Philip H. Elzer

Dr. Elzer has a joint appointment in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology in the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Veterinary Science in the LSU Agricultural Center.  Dr. Elzer contributes to courses and laboratory exercises in immunology, microbiology and reproductive and abortifacient  diseases in the veterinary curriculum.  He also is an active participant in graduate courses related to the host response to infectious agents, bacterial pathogenesis, and molecular and cellular immunology.  He serves as major professor or advisory committee member for both M.S. and Ph.D. candidates.  Dr. Elzer holds membership in 9 professional societies including the American Association of Immunologists, American Society for Microbiology and the Wildlife Disease Association.  He serves as an ad hoc reviewer for scientific journals and participates on ad hoc review panels for granting agencies.  He is currently the Chairman of the Brucellosis Scientific Advisory Committee for the United States Animal Health Asssociation.  Dr. Elzer participates in the Multidisciplinary Program in Infectious Disease.

Research Interests

Dr. Elzer's area of research is in bacterial pathogenesis focusing on host-parasite interactions and immunity.  He has several projects involving brucellosis including animal modeling, vaccine efficacy, gene-deletion mutant characterization, in vitro bactericidal assays, and novel therapeutic agents.  The research is directed towards a variety of animal species including cattle, swine, goats, bison, elk, and reindeer.  A mouse model for bovine and human brucellosis is also used as a primary screen to evaluate the host response.  

Selected References

Elzer, P.H. and D.S. Davis. Evaluation of Brucella abortus vaccine strain RB51 in bison. In: National Research Council (ed), Brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Washington DC: National Academy Press. 1998:151-156.

Elzer, P.H., G.G. Schurig, F.M. Enright, and D.S. Davis. Evaluation of the vaccine efficacy of RB51 administered orally in elk. In: National Research Council (ed), Brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Washington DC: National Academy Press. 1998:157-160.

Elzer, P.H., F.M. Enright, L. Colby, S.D. Hagius, J.V. Walker, M.B. Fatemi, J.D. Kopec, V.C. Beal, and G.G. Schurig. (1999). Protection against infection and abortion induced by virulent challenge exposure after oral vaccination of cattle with Brucella abortus strain RB51. Am. J. Vet. Res., 59:1575-1578.

Edmonds, M.D., G.G. Schurig, L.E. Samartino, P.G. Hoyt, J.V. Walker, S.D. Hagius, and P.H. Elzer. (1999). The biosafety of Brucella abortus strain RB51 vaccination in mature bulls and pregnant heifers. Am. J. Vet. Res. 60:722-725.

Edmonds, M.D., F.M. Ward, T.M. O’Hara, and P.H. Elzer. (1999). Use of western immunoblot analysis for testing moose serum for Brucella suis biovar 4 specific antibodies. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 35:591-595.

Bellaire, B.H., P.H. Elzer, C.L. Baldwin, and R.M. Roop II. (1999). The siderophore 2,3-didydroxybenzoic acid is not required for virulence of Brucella abortus in BALB/c mice. Infect. Immun. 67:2615-2617.

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