A 10-page questionnaire on biosecurity practices was mailed to 187 growers on the Delmarva Penins... more A 10-page questionnaire on biosecurity practices was mailed to 187 growers on the Delmarva Peninsula in October 2000. The growers were selected by three broiler integrators on the basis of flock performance and were classified as cases (bottom 10% performers) and controls (top 10% performers). After two mailings, 71 growers (38%) responded to the survey, of which 47 (66.2%) represented good performers and 24 (33.8%) represented poor performers. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses revealed that increased frequency of sanitizing water lines was statistically significantly associated with good flock performance (P ϭ 0.0449). The presence of wild birds inside poultry houses during grow-out showed a slightly statistically significant association with poor flock performance (P ϭ 0.0633).
Background: Wild birds using livestock facilities for food and shelter may contribute to dissemin... more Background: Wild birds using livestock facilities for food and shelter may contribute to dissemination of enteric pathogens or antimicrobial resistant bacteria. However, drivers of microbial exchange among wildlife and livestock are not well characterized. Predisposition for acquiring and retaining environmental bacteria may vary among species because of physiologic or behavioral differences, complicating selection of a bacterial model that can accurately characterize microbial connections among hosts of interest. This study compares the prevalence and antibiotic resistance phenotypes of two potential model bacterial organisms isolated from wild birds and their environments. Methods: We compared prevalence and resistance profiles of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus species isolated from environmental swabs and bird feces on a residential control site, a confinement dairy, a pasture-based beef farm, and a confinement beef farm. Results: Bird feces at all sites had low-to-moderate prevalence of Escherichia coli (range: 17-47%), despite potential for exposure on farms (range: 63-97%). Few Escherichia coli were isolated from the control environment. Enterococcus faecalis was dominant in birds at both beef farms (62% and 81% of Enterococcus isolates) and low-to-moderately prevalent at the dairy and control sites (29% and 23% of isolates, respectively). Antimicrobial resistance prevalence was higher in farm samples compared to those from the residential control, but distribution of resistant isolates varied between the bacterial genera. Birds on all farms carried resistant Enterococcus at similar rates to that of the environment, but resistance was less common in bird-associated Escherichia coli despite presence of resistant isolates in the farm environment. Discussion: Bacterial species studied may affect how readily bacterial exchange among populations is detected. Selection of microbial models must carefully consider both the questions being posed and how findings might influence resulting management decisions. How to cite this article Tormoehlen K, Johnson-Walker YJ, Lankau EW, Myint MS, Herrmann JA. 2019. Considerations for studying transmission of antimicrobial resistant enteric bacteria between wild birds and the environment on intensive dairy and beef cattle operations.
Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, Dec 1, 2009
have offered a publicpolicy course designed to meet those needs. The course was designed as a pra... more have offered a publicpolicy course designed to meet those needs. The course was designed as a practicum to teach students the policy-making process through the development of policy proposals and to instruct students on how to effectively present accurate scientific, demographic, and statistical information to policy makers and to the public. All students substantially met the learning objectives of the course. This course represents another model that can be implemented to help students learn about complex, multifactorial issues that affect the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems, while promoting participation in public health policy development.
Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Jan 13, 2009
Agroterrorism and food terrorism have been identified as important homeland security issues by of... more Agroterrorism and food terrorism have been identified as important homeland security issues by officials in the public health, government, and food industry sectors of the US Intentional contamination of food has already occurred both abroad and in North America. ...
A study was carried out to test the accuracy and consistency of veterinary pathologists, not spec... more A study was carried out to test the accuracy and consistency of veterinary pathologists, not specialists in hematopathology, in applying the World Health Organization (WHO) system of classification of canine lymphomas. This study represents an initiative of the ACVP Oncology Committee, and the classification has been endorsed by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WASVA). Tissue biopsies from cases of canine lymphoma were received from veterinary oncologists, and a study by pathologists given only signalment was carried out on 300 cases. Twenty pathologists reviewed these 300 cases with each required to choose a diagnosis from a list of 43 B and T cell lymphomas. Three of the 20 were hematopathologists who determined the consensus diagnosis for each case. The 17 who formed the test group were experienced but not specialists in hematopathology, and most were diplomates of the American or European Colleges of Veterinary Pathology. The overall accuracy of the 17 pathologists...
