Serological detection of Rhodococcus equi infections of foals. Proceedings, 8th ACVIM Forum, 1990, p. 581-584.

Gaskin, J.M. Psittacine Viral Disease: A Perspective. J. Zoo Wildl. Med. 20: 249-264, 1989.

Citino, S.B., Homer, B.L., Gaskin, J.M., Wickham, D.J.: Fatal Encephalomyocarditis Virus Infection in a Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus abelii) J. Zoo Wildl. Med. 19:214-218, 1988.