2015

AnnuAl RepoRt

pRoviding focus And leAdeRship foR ReseARch, educAtion, And knowledge disseminAtion in AnimAl-RelAted Aspects of public heAlth

32 Centre for PubliC HealtH and Zoonoses

Welcome In 2015...Zoonotic Disease PrioritiZation tool

Drs. Victoria Ng and Jan Sargeant were awarded funding from the OMAFRA Emergency Management Program to develop a functional tool for the prioritization of zoonotic diseases. The data for the tool were based on a national study conducted by Dr. Ng while a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses. The work from the national study has been published and can be downloaded from the Resources section of the CPHAZ website: ovc.uoguelph.ca/cphaz/resources . The prioritization tools were developed in Excel and can be used by anyone with access to this software. Instructions on how to use the tool are provided in the tab ‘MCDA Tool’ of the Excel spreadsheet that can also be downloaded from the CPHAZ website. The tool is an example of a scientific framework for disease prioritization involving stakeholder engagement across multiple disciplines.

imPorting Dogs

CPHAZ hosted a meeting to discuss the risks, concerns, available guidelines, protocols and proposed initatives related to importing dogs into Canada. The focus was controlling or preventing zoonotic diseases that these dogs may have been exposed to such as rabies or leishmaniasis. The meeting was attended by individuals from human and animal government organizations, small animal clinicians, and OVC faculty members. This topic has been heavily discussed in the Worms and Germs Blog (www.wormsandgermsblog.com) over the year and multiple initiatives are under way to help get information out to veterinarians and the general public about the concerns of importing pets.

BioDiasPora CPHAZ supported a meeting in January that brought together individuals from human health research programs and faculty from the University of Guelph, including CPHAZ member Amy Greer. The purpose was to disuss how a web application that aids in real time predictions of international disease spread could be used for broader applications including issues that involve the human and animal health communities.

mPH Forum

The Masters of Public Health Program held its 7th Annual Public Health Forum in November 2015. Dr. Peter Donnelly, President and CEO of Public Health Ontario spoke about Violence as a Public Health Issue as the keynote speaker. 22 students presented their practicum placement work in three breakout sessions, and the day as usual was a complete success.

PuBlic HealtH ontario series

CPHAZ has begun hosting a location for the Public Health Ontario grand rounds. This allows student and faculty members wanting to join in the public health seminars to be a part of the teleconference and discuss the topic further with their peers. Topics this year include Lyme disease, antimicrobial resistance and human rabies exposure.

Above: Dr. Andrew Papadopoulos, coordinator of the MPH program; Dr. Peter Donnelly, President and CEO, PHO; Irene Chhay, winner of the Dr. Robert Clarke Public Health Prize for the best MPH poster; Dr. Robert Clarke, DVM 1976; and Dr. Maureen Anderson, OMAFRA and OVCAA representative. Photo courtesy of K. Mantel.

W e l co m e t o th e 2 0 1 5 An n u a l Re p o r t f o r th e Ce n t re

for Publ ic Health and Zoonoses ! As expected , 2015

co n t i n u e d t o d e m o n s t ra t e t h e ch a l l e n g e s t h a t f a ce p u b l i c

h e a l th a n d th e n e e d fo r b ro a d - ra n g i n g co l la b o ra t i ve wo rk .

I n t h i s y e a r ’ s a n n u a l r e p o r t , w e h a v e f e a t u r e d s o m e

o f t h e w o r k b y C P H A Z m e m b e r s , r e a l i z i n g w e c a n o n l y

s c r a t c h t h e s u r f a c e o f t h e b r o a d r a n g e o f a c t i v i t i e s t h a t

m e m b e r s p e r f o r m . We ’ v e t r i e d t o p r o v i d e a t a s t e o f t h e

d i f f e r e n t a r e a s o f r e s e a r c h t h a t m e m b e r s p e r f o r m a n d

w e e n c o u r a g e r e a d e r s t o f o l l o w u p t h e m s e l v e s t h r o u g h

t h e a b u n d a n t n u m b e r o f p u b l i c a t i o n s a n d s o c i a l m e d i a

i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t h a v e r e s u l t e d f r o m t h e s e e f f o r t s .

A s t h e f i e l d s o f p u b l i c h e a l t h a n d z o o n o s e s

c o n t i n u e s t o e v o l v e , s o m u s t w e . S e v e r a l o f o u r l o n g - s t a n d i n g m e m b e r s h a v e r e t i r e d

a n d s e v e r a l n e w f a c u l t y h a v e j o i n e d . O v e r 4 0 o f o u r s t u d e n t m e m b e r s h a v e c o m p l e t e d

t h e i r g r a d u a t e w o r k a n d a r e s t a r t i n g t h e i r c a r e e r s i n a r e a s i n d i v e r s e f i e l d s . R e s e a r c h

i n t e r e s t s c o n t i n u e t o e v o l v e w i t h i n o u r o v e r - a r c h i n g s u b j e c t a r e a t o a c c o u n t f o r n e w

m e m b e r s , n e w c o l l a b o r a t i o n s , c h a n g e s i n d i s e a s e c h a l l e n g e s , a d v a n c e s i n t e c h n o l o g y

a n d , m o s t i m p o r t a n t l y , t h e i n c r e a s i n g k n o w l e d g e t h a t o u r m e m b e r s h a v e h e l p e d d e v e l o p .

