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BackgroundAs a nexus of routine antibiotic use and zoonotic pathogen presence, the live-stock farming environment is a potential hotspot for the emergence of zoonotic diseases and antibiotic resistant bacteria. Livestock can further facilitate disease transmission by serving as intermediary hosts for pathogens as they undergo evolution prior to a spillover event. In light of this, we are interested in characterizing the microbiome and resistome of dairy workers, whose exposure to the livestock farming environment places them at risk for facilitating community transmission of antibiotic resistant genes and emerging zoonotic diseases.ResultsUsing shotgun sequencing, we investigated differences in the taxonomy, diversity and gene presence of the human gut microbiome of 10 dairy farm workers and 6 community controls, supplementing these samples with additional publicly available gut metagenomes. We observed greater abundance of tetracycline resistance genes and prevalence of cephamycin resistance genes in dairy workers’ metagenomes, and lower average gene diversity. We also found evidence of commensal organism association with plasmid-mediated tetracycline resistance genes in both dairy workers and community controls (includingFaecalibacterium prausnitzii, Ligilactobacillus animalis, andSimiaoa sunii). However, we did not find significant differences in the prevalence of resistance genes or virulence factors overall, nor differences in the taxonomic composition of dairy worker and community control metagenomes.ConclusionsThis study presents the first metagenomics analysis of United States dairy workers, providing insights into potential risks of exposure to antibiotics and pathogens in animal farming environments. Previous metagenomic studies of livestock workers in China and Europe have reported increased abundance and carriage of antibiotic resistance genes in livestock workers. While our investigation found no strong evidence for differences in the abundance or carriage of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors between dairy worker and community control gut metagenomes, we did observe patterns in the abundance of tetracycline resistance genes and the prevalence of cephamycin resistance genes that is consistent with previous work.

Background Escherichia coli is the predominant pathogen of urinary tract infections in the United States. Understanding regional patterns of uropathogenic E. coli antimicrobial resistance (AMR) may help further the practice of antibiotic stewardship through the creation of region-specific antibiograms. In this study, we analyzed regional patterns of uropathogenic E. coli AMR among outpatients in Washington state. Methods Deidentified results from antibiotic susceptibility tests performed by Quest Diagnostics on Washington state outpatient isolates from 2013 through 2019 were analyzed. Only the first E. coli isolate from each patient was included in the analyses. We conducted separate relative risk regressions with robust standard errors for five antibiotics (ampicillin [AMP], ciprofloxacin [CIP], ceftriaxone [CRO], gentamicin [GEN], and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole), classified as “susceptible” or “non-susceptible.” The state is divided into nine Public Health Emergency Preparedness Regions (PHEPRs), which served as the exposures for the analysis, with adjustment for sex, year of isolate collection, and age group (0-18, 19-50, > 50). Results We included 40,865 isolates in the study (93% female, mean age 47 years). Compared to the Central PHEPR (containing Seattle), most other regions had significantly lower adjusted relative risks (aRR) of AMR; no regions had significantly higher aRR of resistance for any of the five antibiotics. Differences in resistance between Central and other regions varied by antibiotic. Regional AMR differences were largest for CRO (low aRRs compared to Central) and smallest for AMP. Other patterns observed include a lower aRR of AMR for females compared to males for AMP, CIP, CRO, and GEN; higher aRR of AMR for CRO for recent years (2015-2019) compared to 2013; and higher AMR with age for CIP and CRO. Conclusion Given the differences in resistance across Washington’s PHEPRs, antibiograms should be tailored to provide the most regionally accurate information to prescribers. The emergent situation surrounding AMR calls for more specific outpatient antibiograms to enable healthcare providers to improve health outcomes and mitigate emerging resistance to antibiotics among outpatients. Disclosures Ann Salm, PhD, Quest Diagnostics Inc.: Employed and own stock in Quest Diagnostics Inc.|Quest Diagnostics Inc.: Stocks/Bonds Hema Kapoor, MD, D(ABMM), Quest Diagnsotics: Stocks/Bonds Stephen E. Hawes, PhD, InBios International: Advisor/Consultant Jeff Radcliff, B.S., Quest Diagnostics: Employee|Quest Diagnostics: Stocks/Bonds.