The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of the enteric microbes: Escherichia... more The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of the enteric microbes: Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Enterococcus spp., in plant-protein-based animal feed products and milk replacer and to identify risk factors associated with contamination by these bacteria. A cross-sectional survey of 158 plant-derived feed and milk replacer samples was conducted using eight animal feed stores in Northern Virginia and Maryland from January 2002 to September 2002. Overall, all samples were negative for Campylobacter; one sample (0.6%) was positive for Salmonella; nine samples (5.7%) were positive for E. coli and 80 samples (50.6%) were positive for Enterococcus. Positive samples included: whole maize, cracked peanut, cotton seed, mixed grain horse feed, and milk replacer. Samples collected during the month of January (winter) had a lower prevalence of contamination with enteric bacteria than samples collected in August and September (summer/autumn). Samples collected in January 2002 were negative for both E. coli and Salmonella. Samples collected in August and September 2002 included one Salmonella positive, and nine E. coli positive. Animal feed purchased during August and September had a 38-fold increase (95% CI: 15.60-95.16) in the risk of contamination by Enterococcus than those samples purchased during January and February
Chemical stability and in vitro bactericidal efficacy of 0.9% enrofloxacin-compounded solutions w... more Chemical stability and in vitro bactericidal efficacy of 0.9% enrofloxacin-compounded solutions were evaluated following storage at room temperature for 28 days. Chemical stability of enrofloxacin was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in five compounded solutions, including sterile water. Bactericidal efficacy was determined by spiral plating serial 10-fold dilutions of bacteria and solutions followed by colony counts. Tris-EDTA [TrizEDTA(®) (TE)], Tris-EDTA and 0.15% chlorhexidine [TrizChlor(®) (TC)], 2.5% lactic acid, 0.1% salicylic acid and 0.1% parachlorometaxylenol [Epi-Otic (EO)], and 0.1% free salicylic acid, 0.1% parachlorometaxylenol and 0.5% EDTA [Epi-Otic Advanced (EA)] were used. High-performance liquid chromatography was carried out with one-step liquid/liquid extraction to detect and quantify enrofloxacin stability. Mean recoveries for compounded samples run in triplicate at 28 days were 97.7% (TE), 99.9% (TC), 98.1% (EO) and 97.8% (EA). Kruskal-Wallis analysis showed no significant difference in the percentage recovery (H=0.0539, df=3, P=0.9967). American Type Culture Collection strains of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used to evaluate in vitro efficacy following 30 min incubation on days 0, 14 and 28. Consistent in vitro bactericidal efficacy of all compounded solutions, indicated by killing >2.3×10(7) colony-forming units/mL, was seen; however, bactericidal efficacy decreased for compounded TC on day 14. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was more sensitive to the ear cleaners and enrofloxacin than S. pseudintermedius. The HPLC and in vitro data suggest that 0.9% enrofloxacin compounded with sterile water, TE, EO and EA maintains chemical stability and bactericidal efficacy for 28 days.
Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 2014
The movement of people and animals within zoos and aquariums poses a risk of zoonotic disease dis... more The movement of people and animals within zoos and aquariums poses a risk of zoonotic disease dissemination within human and animal populations. Flu at the Zoo is a table-top exercise designed to provide animal exhibitors and regulatory agency personnel an opportunity to evaluate their outbreak response plans. Developed for zoos and aquariums in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, it created a realistic scenario of an avian influenza disease outbreak. A total of 82 participants attended the exercise held in June of 2012. Representatives from each of the 16 accredited zoos and aquariums in the region attended, along with representatives from the public health, agricultural animal health, wildlife, poultry industry, and emergency management sectors. Recommendations for the participants included the need for increased training opportunities for zoo and aquarium personnel on the Incident Command System and National Incident Management System. It was also recommended that communications be enhanced between zoos and aquariums and the local, state, and federal agency first responder personnel. Suggestions for improving the exercise included: providing the situation manual to players in advance of the exercise and creating discussion groups based on jurisdictional boundaries so that legal authorities and policy differences across state boundaries didn't impede the discussion.
Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 2014
The movement of people and animals within zoos and aquariums poses a risk of zoonotic disease dis... more The movement of people and animals within zoos and aquariums poses a risk of zoonotic disease dissemination within human and animal populations. Flu at the Zoo is a table-top exercise designed to provide animal exhibitors and regulatory agency personnel an opportunity to evaluate their outbreak response plans. Developed for zoos and aquariums in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, it created a realistic scenario of an avian influenza disease outbreak. A total of 82 participants attended the exercise held in June of 2012. Representatives from each of the 16 accredited zoos and aquariums in the region attended, along with representatives from the public health, agricultural animal health, wildlife, poultry industry, and emergency management sectors. Recommendations for the participants included the need for increased training opportunities for zoo and aquarium personnel on the Incident Command System and National Incident Management System. It was also recommended that communications be enhanced between zoos and aquariums and the local, state, and federal agency first responder personnel. Suggestions for improving the exercise included: providing the situation manual to players in advance of the exercise and creating discussion groups based on jurisdictional boundaries so that legal authorities and policy differences across state boundaries didn't impede the discussion.
The 8-week dairy production medicine course at the National Center of Excellence in Dairy Product... more The 8-week dairy production medicine course at the National Center of Excellence in Dairy Production Medicine Education for Veterinarians is designed to equip senior veterinary students with the knowledge and skills needed to serve the dairy industry. Course developers identified 59 topics of importance for dairy production medicine veterinarians. Students ( N = 50) were surveyed before and after the course to determine their perceptions of (a) the importance of the 59 topics for their intended positions and (b) their knowledge and skill in those areas. We expected the course to affirm or strengthen perceptions of importance and increase confidence. Students rated 57 of the topics as moderately or very important before the course. Ratings were unchanged (56 topics) or increased (3 topics) after the course. Before the course, students believed they had a lot of knowledge and skill in just one area: animal behavior and handling. At the end of the course, students believed they had a l...
Community-acquired multi-drug resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae (Ent) infections continue to inc... more Community-acquired multi-drug resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae (Ent) infections continue to increase in the U.S. In prior studies we identified neighboring regions in Chicago, Illinois where children have a 5-6 times greater odds of MDR-Ent infections. To prevent community spread of MDR-Ent, we need to identify the MDR-Ent reservoirs. A pilot study of 4 Chicago waterways for MDR-Ent and associated antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was conducted. Three waterways (A1-A3) are labelled safe for “incidental contact recreation” (e.g. kayaking) and A4 is a non-recreational waterway that carries non-disinfected water. Surface water samples were collected and processed for standard bacterial culture and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Generally, A3 and A4 (neighboring waterways which are not hydraulically connected) were strikingly similar in bacterial taxa, ARG profiles, and abundances of corresponding clades and genera within Ent. Additionally, total ARG abundances recovered from the fu...
Three cohorts of senior veterinary students ( n = 50) from seven United States (US) colleges of v... more Three cohorts of senior veterinary students ( n = 50) from seven United States (US) colleges of veterinary medicine took an 8-week dairy production medicine course at the Dairy Center of Excellence in Production Medicine Education for Veterinarians (DCE) between 2012 and 2014. Participants completed a questionnaire before and after the course and 1 to 2 years after graduation. Objectives were to determine the prior academic training and livestock experience of course participants, to compare students’ career aspirations before and after taking the course, and to identify factors associated with post-graduate position. Response rates were 58%–96%. Most students had taken undergraduate animal science courses (83%), worked (76%) and/or lived (52%) on a livestock operation, participated in youth livestock activities (63%), worked at a mixed practice (71%), taken production medicine-related elective courses (65%), taken other food animal rotations (91%), and/or done dairy externships (65...