A s 2 0 1 6 b e g i n s , I s h e d m y ‘ i n t e r i m D i r e c t o r ’ s t a t u s a n d r e t u r n t h e r e i n s o f C P H A Z t o t h e

c a p a b l e h a n d s o f D r J a n S a r g e a n t . I ’ m s u r e I c a n s p e a k f o r b o t h o f u s i n e x p r e s s i n g o u r t h a n k s

t o C P H A Z m e m b e r s a n d c o l l a b o r a t o r s , a n d o u r e n t h u s i a s m f o r t h e w o r k t h a t w i l l u n f o l d i n

t h e u p c o m i n g y e a r.

J S c o t t We e s e DV M DV S c D i p AC V I M

( e x ) I n t e r i m D i r e c t o r, C P H A Z

VisionThrough our engagement in research, education, and

knowledge dissemination, members of CPHAZ will

identify and solve problems and implement solutions

in public health at the human-animal-environmental

interface, contribute to rapid response to new and

emerging zoonotic diseases, and highlight the

societal relevance of veterinary medicine in public

health. CPHAZ will create and support productive and

effective working relationships between researchers

in diverse fields, advance education related to

zoonoses and public health and will forge new

relationships with human public health activities.

To the left: Simone Holligan accepting the graduate student award for best oral presentation from acting director Dr. Scott Weese at the CPHAZ Symposium.cPHaZ PuBlic HealtH symPosium

In May, close to 180 attendees came together to spend a full day listening to presentations and looking at posters on zoonotic disease and public health research for the CPHAZ Symposium. There were 28 research posters and 20 speakers, with an additional 10 students taking part in the interactive sessions. The keynote speakers included Dr. Gerry Wright, the Director of Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University, discussing his work on aspects of antibiotic resistance and Dr. Allison McGeer, Director of Infection Control at Mount Sinai Hospital presenting her work with the World Health Organization on Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The graduate student award for best oral presentation in the interactive sessions went to Simone Holligan, a PhD candidate in the department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition.

54 Centre for PubliC HealtH and Zoonoses

Student Members

ReseaRch by CPHAZ members encompasses a number of key thematic areas in animal-related aspects of public health. Extensive collaborations across

disciplines, and with numerous animal health and public health organizations, allow our members to address complex topics and to disseminate results to a broad range of stakeholders. In 2015, CPHAZ members published over 75 journal articles on zoonotic disease and public health related research. Here is just some of the research our members and collaborators were involved in this year:

Pathobiology professor Patricia Turner is leading a research team committed to developing a user friendly set of biosecurity recommendations for the growing Ontario commercial rabbit industry. The team consists of Scott Weese, Patrick Boerlin, Scott McEwen, Marina Brash (AHL), and Richard Reid-Smith (PHAC). Researchers will evaluate the prevalence of common and emerging bacterial and viral enteric pathogens, as well as levels of antimicrobial resistance in Ontario commercial rabbits. The results of these studies will strengthen the industry’s understanding of infection risks and aid in disease prevention and control.

Jan Sargeant and colleagues Annette O’Connor (Iowa State) and Julie Glanville (York Health Economics Consortium, UK) have created a website for their work on systematic reviews for animals and food. The website includes links to publications on systematic reviews and on methods of systematic review and meta-analysis. The website will be a useful resource for individuals conducting synthesis research in animal health, animal welfare, or food safety. Check out the new website at: www.syreaf.org.

This year, Pathobiology assistant professor Nicole Nemeth completed a pilot study examining retrospective data from both the Animal Health Laboratory (UoG) and the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative to assess the potential utility of various companion and wild animals in surveillance for Blastomyces dermatitidis in Ontario. This fungus causes blastomycosis, a potentially fatal disease in humans and other mammals, with transmission generally via an environmental reservoir (e.g., soil).

Population Medicine associate professor Olaf Berke re-analyzed the work done by John Graunt in his 1662 book Natural and Political Observations Made upon the Bills of Mortality where Graunt made a comparison of plague mortality at parish level. The data were re-analyzed using modern spatial epidemiological methods. Comparisons were based on the proportional mortality ratio (PMR). Choropleth mapping was used to visualize the spatial distribution of the PMR. The spatial scan test detected a high-risk cluster. Population density and poverty were identified as risk factors.

Pathobiology PhD candidate, Katie Clow’s (Advisor: Claire Jardine) research focuses on understanding the influence of abiotic and biotic factors on the distribution and spread of the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and the risk of Lyme disease in Ontario. Active tick surveillance and ecological data collection occurred over the spring, summer and fall months of 2014 and 2015 across southern, central and eastern Ontario. Statistical modelling will be conducted to determine which ecological factors may play a role in the establishment of blacklegged tick populations. Advanced spatial analyses will be used to gain insight into the pattern of, and underlying process(es) for, disease spread.

Catherine Carstairs (Department of History) published an article `Debating water fluoridation before Dr. Strangelove` in the American Journal of Public Health that reviews the early concerns about toxicity of fluoride and the methods of approval and endorsement of water fluoridation in the 1950s. Her conclusion was that the sense of optimism that infused postwar science and the desire of dentists to have an aid in reducing tooth decay affected the scientific debate. Catherine also co-authored a book titled A Passion for Prevention: Morality, Citizenship and Public Health, which is now in submission at UBC Press.