Brucellosis has a wide range of clinical severity in humans that remains poorly understood. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis may be able to detect variation in virulence genes. We used Brucella melitensis sequences in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA) database to assemble 248 whole genomes, and additionally, assembled 27 B. melitensis genomes from samples of human patients in Southern Israel. We searched the 275 assembled genomes for the 43 B. melitensis virulence genes in the Virulence Factors of Pathogenic Bacteria Database (VFDB) and 10 other published putative virulence genes. We explored pan-genome variation across the genomes and in a pilot analysis, explored single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variation among the ten putative virulence genes. More than 99% of the genomes had sequences for all Brucella melitensis virulence genes included in the VFDB. The 10 other virulence genes of interest were present across all the genomes, but three of these genes had SNP variation associated with particular Brucella melitensis genotypes. SNP variation was also seen within the Israeli genomes obtained from a small geographic region. While the Brucella genome is highly conserved, this novel and large whole genome study of Brucella demonstrates the ability of whole genome and pan-genome analysis to screen multiple genomes and identify SNP variation in both known and novel virulence genes that could be associated with differential disease virulence. Further development of whole genome techniques and linkage with clinical metadata on disease outcomes could shed light on whether such variation in the Brucella genome plays a role in pathogenesis.

BackgroundDespite the existence of hearing conservation programmes complying with regulatory standards, noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) remains one of the most prevalent occupational diseases. Compulsory daily monitoring of noise exposure has been associated with decreased NIHL risk. We report on the experience of a voluntary daily noise monitoring intervention among noise-exposed workers.MethodsWorkers at three locations of a metals manufacturing company voluntarily used an in-ear noise monitoring device that could record and download, on a daily basis, the noise exposure inside of their hearing protection. We compared the hearing loss rates (in decibels hearing level/year) in these volunteers to controls from the same company matched for job title, age, gender, race, plant location, and baseline hearing level.ResultsOver the follow-up period, 110 volunteers for whom controls could be identified monitored daily noise exposures an average of 150 times per year. Noise exposures inside of hearing protection were lower than ambient noise levels estimated from company records. While there was no significant difference in hearing loss rates between volunteers and controls, volunteers downloading exposures 150 times per year or had less hearing loss than those who downloaded less frequently.ConclusionThese results indicate that voluntary daily noise exposure monitoring by workers is feasible and that greater frequency of downloading is associated with less hearing loss. If further development of noise monitoring technology can improve usability and address barriers to daily use, regular self-monitoring of noise exposure could improve the effectiveness of hearing conservation programmes.Trial registration numberNCT01714375.