A 10-page questionnaire on biosecurity practices was mailed to 187 growers on the Delmarva Penins... more A 10-page questionnaire on biosecurity practices was mailed to 187 growers on the Delmarva Peninsula in October 2000. The growers were selected by three broiler integrators on the basis of flock performance and were classified as cases (bottom 10% performers) and controls (top 10% performers). After two mailings, 71 growers (38%) responded to the survey, of which 47 (66.2%) represented good performers and 24 (33.8%) represented poor performers. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses revealed that increased frequency of sanitizing water lines was statistically significantly associated with good flock performance (P ϭ 0.0449). The presence of wild birds inside poultry houses during grow-out showed a slightly statistically significant association with poor flock performance (P ϭ 0.0633).
Background: Wild birds using livestock facilities for food and shelter may contribute to dissemin... more Background: Wild birds using livestock facilities for food and shelter may contribute to dissemination of enteric pathogens or antimicrobial resistant bacteria. However, drivers of microbial exchange among wildlife and livestock are not well characterized. Predisposition for acquiring and retaining environmental bacteria may vary among species because of physiologic or behavioral differences, complicating selection of a bacterial model that can accurately characterize microbial connections among hosts of interest. This study compares the prevalence and antibiotic resistance phenotypes of two potential model bacterial organisms isolated from wild birds and their environments. Methods: We compared prevalence and resistance profiles of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus species isolated from environmental swabs and bird feces on a residential control site, a confinement dairy, a pasture-based beef farm, and a confinement beef farm. Results: Bird feces at all sites had low-to-moderate prevalence of Escherichia coli (range: 17-47%), despite potential for exposure on farms (range: 63-97%). Few Escherichia coli were isolated from the control environment. Enterococcus faecalis was dominant in birds at both beef farms (62% and 81% of Enterococcus isolates) and low-to-moderately prevalent at the dairy and control sites (29% and 23% of isolates, respectively). Antimicrobial resistance prevalence was higher in farm samples compared to those from the residential control, but distribution of resistant isolates varied between the bacterial genera. Birds on all farms carried resistant Enterococcus at similar rates to that of the environment, but resistance was less common in bird-associated Escherichia coli despite presence of resistant isolates in the farm environment. Discussion: Bacterial species studied may affect how readily bacterial exchange among populations is detected. Selection of microbial models must carefully consider both the questions being posed and how findings might influence resulting management decisions. How to cite this article Tormoehlen K, Johnson-Walker YJ, Lankau EW, Myint MS, Herrmann JA. 2019. Considerations for studying transmission of antimicrobial resistant enteric bacteria between wild birds and the environment on intensive dairy and beef cattle operations.
Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, Dec 1, 2009
have offered a publicpolicy course designed to meet those needs. The course was designed as a pra... more have offered a publicpolicy course designed to meet those needs. The course was designed as a practicum to teach students the policy-making process through the development of policy proposals and to instruct students on how to effectively present accurate scientific, demographic, and statistical information to policy makers and to the public. All students substantially met the learning objectives of the course. This course represents another model that can be implemented to help students learn about complex, multifactorial issues that affect the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems, while promoting participation in public health policy development.
Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Jan 13, 2009
Agroterrorism and food terrorism have been identified as important homeland security issues by of... more Agroterrorism and food terrorism have been identified as important homeland security issues by officials in the public health, government, and food industry sectors of the US Intentional contamination of food has already occurred both abroad and in North America. ...
A study was carried out to test the accuracy and consistency of veterinary pathologists, not spec... more A study was carried out to test the accuracy and consistency of veterinary pathologists, not specialists in hematopathology, in applying the World Health Organization (WHO) system of classification of canine lymphomas. This study represents an initiative of the ACVP Oncology Committee, and the classification has been endorsed by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WASVA). Tissue biopsies from cases of canine lymphoma were received from veterinary oncologists, and a study by pathologists given only signalment was carried out on 300 cases. Twenty pathologists reviewed these 300 cases with each required to choose a diagnosis from a list of 43 B and T cell lymphomas. Three of the 20 were hematopathologists who determined the consensus diagnosis for each case. The 17 who formed the test group were experienced but not specialists in hematopathology, and most were diplomates of the American or European Colleges of Veterinary Pathology. The overall accuracy of the 17 pathologists...