Graduate Students

Master of Public Health

Biomedical Sciences

Pathobiology

Population Medicine

Emma Louth Kayla Perkel Wes Rose

James AckfordMaggie AinslieMonica BaqueroKatie Clow

Marcio CostaLi DengRebecca EganRebecca Flancman

Bryan GriffinChristine JamesGabriella MalliaAriel Porty

Jamie RothenburgerShirene SinghMackenzie SlifierzJacob van Vloten

Lauraine Wagter-LesperanceTrisha WestersDarrick Yu

Andreia ArrudaGenet Asmelash MedhanieDaniella BarronEmilie BelageAdam BeswickColleen BestKate Bishop Williams

Adele CartyBimal ChhetriApril Clyburne-SherinChelsea CourseLindsay DayWarren DoddJuliana Ferreira

Elena GalatsisJilianne HofferNatasha JankeDanielle JulienHind Kasab-BachiAileigh KayLuz Maria KisielNanette Lai

Amanda PerriMelissa MacKinnonEllen McDonaldKatherine PaphitisSarah ParkerKaitlin PattersonMai PhamWendy Pons

Steven RamkissoonJessica ReimannTara RobertsTanya RossiManpreet SainiKelsey SpenceAlexandra SwirskiSarah Syer

Andrea ThomasMythri ViswanathanKrysia WalczakLauren WallarLaura WeberCynthia WeijsTanya WilsonCarlee Wright

Angelina BosmanMichelle ThompsonSamantha BruzzeseMeagan Chin-YeeTricia CorrinMelissa Cummings

Michael DedominicisJessica DeMarsSophiya GarasiaStephanie KadykaloApril KindratSteven Lam

Joanne LinDaleen LoestCatherine MacNaughtonSarah MahatoMaggie McCannCristiane Mesquita

Casey PanningRochelle ParcellsCourtney PrimeauChelsea PylesAarabhi RajendiranVaneet Rakhra

Danielle ReimerChristina RendaAlison RothwellTara SadeghiehShawn SharifzadehJacquelyn Shaw

Olivia SpohnVictoria TreisterMonika Van TiggelenNatalie Ward

EcoHEaltH community of intErEst at u of GThis year the EHCoI saw excellent growth in reach, membership, attendance, and funding. The EHCoI elected an executive committee in 2015 and we’d like to publicly welcome Kate Patterson (VP), Stephanie Masina (Secretary), and Anna Manore (Social Media Coordinator). In January, the EHCoI hosted its biggest event ever, a 2-part Infographics Training and Symposium event. The event secured funding from the University of Guelph and CPHAZ to host over 150 students between the two events. Students were trained in design and development of effective Infographics and given a chance to share their work a few weeks later at the symposium. The EHCoI also hosted its first ever field trip in the summer. The group went to Riverbound Farms in Elora, where we talked about the health and benefits of eating local food, caring for animals, and being an informed consumer. Students had the opportunity to hold turkeys, chickens, and ducks, and to watch the pheasants and the peacocks.The EHCoI also expanded its other programming this year, reaching hundreds of students. We hosted a movie screening and a Lunch and Learn talk in each semester and participated in College Royal (reaching approximately 200 community members). Finally, the EHCoI launched a new website in 2015. This website shares event postings, resources, contact information, and a view of our live Twitter feed! The website can be found at www.guelphehcoi.wordpress.com. CheCk it out!Interested in joining the EHCoI at the University of Guelph? Email Kate Bishop-Williams, President of the EHCoI at ehc@uoguelph.ca or Tweet us at #EHCoIGuelph.

Above: Field team members Elizabeth Hartnett (left) and Jocelyn Pitcher (right) dressed in personal protective gear with their tick dragging equipment. Photo courtesy of K. Clow

Above: Infographics Training and Symposium event. Photo courtesy of K. Bishop-Williams and the EHCoI.

76 Centre for PubliC HealtH and Zoonoses

Iodine is an essential human nutrient with a narrow margin of safety. Dairy products provide people with over 50% of their dietary iodine in Canada; thus, the content of iodine in milk is closely monitored. Reports from well water studies conducted by the Ontario Geological Survey have identified regions in Ontario with high iodide levels, and these are the same regions that have been identified as high risk for elevated milk iodine. The objective of the current research activities of David Kelton (Department of Population Medicine) is to investigate the relationships between water iodide and milk iodine using a retrospective spatial analysis and a prospective case-control study. If iodide in water is found to be a major contributor to milk iodine, methods to reduce water iodide on dairy farms will be proposed. This research is funded by Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

Dairy Farmers of Canada has mandated producer participation in the national Canadian Quality Milk (CQM) program to reduce dairy food safety risks and hazards. Prior to their first CQM validation, producers were able to receive up to 3 hours of training about the requirements of the CQM program from qualified CQM trainers. David Kelton, along with Mary Watters, Jason Coe, Kerry Lissemore, and collaborators assessed the impact of participation in producer training programs on approval at the first CQM validation visit. Information on the level of training Ontario producers received and the outcome of the first validation for CQM was obtained from the Dairy Farmers of Ontario. Increased intensity of training was associated with increased recommendation for approval at first CQM visit with participation in both the on-farm and classroom training sessions providing the greatest odds of success. These findings provide evidence that the training programs offered to producers prior to their first CQM audit were effective in preparing producers to pass the CQM audit at their first attempt.

Pathobiology assistant professor Nicole Nemeth initiated sample collection from small wild mammal species (e.g., skunks, raccoons, squirrels, and groundhogs) and ticks in Ontario for Powassan virus testing, in collaboration with the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. In addition, they plan to trap these same wildlife species in 2016 for blood collection to assess for antibodies. The goal is to better define potential reservoir hosts for this virus, which is likely under-diagnosed, but can cause fatal encephalitis in humans, dogs and horses.

The Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC’s) FoodNet Canada (www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/foodnetcanada) continues to contribute to important source attribution work in Canada and beyond. In November, Dr. Frank Pollari showcased this work by presenting, ‘Source Attribution of Campylobacter jejuni Infections in Ontario, Canada Sentinel Site Using Integrated Surveillance, Comparative Genomic Fingerprinting and Comparative Exposure Assessment’, at the 8th International workshop on Campylobacter, Helicobacter and related organisms in Rotorua, New Zealand.

For the first time, Canada has established pathogen-specific estimates of domestically acquired foodborne illness-related hospitalizations and deaths in Dr. Kate Thomas et. al’s publication, “Estimates of Foodborne Illness-Related

Hospitalizations and Deaths in Canada for 30 Specified Pathogens and Unspecified Agents” in the journal Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, October 2015. In an effort to inform the broader question of “who gets sick from what” in Canada, an expert elicitation study was completed with support from the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses. Two articles from this work were published in Foodborne Pathogens and Disease in April 2015, ‘Expert elicitation as a means to attribute 28 enteric pathogens to foodborne, waterborne, animal contact and person-to-person transmission routes’ and ‘A systematic review of expert elicitation methods as a tool for source attribution of enteric illness’. Links to the articles can be found at: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/foodnetcanada/jp-pj-eng.php#a2015.

Nicole Nemeth and students in her lab are currently performing a health assessment of wild turkeys, which involves testing for a variety of pathogens in hunter-harvested wild turkeys from Ontario. The team, in collaboration with with the Public Health Agency of Canada, is conducting bacteriology to detect Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli. Positive Salmonella and E. coli samples will undergo assessment for antimicrobial resistance. In addition, samples from these wild turkeys were part of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative’s ongoing avian influenza virus surveillance program.

MSc student Rebecca Flancman (Advisor: Scott Weese) is characterizing the effects of a dental cleaning on the plaque and oral microbiota of companion animals to better understand their relationships to health and disease. Results from her canine study suggest a diverse but stable microbiota, with some potential zoonotic implications.

At the beginning of the year, Steven Lam (MPH ’15) spent a few months in Vietnam to explore health risks of human and animal waste management. This project was funded by the Mitacs Globalink Research Award and results are published in the International Journal for Environmental Research and Public Health (October, 2015). Steven was also the first MPH student to be awarded one of the OVC research awards, the Barbara Kell Gonsalves Memorial Scholarship.

To determine the degree of contamination and burden of disease associated with contaminated well water, Jilianne Hoffer (Advisor: Olaf Berke) conducted a spatial analysis on bacterial test results derived from 24,540 voluntarily submitted private well water samples in Oxford County. Additionally, a space-time analysis was conducted to determine if contamination levels changed over time and across postal code areas. Finally, time-series analysis was conducted to assess the impact of current educational and promotional campaigns, on the compliance to current sampling recommendations. Through the identification and analysis of spatial and temporal trends, specific geographic locations have been identified as in need of particular attention when initiating public health interventions and educational programs.

The current geographical range expansion of Ixodes scapularis and Borrelia burgdorferi has created significant public health concern in Ontario. Limited information exists on the species of ticks and risk factors for tick bites in Ontario pets. Christine James (Advisors: Claire Jardine and David Pearl) enrolled 20 veterinary clinics to collect ticks and detailed questionnaires regarding pets with ticks. Using statistical models, her study aims to describe the species of ticks attaching to pets, determine the prevalence of Lyme exposure in pets, and establish risk factors for tick attachment in pet dogs. This study will provide veterinarians with information to make evidence based decisions regarding ticks and Lyme disease in Ontario.

Member Research Member Research

Above: Dr. Frank Pollari Photo credit: Food Forum for Industry and Government in Southwestern Ontario (FFIGS). Photo courtesy of Barbara Marshall, PHAC.

Above: Dave Kelton and graduate students walk through the University cow barns

www.oVc.uoGuElpH.ca/cpHazVisit the CPHAZ website to find useful resources such as factsheets on zoonotic diseases of wildlife, food safety in ethnic foods, as well links to written guidelines on infection prevention and control strategies.

While visiting the CPHAZ website you will also find more information about upcoming CPHAZ events, public health related publication listings and a link to the Worms and Germs Blog, which is not only a place to find further information on timely zoonotic disease issues, but also an incredible resource for zoonotic disease information for kids, adult pet owners, veterinarians and physicians (direct link: www.wormsandgermsblog.com)

Above: A DVM student shows the close contact we have with our pets and why it is important to be educated on zoonotic diseases and public health

Above: MPH student Steven Lam is observing agricultural practices in Vietnam during his practicum placement. Courtesy of S. Lam

98 Centre for PubliC HealtH and Zoonoses

Ecohealth Focus Ecohealth FocusDr. Sherilee Harper is the head of an EcoHealth lab at the University of Guelph focusing on ecohealth research with indigenous communities. Her team includes 12 graduate and undergraduate students. Some of their research projects are described below:

Kate Bishop-Williams is a PhD student in the Harper EcoHealth Lab (Co-Advisors: Sherilee Harper and Jan Sargeant). Her thesis topic is focused on the impacts of climate change on acute respiratory illness among Indigenous peoples in Southwestern Uganda. Kate spent two months in Uganda for research in early 2015 and is looking forward to returning in 2016. Kate is excited to conduct community-based projects and regularly share the results with stakeholders.

Kaitlin Patterson is a new PhD student in the Department of Population Medicine (Advisor: Sherilee Harper). Kaitlin has been working on several manuscripts looking at the relationship between climate change and food security and malnutrition in Uganda, the Arctic, and Peru. This year Kaitlin is looking forward to expanding this work to examine the impacts of food security and climate change on maternal health outcomes among Indigenous populations.