Background: In response to large strides in the control of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), in the early 2000s the WHO set targets for elimination of both the gambiense (gHAT) and rhodesiense (rHAT) forms as a public health (EPHP) problem by 2020, and elimination of gHAT transmisson (EOT) by 2030. While global EPHP targets have been met, and EOT appears within reach, there is ample evidence that current control strategies will not achieve gHAT EOT in the presence of animal reservoirs, the role of which is currently uncertain. Furthermore, rHAT is not targeted for EOT due to the known importance of animal reservoirs for this form. Methods: To evaluate the utility of a One Health approach to gHAT and rHAT EOT, we built and parameterized a compartmental stochastic model, using the Institute for Disease Modeling's Compartmental Modeling Software, to six HAT epidemics: the national rHAT epidemics in Uganda and Malawi, the national gHAT epidemics in Uganda and South Sudan, and two separate gHAT epidemics in Democratic Republic of Congo distinguished by dominant vector species. In rHAT foci the reservoir animal sub-model was stratified on four species groups, while in gHAT foci domestic swine were assumed to be the only competent reservoir. The modeled time horizon was 2005-2045, with calibration performed using HAT surveillance data from 2000-2004 and Optuna. Interventions included insecticide and trypanocide treatment of domestic animal reservoirs at varying coverage levels. Results: Validation against HAT surveillance data indicates favorable performance overall, with the possible exception of DRC. EOT was not observed in any modeled scenarios for rHAT, however insecticide treatment consistently performed better than trypanocide treatment in terms of rHAT control. EOT was not observed for gHAT at 0% coverage of domestic reservoirs with trypanocides or insecticides, but was observed by 2030 in all test scenarios; again, insecticides demonstrated superior performance to trypanocides. Conclusions: EOT cannot be achieved for rHAT without control of wildlife reservoirs, however insecticide treatment of domestic animals holds promise for improved control. In the presence of domestic animal reservoirs, gHAT EOT will not be achieved under current control strategies.

Background Repeated outbreaks of emerging pathogens underscore the need for preparedness plans to prevent, detect, and respond. As countries develop and improve National Action Plans for Health Security, addressing subnational variation in preparedness is increasingly important. One facet of preparedness and mitigating disease transmission is health facility accessibility, linking infected persons with health systems and vice versa. Where potential patients can access care, local facilities must ensure they can appropriately diagnose, treat, and contain disease spread to prevent secondary transmission; where patients cannot readily access facilities, alternate plans must be developed. Here, we use travel time to link facilities and populations at risk of viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) and identify spatial variation in these respective preparedness demands. Methods and findings We used geospatial resources of travel friction, pathogen environmental suitability, and health facilities to determine facility accessibility of any at-risk location within a country. We considered in-country and cross-border movements of exposed populations and highlighted vulnerable populations where current facilities are inaccessible and new infrastructure would reduce travel times. We developed profiles for 43 African countries. Resulting maps demonstrate gaps in health facility accessibility and highlight facilities closest to areas at risk for VHF spillover. For instance, in the Central African Republic, we identified travel times of over 24 h to access a health facility. Some countries had more uniformly short travel times, such as Nigeria, although regional disparities exist. For some populations, including many in Botswana, access to areas at risk for VHF nationally was low but proximity to suitable spillover areas in bordering countries was high. Additional analyses provide insights for considering future resource allocation. We provide a contemporary use case for these analyses for the ongoing Ebola outbreak. Conclusions These maps demonstrate the use of geospatial analytics for subnational preparedness, identifying facilities close to at-risk populations for prioritizing readiness to detect, treat, and respond to cases and highlighting where gaps in health facility accessibility exist. We identified cross-border threats for VHF exposure and demonstrate an opportunity to improve preparedness activities through the use of precision public health methods and data-driven insights for resource allocation as part of a country’s preparedness plans.

Background: Throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there have been a variety of practices for international reporting of COVID-19 data. African countries have used different national reporting systems to publicly share data. Analyzing the content, format, and frequency of these systems could elucidate lessons for future pandemics. Methods: We examined national COVID-19 reporting practices across 54 African countries through 2020. Reporting systems were compared by type of report, frequency, and data content. We also compared reporting of metrics such as a patient demographics and co-morbidities, healthcare capacity, and diagnostic testing. We further evaluated regional and country-specific reporting practices in Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa as examples from different sub-regions. Results: National COVID-19 reporting systems were identified in 53/54 (98.1%) countries in 2020. Reporting systems were diverse and could be categorized into social media postings, websites, press releases, situation reports, and online dashboards. Of countries with reporting systems, 36/53 (67.9%) had recurrent situation reports and/or online dashboards which provided the highest quality of data. Conclusions: African countries created diverse reporting systems to share COVID-19 data. Many countries used routinely updated situation reports or online dashboards. However, few countries reported patient demographics, co-morbidities, diagnostic testing practices, and healthcare capacity. Including these metrics as well as improving standardization and accessibility of data reporting systems could augment research and decision-making, as well as increase public awareness and transparency for national governments.