The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of the enteric microbes: Escherichia... more The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of the enteric microbes: Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Enterococcus spp., in plant-protein-based animal feed products and milk replacer and to identify risk factors associated with contamination by these bacteria. A cross-sectional survey of 158 plant-derived feed and milk replacer samples was conducted using eight animal feed stores in Northern Virginia and Maryland from January 2002 to September 2002. Overall, all samples were negative for Campylobacter; one sample (0.6%) was positive for Salmonella; nine samples (5.7%) were positive for E. coli and 80 samples (50.6%) were positive for Enterococcus. Positive samples included: whole maize, cracked peanut, cotton seed, mixed grain horse feed, and milk replacer. Samples collected during the month of January (winter) had a lower prevalence of contamination with enteric bacteria than samples collected in August and September (summer/autumn). Samples collected in January 2002 were negative for both E. coli and Salmonella. Samples collected in August and September 2002 included one Salmonella positive, and nine E. coli positive. Animal feed purchased during August and September had a 38-fold increase (95% CI: 15.60-95.16) in the risk of contamination by Enterococcus than those samples purchased during January and February
Chemical stability and in vitro bactericidal efficacy of 0.9% enrofloxacin-compounded solutions w... more Chemical stability and in vitro bactericidal efficacy of 0.9% enrofloxacin-compounded solutions were evaluated following storage at room temperature for 28 days. Chemical stability of enrofloxacin was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in five compounded solutions, including sterile water. Bactericidal efficacy was determined by spiral plating serial 10-fold dilutions of bacteria and solutions followed by colony counts. Tris-EDTA [TrizEDTA(®) (TE)], Tris-EDTA and 0.15% chlorhexidine [TrizChlor(®) (TC)], 2.5% lactic acid, 0.1% salicylic acid and 0.1% parachlorometaxylenol [Epi-Otic (EO)], and 0.1% free salicylic acid, 0.1% parachlorometaxylenol and 0.5% EDTA [Epi-Otic Advanced (EA)] were used. High-performance liquid chromatography was carried out with one-step liquid/liquid extraction to detect and quantify enrofloxacin stability. Mean recoveries for compounded samples run in triplicate at 28 days were 97.7% (TE), 99.9% (TC), 98.1% (EO) and 97.8% (EA). Kruskal-Wallis analysis showed no significant difference in the percentage recovery (H=0.0539, df=3, P=0.9967). American Type Culture Collection strains of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used to evaluate in vitro efficacy following 30 min incubation on days 0, 14 and 28. Consistent in vitro bactericidal efficacy of all compounded solutions, indicated by killing >2.3×10(7) colony-forming units/mL, was seen; however, bactericidal efficacy decreased for compounded TC on day 14. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was more sensitive to the ear cleaners and enrofloxacin than S. pseudintermedius. The HPLC and in vitro data suggest that 0.9% enrofloxacin compounded with sterile water, TE, EO and EA maintains chemical stability and bactericidal efficacy for 28 days.
Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 2014
The movement of people and animals within zoos and aquariums poses a risk of zoonotic disease dis... more The movement of people and animals within zoos and aquariums poses a risk of zoonotic disease dissemination within human and animal populations. Flu at the Zoo is a table-top exercise designed to provide animal exhibitors and regulatory agency personnel an opportunity to evaluate their outbreak response plans. Developed for zoos and aquariums in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, it created a realistic scenario of an avian influenza disease outbreak. A total of 82 participants attended the exercise held in June of 2012. Representatives from each of the 16 accredited zoos and aquariums in the region attended, along with representatives from the public health, agricultural animal health, wildlife, poultry industry, and emergency management sectors. Recommendations for the participants included the need for increased training opportunities for zoo and aquarium personnel on the Incident Command System and National Incident Management System. It was also recommended that communications be enhanced between zoos and aquariums and the local, state, and federal agency first responder personnel. Suggestions for improving the exercise included: providing the situation manual to players in advance of the exercise and creating discussion groups based on jurisdictional boundaries so that legal authorities and policy differences across state boundaries didn't impede the discussion.
Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 2014
The movement of people and animals within zoos and aquariums poses a risk of zoonotic disease dis... more The movement of people and animals within zoos and aquariums poses a risk of zoonotic disease dissemination within human and animal populations. Flu at the Zoo is a table-top exercise designed to provide animal exhibitors and regulatory agency personnel an opportunity to evaluate their outbreak response plans. Developed for zoos and aquariums in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, it created a realistic scenario of an avian influenza disease outbreak. A total of 82 participants attended the exercise held in June of 2012. Representatives from each of the 16 accredited zoos and aquariums in the region attended, along with representatives from the public health, agricultural animal health, wildlife, poultry industry, and emergency management sectors. Recommendations for the participants included the need for increased training opportunities for zoo and aquarium personnel on the Incident Command System and National Incident Management System. It was also recommended that communications be enhanced between zoos and aquariums and the local, state, and federal agency first responder personnel. Suggestions for improving the exercise included: providing the situation manual to players in advance of the exercise and creating discussion groups based on jurisdictional boundaries so that legal authorities and policy differences across state boundaries didn't impede the discussion.
The 8-week dairy production medicine course at the National Center of Excellence in Dairy Product... more The 8-week dairy production medicine course at the National Center of Excellence in Dairy Production Medicine Education for Veterinarians is designed to equip senior veterinary students with the knowledge and skills needed to serve the dairy industry. Course developers identified 59 topics of importance for dairy production medicine veterinarians. Students ( N = 50) were surveyed before and after the course to determine their perceptions of (a) the importance of the 59 topics for their intended positions and (b) their knowledge and skill in those areas. We expected the course to affirm or strengthen perceptions of importance and increase confidence. Students rated 57 of the topics as moderately or very important before the course. Ratings were unchanged (56 topics) or increased (3 topics) after the course. Before the course, students believed they had a lot of knowledge and skill in just one area: animal behavior and handling. At the end of the course, students believed they had a l...
Community-acquired multi-drug resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae (Ent) infections continue to inc... more Community-acquired multi-drug resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae (Ent) infections continue to increase in the U.S. In prior studies we identified neighboring regions in Chicago, Illinois where children have a 5-6 times greater odds of MDR-Ent infections. To prevent community spread of MDR-Ent, we need to identify the MDR-Ent reservoirs. A pilot study of 4 Chicago waterways for MDR-Ent and associated antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was conducted. Three waterways (A1-A3) are labelled safe for “incidental contact recreation” (e.g. kayaking) and A4 is a non-recreational waterway that carries non-disinfected water. Surface water samples were collected and processed for standard bacterial culture and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Generally, A3 and A4 (neighboring waterways which are not hydraulically connected) were strikingly similar in bacterial taxa, ARG profiles, and abundances of corresponding clades and genera within Ent. Additionally, total ARG abundances recovered from the fu...
Three cohorts of senior veterinary students ( n = 50) from seven United States (US) colleges of v... more Three cohorts of senior veterinary students ( n = 50) from seven United States (US) colleges of veterinary medicine took an 8-week dairy production medicine course at the Dairy Center of Excellence in Production Medicine Education for Veterinarians (DCE) between 2012 and 2014. Participants completed a questionnaire before and after the course and 1 to 2 years after graduation. Objectives were to determine the prior academic training and livestock experience of course participants, to compare students’ career aspirations before and after taking the course, and to identify factors associated with post-graduate position. Response rates were 58%–96%. Most students had taken undergraduate animal science courses (83%), worked (76%) and/or lived (52%) on a livestock operation, participated in youth livestock activities (63%), worked at a mixed practice (71%), taken production medicine-related elective courses (65%), taken other food animal rotations (91%), and/or done dairy externships (65...
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