Laura Jane Weber is a first-year PhD student in the Department of Population Medicine (Co-advisors: Drs. Sherilee Harper and Cate Dewey). Her research will explore the centrality of place to Inuit conceptions of well-being, and the association between this connection to the land and the way Inuit engage with health systems.

Alexandra Sawatzky is a PhD Student in the Dept. of Population Medicine, advised by Drs. Sherilee Harper and Ashlee Cunsolo Willox (Cape Breton University). Alexandra’s doctoral project involves the participatory development of a comprehensive environment-health surveillance system with Inuit community partners in Nunatsiavut, Labrador. This year, Alexandra visited Rigolet to connect with community members and lay the foundation for subsequent phases of the project, which ultimately will aim to enhance wellbeing and facilitate adaptation to environmental change in innovative, culturally-safe, and community-centered ways.

Sarah Syer is an MSc student (Co-Advisors: Sherilee Harper and Jan Sargeant) in the Department of Population Medicine. Sarah analyzed paediatric hospital record data from Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH) in Uganda. Hospital records were analyzed to develop a better overall understanding of clinically diagnosed undernutrition in Kanungu District, Uganda. Her project involved estimating the prevalence of clinically diagnosed undernutrition, comparing weight-for-age trends within the paediatric ward to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, and describing BCH’s treatment and management practices for children diagnosed with undernutrition. Sarah was awarded the Ontario Graduate Scholarship in April 2015.

Anna Manore is an MSc student in the Harper EcoHealth Lab. Her thesis work focuses on characterizing pathogens in retail and traditional foods in Iqaluit, Nunavut. She hopes that the results of her work will inform sustainable public health interventions in Northern communities. This year she presented her proposed work at the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting in Vancouver.

Carlee Wright is a second year Masters student in epidemiology, working with Sherilee Harper. Her research focuses on drinking water in the Inuit community of Rigolet in Labrador; specifically, she is looking at water contamination in relation

to acute gastrointestinal illness, and how drinking water consumption patterns have changed over time. This year, Carlee presented her preliminary results at the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting in Vancouver, and won second place in the student poster competition.

Manpreet Saini is an MSc student in the Department of Population Medicine. In July 2015, Manpreet travelled to Rigolet to meet and begin working with community members and stakeholders on her research project. As one component of her work, Manpreet looked at the use of knowledge transfer and exchange approaches between communities and researchers. Manpreet began the co-development of a whiteboard animation video in order to share public health information on acute gastrointestinal illness. The video is under development and will be ready in Spring 2016. Manpreet presented her preliminary results at the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting in Vancouver, and won third place in the student poster competition.

Stephanie Masina is a MSc student in Population Medicine. Her undergraduate thesis project investigated gastrointestinal illness (GI) in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut with Dr. Sherilee Harper, PhD student Kate Bishop-Williams, Rigolet Inuit Community Government, and the Nunatsiavut Government. This project explored the possible misclassification of acute GI in Rigolet and how this may be influenced by chronic GI symptoms and healthcare utilization in this remote Indigenous community.

Vivienne Steele is a first year MSc Epidemiology student in the Department of Population Medicine. This year, Vivienne spent 6 months in Bwindi, southwestern Uganda as part of the Indigenous Health Adaptation to Climate Change (IHACC) project to collect data for research focusing on access to maternal health care in the region. Her research aims to address challenges in accessing antenatal care for local Indigenous women in the Bwindi area.

Nia King is in the Bachelors of Science, Honours Major Bio-Medical Science program. Nia conducted data collection in Rigolet in July 2015 with a focus on cost-of-illness characterization. For her undergraduate thesis project, she will describe, characterize, and rank the major indirect costs associated with acute gastrointestinal illness in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut in order to inform the development of a context-specific cost-of-illness model.

Sabrina Beauchamp is a 4th year undergraduate student conducting research on investigating how newspapers portray the impact of climate change on health. Sabrina completed her newspaper literature review in the summer of 2015, and is currently developing a framework that could be used for blog analysis. The proposed blog framework will be applied to blogs about climate change impacts on health in the upcoming year.

Above: Carlee Wright was awarded 2nd in the poster competition at 2015 ArcticNet Conference. Photo courtesy of C. Wright..

Above: Ice sculpure welcoming guests to the annual ArcticNet Scientific Meeting. MSc students Carlee Wright and Manpreet Saini both attended and won poster prizes. Photo courtesy of C. Wright.

Above: L-R; Landscape of Rigolet, Labrador (photo provided by I. Shiwak); Undergraduate student Rebecca Wolff in Lima, Peru (photo provided by R. Wolff); Group photo for working group at Indigenous Health Adaptation to Climate Change meeting (photo provided by Jan Sargeant); CPHAZ faculty member Sherilee Harper, PhD candidate Kate Bishop-Williams, and MSc student Vivienne Steele in Uganda (photo provided by K. Bishop-Williams.

1110 Centre for PubliC HealtH and Zoonoses

Prior to 2012, Ontario was considered free of the parasite, Echinococcus multilocularis. However, since that time, infections have been diagnosed in 4 dogs and 2 non-human primates in southern Ontario. Echinococcus multilocularis is a small, zoonotic, tapeworm with a high case fatality rate in people when untreated. Because the source of the canine and non-human primate infections is currently unclear, the goal of a project initiated by professor Andrew Peregrine is to determine the prevalence of E. multilocularis in coyotes and foxes across southern Ontario as these species are considered the most likely definitive hosts in this region. The project will also identify risk factors associated with infection and high risk areas of E. multilocularis infection in coyotes and foxes. Collaborators include Jonathon Kotwa (MSc student), Andrew Peregrine and Claire Jardine (Dept. of Pathobiology), David Pearl and Olaf Berke (Dept. of Population Medicine), Nicola Mercer (Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health), and Mats Isaksson and Eva Osterman-Lind (National Veterinary Institute, Sweden).