E. coli was isolated from the Salish Sea (Puget Sound) ecosystem, including samples of marine and fresh water, and wildlife dependent on this environment. E. coli isolates were assessed for phenotypic and genotypic resistance to antibiotics. A total of 305 E. coli isolates was characterized from samples collected from: marine water obtained in four quadrants of the Salish Sea, select locations near beaches, fresh water from streams near marine beaches, and fecal samples from harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), river otters (Lontra canadensis), and English sole (Parophrys vetulus). Isolates were evaluated using antimicrobial susceptibility typing, whole-genome sequencing, fumC, and multilocus sequence typing. Resistance and virulence genes were identified from sequence data. Of the 305 isolates from Salish Sea samples, 20 (6.6%) of the E. coli were intermediate, and 31 (10.2%) were resistant to ≥1 class of antibiotics, with 26.9% of nonsusceptible (resistant and intermediate resistant) E. coli isolates from marine mammals and 70% from river otters. The proportion of nonsusceptible isolates from animals was significantly higher than samples taken from marine water (p &lt, 0.0001). A total of 196 unique STs was identified including 37 extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC)-associated STs [ST10, ST38, ST58, ST69, ST73, ST117, ST131, and ST405]. The study suggests that animals may be potential sentinels for antibiotic-resistant and ExPEC E. coli in the Salish Sea ecosystem.

Purpose of review The purpose of the review is to summarize recent advances in understanding the origins, drivers and clinical context of zoonotic disease epidemics and pandemics. In addition, we aimed to highlight the role of clinicians in identifying sentinel cases of zoonotic disease outbreaks. Recent findings The majority of emerging infectious disease events over recent decades, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have been caused by zoonotic viruses and bacteria. In particular, coronaviruses, haemorrhagic fever viruses, arboviruses and influenza A viruses have caused significant epidemics globally. There have been recent advances in understanding the origins and drivers of zoonotic epidemics, yet there are gaps in diagnostic capacity and clinical training about zoonoses. Summary Identifying the origins of zoonotic pathogens, understanding factors influencing disease transmission and improving the diagnostic capacity of clinicians will be crucial to early detection and prevention of further epidemics of zoonoses.

Coccidioidomycosis is a predominantly respiratory infection of animals and humans caused by soil-dwelling fungi. Long known to be endemic to North American deserts, locally acquired human cases first emerged in Washington State in 2010. To inform development of an environmental niche map, we conducted an ecological cross-sectional study of the association between soil and climactic variables and canine seroprevalence in Washington State, at the zip code tabulation area level. Soil predictors included soil texture (per cent sand, silt and clay), pH, electrical conductivity and water storage capacity; climactic predictors included mean annual air temperature and liquid precipitation. Clustering was evaluated with Moran’s I, and four modelling approaches were adopted a priori: two models without any smoothing (logistic regression and quasi-logistic regression) and two smoothing models (non-spatial and spatial smoothing). No evidence was found for clustering, and both smoothing models resulted in marked attenuation of all coefficients. Temperature was found to have a positive effect in the non-smoothing models (prevalence odds ratio, logistic model: 1.70, 95% confidence interval 1.02, 2.84). While no other significant associations were found, there was suggestive evidence of a positive effect for pH. Despite the limitations inherent to the ecological and cross-sectional nature of these data, these findings provide insight for the development of an environmental niche map in Washington State and demonstrate the utility of using data from an animal sentinel to predict human disease risk.