PhD candidate Andrea Thomas-Bachli’s (Advisor: David Pearl) research focused on evaluating the surveillance of West Nile virus in Ontario. In particular, she investigated the speed of West Nile detection using different surveillance programs (mosquito trapping and dead bird collection) and compared these with human case data. The purpose was to determine which surveillance programs detected West Nile quickly, prior to the onset of human cases, particularly when West Nile first appeared in the province (2002-2008). Currently, Andrea is exploring how sightings of dead birds (phoned in by the public) may or may not be indicative of areas of risk for human cases and how the timing of phone call spikes may correlate with increased human perception of risk. In the future, she will perform an economic analysis of the various surveillance program options to elucidate the cost/benefit of the different surveillance systems for detecting West Nile quickly in order to mitigate human health consequences.

Kristin Bondo (Advisor: Claire Jardine) recently completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Pathobiology on the role of raccoons in the maintenance and dissemination of Salmonella and antimicrobial resistant enteric bacteria. Kristin investigated the demographic and environmental factors associated with the carriage of Salmonella and resistant bacteria (i.e., generic E. coli) in the feces and on the paws of wild-caught raccoons and their environment on swine farms and conservation areas in southern Ontario. The data obtained will add to the knowledge of the pathways for the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in rural environments which will contribute to the development of effective control strategies for the reduction of antimicrobial resistance in the food chain in Ontario.

Dan Gillis and MSc students in the School of Computer Science are researching new methods of collecting data for public health research. This includes the use of gamification to improve survey design, and the use of participatory methods. Currently Corey Alexander (MSc) is investigating the use of self and social feedback to improve survey response rates; data collected will be compared to the most recent Food Book findings released recently by the Public Health Agency of Canada. Oliver Cook (MSc) is working with the community of Rigolet to develop tools for monitoring health and the environment (a project with Dr. Sherilee Harper and Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo-Willox). This year, Dan was awarded the UGFA Distinguished Professor Award for Excellence in Teaching for the College of Physical and Engineering Sciences.

Member Research CPHAZ Research Labs

The Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses Research Laboratories provides a place where zoonotic disease researchers with diverse disciplinary backgrounds can work together. We welcome CPHAZ members and collaborators to use this shared resource, offering services such as bacteriology, cell culture, PCR and more with high throughput equipment such as the Roche LC480 and ARIS 2X Sensititre. For more details on the labs, biobank, or to see a fee schedule, please visit our website: www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/cphaz/research-laboratories. Here is some of the research being conducted in the CPHAZ labs:

Changyun Xi (Advisor: Keith Warriner) monitored the fate of Clostridium difficile during anaerobic sewage digestion and during application of generated biosolids when applied to land or subjected to windrow composting. C. difficile spores survived anaerobic digestion but could be inactivated if a thermophilic digestion phase was included in the treatment regime. Land application did not decrease levels of C. difficile spores and evidence of pathogen growth was obtained under conditions of high moisture and temperature. In contrast, composting of biosolids decreased levels of C. difficile significantly with the majority of reduction in the curing phase of the process. The outcomes of the project were that C. difficile is highly prevalent in biosolids and mitigation strategies such as thermophilic digestion or composting should be considered to reduce environmental burden of the pathogen.

MSc student Jennifer Kylie (Advisor: Patricia Turner) is studying the fecal microbiomes of different rabbit populations, at the CPHAZ research lab. She is hoping to learn how antibiotics alter the gut flora of the rabbit and possibly predispose them to infection. This will aid the commercial rabbit industry in evaluating their infection control and treatment methods.

Post Doctoral Fellow Helena Grgic (Advisor: Robert Friendship) and co-author Zvonimir Poljak characterized H1N1 and H1N2 influenza A virus isolates detected during the 2012 outbreaks of respiratory disease in pig herds in Ontario. In five H1N1 isolates, all eight segments were genetically related to the 2009 pandemic virus, while one H1N2 isolate had segments resembling the 2009 pandemic virus and others originating from a triple-reassortant H3N2 virus. Varying changes in antigenic sites were discovered on the H1N1 isolates. This could have an effect on antibody recognition and ultimately have implications for immunization practices.

Sand bedding is becoming more popular in dairy barns, due to increased cow comfort and reduced bacterial loads. A major issue is the cost of removal of used sand and waste. A sand recycling system has been developed to reduce these costs. MSc student Wesley Wilson (Advisor: Keith Warriner) is analyzing the efficacy of sand recycling in reducing bacterial populations related to food safety for milk and cow health. In addition, a Bacillus probiotic will be assessed for its ability to reduce the same bacteria species present in dairy barn bedding. These findings could improve the use of sand bedding in dairy production, reducing costs for dairy farmers while improving health and longevity of the cows, and reduce the frequency of human-health incidents related to dairy barn bacteria.

Evan Crawford, a DVSc in Small Animal Surgery (co-advisors: Ameet Singh and Scott Weese), studied methicillin resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius biofilm formation on a variety of surfaces such as orthopedic implants, suture and other clinically relevant materials.