Gastrointestinal parasites have diverse life cycles that can involve people, animals, and the environment (e.g., water and soil), demonstrating the utility of One Health frameworks in characterizing infection risk. Kosumpee Forest Park (Thailand) is home to a dense population of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) that frequently interact with tourists and local residents. Our study investigated the presence of zoonotic parasites, and barriers to healthy coexistence by conducting stool analysis on macaques (N = 102) and people (N = 115), and by examining risk factors for infection with a household questionnaire (N = 95). Overall, 44% of macaques and 12% of people were infected with one or more gastrointestinal helminths, including Strongyloides spp., Ascaris spp., and Trichuris sp. An adults-only generalized linear mixed model identified three factors significantly associated with human infection: household size, occupational exposure, and contact with macaque feces at home. Participants identified both advantages and disadvantages to living in close contact with macaques, suggesting that interventions to improve human and animal health in Kosumpee Forest Park would be welcome.

BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 is believed to have emerged from an animal reservoir as a zoonotic pathogen. Over the course of the current pandemic, evidence has mounted that infected humans can transmit the virus to animals including household pets, however the frequency of and risk factors for this transmission remain unclear. We carried out a community-based study of pets in households with one or more confirmed SARS-CoV-2 case among the human residents, and report here on interim findings from sampling of dogs. MethodsData collection included a survey of human and animal demographic and clinical variables, features of their shared environment, and human-animal contact; blood collection from animals for serology for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; and nasopharyngeal sampling for PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2. ResultsSampling consisted of 67 dogs from 46 households. Nasopharyngeal PCR testing results were available for 58 dogs, and serological testing results were available for 51. Clinical signs consistent with COVID-19 were reported in 14 dogs (23.7%, 95% CI 0.13, 0.35), and SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing using viral receptor binding domain ELISA was positive in 22 dogs (43.1%, 95% CI 0.30, 0.57). All PCR tests of nasopharyngeal swabs were negative. Survey respondents commonly reported close human-animal contact, and the majority of households were aware of and adopted measures to mitigate human-to-animal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 following diagnosis. While no statistically significant associations were detected between human-animal contact variables and either seropositivity or COVID-19 like illness in dogs, positive trends were found for sharing beds with humans and the number of SARS-CoV-2 positive humans in the corresponding household. Reported measures taken by the household to mitigate transmission showed a protective trend, and COVID-19 like illness in a dog was positively associated with seropositivity in that dog. DiscussionThese data indicate that human-to-animal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in households is common, in a study population characterized by close human-animal contact. They also indicate that infected pets often manifest signs of COVID-like illness. While nasopoharyngeal sampling of dogs in this study has not to date demonstrated positive PCR results, this could be due to delays in sampling. Household members reported taking precautions to protect pets from SARS-CoV-2 infection, indicating an opportunity for further measures to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between people and animals sharing households.

The One Health model defines important connections between the health of humans, animals and ecosystems. While One Health models are used in many areas of the world to improve health conditions and environmental stewardship, the model is most useful in guiding strategies in developing regions. As 85% of Papua New Guinea's population lives in rural and remote areas, it is clear that realistic solutions must be developed to bring health access and sustainable environmental practices to the villages. The long-term goals of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program's Healthy Village, Healthy Forest Initiative are to connect the rural Papua New Guinea communities with improved access to government health resources, develop local capacity to provide basic health needs, and to connect the links between human, environmental and animal health such as clean water, clean air and healthy, biologically diverse forests.

Compassion fatigue (CF) has been described in various "caring professions," particularly the human medical field. Recently, CF has been identified as a concern in animal care professions, specifically veterinary medicine. Despite the perception that veterinary personnel in animal research are at increased risk of CF, few studies have assessed CF in this population. The cur-rent cross-sectional study aimed to describe the prevalence of both CF and compassion satisfaction (CS) among active-duty veterinary personnel in Department of Defense animal research environments, using the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL). The ProQOL measures burnout and secondary traumatic stress as representative of compassion fatigue, while also measuring the inverse of CF, or CS. The current study set out to identify factors associated with both CF and CS. Validated scales of measurement were used to assess the frequency of exposures and outcomes of interest, while associations were analyzed using linear regression models. The study found that most survey respondents reported high levels of CS and low levels of BO and STS. Factors associated with higher levels of CF and lower CS included working with NHPs, difficulty working with primary investigators, loneliness, and euthanasia distress. These findings can inform future studies of CF in animal research environments and bolster initiatives to reduce occupational stress by the preventing and mitigating CF.

Background Dengue fever is the most common arboviral disease in humans, with an estimated 50-100 million annual infections worldwide. Dengue fever cases have increased substantially in the past four decades, driven largely by anthropogenic factors including climate change. More than half the population of Peru is at risk of dengue infection and due to its geography, Peru is also particularly sensitive to the effects of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Determining the effect of ENSO on the risk for dengue outbreaks is of particular public health relevance and may also be applicable to other Aedes-vectored viruses. Methods We conducted a time-series analysis at the level of the district-month, using surveillance data collected from January 2000 to September 2018 from all districts with a mean elevation suitable to survival of the mosquito vector ( Results We detected a positive and significant effect of temperature (°C, RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.13, 1.15, adjusted for precipitation) and ENSO (ICEN index: RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.15, 1.20; ONI index: RR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02, 1.07) on outbreak risk, but no evidence of a strong effect for precipitation after adjustment for temperature. Both natural region and season were found to be significant effect modifiers of the ENSO-dengue effect, with the effect of ENSO being stronger in the summer and the Selva Alta and Costa regions, compared with winter and Selva Baja and Sierra regions. Conclusions Our results provide strong evidence that temperature and ENSO have significant effects on dengue outbreaks in Peru, however these results interact with region and season, and are stronger for local ENSO impacts than remote ENSO impacts. These findings support optimization of a dengue early warning system based on local weather and climate monitoring, including where and when to deploy such a system and parameterization of ENSO events, and provide high-precision effect estimates for future climate and dengue modeling efforts.

Background Management of acute, uncomplicated cystitis in outpatients benefits from knowledge of drug resistance patterns in the population. However, antibiograms are often not available for the outpatient setting, and the role of host factors such as sex and age in assessing the likelihood of resistance are not well understood. We investigated whether antibiotic resistance patterns of outpatient urinary Escherichia coli isolates vary by age group and sex in a large database of antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) results from Washington State. Methods We retrospectively analyzed AST data for outpatient urinary E. coli isolates in Washington State tested at a clinical reference laboratory from 2013 to 2017. In logistic regression models stratified by sex, we tested the associations of antibiotic resistance with patient age. Results We found females >50 years had greater odds than females younger than 19 for resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanate (odds ratio [OR], 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22–1.69), ciprofloxacin (OR, 3.04; 95% CI, 2.48–3.74), ceftriaxone (OR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.77–3.92), and gentamicin (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.27–2.08) (all P < .001). Compared to males younger than 19, males >50 years had greater odds of resistance to ciprofloxacin (OR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.18–5.69) and lower odds of resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanate (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, .34–.96) (all P < .05). Conclusions These findings demonstrate that age and sex are associated with variability in antibiotic resistance patterns in the outpatient setting. Availability of outpatient antibiotic resistance data based on sex and age may be useful to inform empiric prescribing for outpatient UTIs and to support antibiotic stewardship efforts.

BACKGROUND: The veracity of the association between antibiotic use and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by Escherichia coli O157:H7 has been a topic of debate. We postulated that criteria used to define HUS affect this association. METHODS: We reviewed 471 hospitalized E. coli O157:H7 cases reported in Washington State, 2005–2014, to determine HUS status by various case definitions and antibiotic treatment. We used age-adjusted logistic regression models to estimate the effect of treatment on HUS status according to four common, but heterogeneous, definitions: the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) definition, hematology-focused and age-focused definitions from the literature, and hospital diagnosis. RESULTS: Inter-annual variation in antibiotic use was high, but no meaningful change in antibiotic use was observed over this ten-year period. Thirteen percent of cases