Above: Resected hepatic mass from an adult shi tzu/bichon frisé cross dog with alveolar echinococcosis. Bar = 5 cm (original source: Peregrine, 2015)

Above: PhD candidate Kristin Bondo holds a raccoon in the field.Photo courtesy of K. Bondo

1312 Centre for PubliC HealtH and Zoonoses

Faculty Members Faculty Members

paula BarataPsychology

Public Health Policy

paula menziesPopulation MedicineZoonoses: Livestock

& Surveillance, Antimicrobial Resistance

David calvertComputing & Info Science

Surveillance & Disease Outbreak

Davor ojkicAnimal Health Lab

Zoonoses: Surveillance and Disease Outbreak

Jeff farberFood ScienceFood Safety

shayan sharifPathobiologyFood Safety

sherilee HarperPopulation Medicine

Environmental Health; Water & Food Safety

Kerry lissemorePopulation MedicineZoonoses: Livestock

patrick BoerlinPathobiologyFood Safety,

Antimicrobial Resistance

andrew papadopoulosPopulation MedicinePublic Health Policy

robert friendshipPopulation Medicine

Antimicrobial Resistance, Zoonoses:

Livestock

Bonnie mallardPathobiology

Comparative Medicine

olaf BerkePopulation MedicineSynthesis Research, Zoonoses: Wildlife

& Companion

lucy m muthariaMolecular and Cellular

BiologyFood Safety

catherine carstairsHistory

Food Safety, Environment, Public Health Policy

Jane parmleyCanadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre

Zoonoses: Surveillance and Disease Outbreak

Durda slavicAnimal Health Lab

Zoonoses

candace JohnsonPolitical Sciences

Public Health Policy

Grant maxieAnimal Health Lab

Zoonoses

theresa BernardoPopulation Medicine

Public Health

Eva nagyPathobiology

Jason coePopulation Medicine

David pearlPopulation Medicine

Antimicrobial Resistance, Zoonoses

Dale smithPathobiology

Zoonoses: Wildlife

andria JonesPopulation MedicineZoonoses: Wildlife,

Companion & Sporting

Brian mcBrideAnimal & Poultry Science

Food Safety, Environment

Herman BoermansBiomedical ScienceFood Safety, Risk

Assessment

nicole nemethPathobiology

Zoonoses: Wildlife

Valerie DavidsonEngineering

Food Safety, Risk Assessment

John prescottPathobiology

Antimicrobial Resistance, Zoonoses

michele GuerinPopulation Medicine

Food Safety

amy GreerPopulation Medicine

Food Safety

Henry StaempfliClinical Studies

Zoonoses: Livestock, Companion and Sporting

azad K KaushikMolecular and Cellular

Biology

Beverly mcEwenAnimal Health Lab

Antimicrobial Resistance, Zoonoses:

Surveillance

Hugh caiAnimal Health Lab

Food Safety, Zoonoses: Livestock

lee nielPopulation MedicineCompanion Animal

Jim fairlesAnimal Health Lab

Zoonoses

Jan sargeantPopulation Medicine

Water & Food Safety, Synthesis Research

marc HabashEnvironmental Biology

Water Safety, Environmental,

Antimicrobial Resistance

patricia turnerPathobiologyFood Safety

David KeltonPopulation Medicine

Water Safety, Environment,

Zoonoses: Livestock

scott mcEwenPopulation Medicine

Water & Food Safety, Synthesis Research,

Antimicrobial Resistance

Daniel GillisCompuer Science

Public Health Policy

John r BartaPathobiology

Zoonoses: Livestock & Wildlife

robert m JacobsPathobiology

Comparative Medicine

patricia shewenPathobiology

Zoonoses: Livestock

Ken lesliePopulation Medicine

Water & Food Safety, Zoonoses: Livestock

Gordon HaywardEngineering

Zoonoses: Wildlife & Surveillance

ian K BarkerPathobiology

Risk Assessment, Zoonoses: Wildlife

& Surveillance

David waltner-toewsPopulation Medicine

Water & Food Safety, Environment, Zoonoses

Keith warrinerFood ScienceFood Safety

Janet woodMolecular and Cellular

BiologyWater & Food Safety

ashley whitemanCentre for Public Health

and ZoonosesProgram Manager

retireD cPHaZ memBersPost Doctoral Fellows

Maria del Rocio AmezcuaPrithy R. BabuAndres DiazHelena Grgic

Hakimeh Mohamammadi Kathleen ThompsonLee Wisener

sarah woottonPathobiology

Doug campbellCanadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre

Zoonoses: Wildlife

1514 Centre for PubliC HealtH and Zoonoses

cPHaZ steering committeeOur steering committee members represent a range of interests and expertise in animal-related aspects of public health. Their participation and dedication to CPHAZ is fundamental to our success as part of the public health community.

andrew Peregrine is an associate professor of parasitology in the Department of Pathobiology. His research interests include the epidemiology of parasitic infections and development of parasite control programs to reduce drug resistance.

sCott weese is a professor in the Department of Pathobiology. His research focuses on multi-drug resistant bacteria (particularly MRSA), bacterial gastrointestinal disease, and transmission of infectious agents between animals and humans.

Cate dewey is a professor of epidemiology and the Chair of the Department of Population Medicine. Her research interests are in the areas of human and swine diseases using ecosystem approaches to health.

Claire Jardine is an assistant professor in the Department of Pathobiology. Her research interests include rodent and vector borne zoonotic diseases, the ecology of zoonotic diseases in wild animal populations and wildlife health.

Zvonimir PolJak is an assistant professor in the Department of Population Medicine. His research focuses include examining the spread of infectious diseases in swine using a variety of quantitative methods.

ameet singH is an associate professor in the Department of Clinical Studies. His research focuses on bacterial biofilms, non-invasive surgery, and surgical site infections.

Steering CommitteeNew Initiatives

Above: Image from the Student Life Awards Banquet (left to right): Dr. Daniel Gillis (co-founder), Corey Alexander (developer, MSc Student), Oliver Cook (developer, MSc Student), Lisa Needham (Public Health Nutritionist), Lee-Jay Cluskey-Belanger (developer), Kate Vsetula (Community Health Manager), Danny Williamson (co-founder). Courtesy of D. Gillis.

a Focus on Former cPHaZ stuDent memBers: wHere are tHey now?

Since 2014, Devon Metcalf has been working at Guelph General Hospital as an Infection Prevention and Control Professional. Her role includes surveillance and investigation of hospital-associated infections, outbreak investigations, policy development and education/training of staff. Devon is also currently serving as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Pathobiology and continues to collaborate with Dr. Scott Weese on research projects involving C. difficile infections in humans.

Zee Leung is the Program Officer for the Food, Environment and Health program at IDRC. In this role, he manages research on healthy populations, sustainable food systems and the prevention of infectious and non-communicable diseases in the Global South. His responsibilities run the gamut from research project management and local engagement with communities, researchers and policy-makers, to broader activities such as capacity building, communications, policy analysis and evaluation work. Zee graduated from the DVM and Masters of Public Health program at OVC, and in 2014 returned to be the keynote speaker at the annual MPH forum.

Jason Stull graduated his PhD in Pathoiology and since 2013, has been an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University, School of Veterinary Medicine. Jason teaches courses in the DVM and MPH programs on epidemiology, public health, One Health, and infection control, serving as the lead course instructor for their zoonotic disease and biosecurity courses. He is currently working on a number of research projects related to human-animal interactions and resulting infectious diseases in unique environments such as livestock farms and human nursing homes.

Above: A large working group assembled to give input on the STROBE, veterinary extension statement. Toronto, ON

IDRC employee and former CPHAZ student member Zee Leung

GGH employee and former CPHAZ student member Devon Metcalf

A new group was established at the Ontario Veterinary College in 2015 that focuses on wellness and resilience in veterinary and agricultural populations. The Advancing Wellness And Resilience in Research and Education (AWAR2E) Group consists of Drs. Andria Jones-Bitton, Colleen Best, and Deep Khosa (Department of Population Medicine), Joanne Hewson (Department of Clinical Studies), and Peter Conlon (OVC Dean’s Office).

The AWAR2E Group has been very active in its first year. In summer 2015, they conducted a survey of veterinarian wellness in Ontario, co-hosted with the Ontario Livestock and Poultry Research Council a pilot offering of Mental Health First Aid training to veterinarians and agricultural support workers, and in Fall 2015, began a national survey of stress and resilience in agricultural producers. The AWAR2E Group is also developing additional wellness initiatives for the DVM curriculum, and has submitted several grants for additional research activities. Please contact any member of the AWAR2E Group for more information.

Farm To Fork - This project is currently fundraising (and has secured over $10000) to support student innovation in the fight against food insecurity (http://uofg.convio.net/site/TR?fr_id=1953&pg=entry). This includes updates to the Farm-To-Fork.ca website so that other communities can begin using it. They are finalizing a mobile app so that food donors will have access to the real-time needs of the emergency food providers whenever they enter a grocery store or market. Students have been working to develop tools for the Guelph Community Health Centre’s Garden Fresh Box program, and Meal Exchange’s Trick Or Eat campaign. The Farm To Fork development team were awarded the University of Guelph Student Life’s Be The Change Award, and the Guelph Mercury’s 40 Under 40 Award. Community partners also received the U of G Student Life’s Emilie Hayes Community Partner Award.

Several guidelines and protocols were developed recently with CPHAZ members as leaders or collaborators. Here is a sample of some, including publication information:

É ACVIM consensus statement on therapeutic antimicrobial use in animals and antimicrobial resistance (Scott Weese et al., Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Vol. 29, Iss. 2, March/April 2015)

É Animals in health care facilities: recommendations to minimize potential risks. (Scott Weese et al., Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, Vol. 36, Iss. 5, May 2015)

É Guidelines for the diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy of canine superficial bacterial folliculitis (Antimicrobial Guidelines Working Group of the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases)(Scott Weese et al., Veterinary Dermatology, Vol. 25, Iss. 3, June 2014)

É Antimicrobial stewardship in small animal veterinary practice: from theory to practice. (John Prescott et al., Veterinary Clinis of North America: Small Animal Practice, Vol. 45, Iss. 2, March 2015)

É Antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli F4, Pasteurella multocida, and Streptococcus suis isolates from a diagnostic veterinary laboratory and recommendations for a surveillance system. (Jim Fairles, David Pearl et al., The Canadian Veterinary Journal, Vol. 55, Iss. 4, 2014)

É Reporting Guidelines for Observational Studies, Veterinary Extension (STROBE) (Jan Sargeant, David Pearl et al., Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Vol. 113, Iss. 3, February 2014)

OSU Faculty and former CPHAZ student member, Jason Stull

centRe foR public heAlth And ZoonosesontARio veteRinARy college

univeRsity of guelphguelph, ontARio

n1g 2w1

cphAZ@uoguelph.cA

foR moRe infoRmAtion visit us At www.ovc.uoguelph.cA/cphAZ