The Anthropocene has brought substantial change to ocean ecosystems, but whether this age will bring more or less marine disease is unknown. In recent years, the accelerating tempo of epizootic and zoonotic disease events has made it seem as if disease is on the rise. Is this apparent increase in disease due to increased observation and sampling effort, or to an actual rise in the abundance of parasites and pathogens? We examined the literature to track long-term change in the abundance of two parasitic nematode genera with zoonotic potential: Anisakis spp. and Pseudoterranova spp. These anisakid nematodes cause the disease anisakidosis and are transmitted to humans in undercooked and raw marine seafood. A total of 123 papers published between 1967 and 2017 met our criteria for inclusion, from which we extracted 755 host-parasite-location-year combinations. Of these, 69.7% concerned Anisakis spp. and 30.3% focused on Pseudoterranova spp. Meta-regression revealed an increase in Anisakis spp. abundance (average number of worms/fish) over a 53 year period from 1962 to 2015 and no significant change in Pseudoterranova spp. abundance over a 37 year period from 1978 to 2015. Standardizing changes to the period of 1978-2015, so that results are comparable between genera, we detected a significant 283-fold increase in Anisakis spp. abundance and no change in the abundance of Pseudoterranova spp. This increase in Anisakis spp. abundance may have implications for human health, marine mammal health, and fisheries profitability.

Objective: In Uganda, 70% of rural poor rely on livestock for subsistence, to meet social obligations, and to insure against disaster. Livestock farming in Africa is in a state of transition from traditional management systems toward intensified modern systems, calling into question the future of traditional systems. To inform this debate, we conducted a survey in Moyo District, Uganda, to describe occupational practices and hazards of agropastoralist livestock keepers. Methods: Household surveys were administered to heads of household (N=49) from July to September 2016. Cross-sectional data were used to generate descriptive statistics for livestock-associated practices and exposures. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and Wald-type 95% confidence intervals for risk factors for injury, defined as any animal-related injury in the household in the past year. Risk factors studied were total number of male animals; number of male cattle, sheep/goats, and pigs; proportion male by herd size; herd size; and castration practices. Results: Adult men perform most livestock-associated tasks, while women, girls, and boys prepare meat, milk cattle, care for poultry, and dispose of waste. While 31 (63%) of households use professional veterinary services and most (n=28, 57.2%) are familiar with zoonoses, 25 (53.2%) do not believe sick animals may look healthy. Over 85.0% (n=41) of respondents routinely wash their hands, while only 31 (64.6%) use soap. Twenty-eight (57.0%) reported using personal protective equipment, while none used gloves or face protection. Most respondents had contact with animal waste “often”, and had contact with urine and blood “sometimes”. Six (12%) reported a needlestick injury while treating an animal, and 22 (45%) reported at least 1 injury from an animal. No significant association was found between the risk factors studied and animal injury, after adjustment for confounders. Conclusions: Occupational risks for female and young agropastoralists are distinct from those of men. Contact with potentially infectious material is common and current practices – handwashing without soap and low glove use – do little to prevent zoonotic transmission. While agropastoralists are familiar with zoonoses, subclinical infections may be missed. While no significant risk factors were identified for animal injury, both animal and needlestick injuries are common. As livestock agriculture intensifies, these hazards will become more pronounced; drivers of risk behavior and animal injury must be identified to inform interventions to improve the occupational health of rural livestock keepers in Uganda.

ObjectiveWomen in veterinary occupations are routinely exposed to potential reproductive hazards, yet research into their birth outcomes is limited. We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of the association between maternal veterinary occupation and adverse birth outcomes.MethodsUsing Washington State birth certificate, fetal death certificate and hospital discharge data from 1992 to 2014, we compared birth outcomes of mothers in veterinary professions (n=2662) with those in mothers in dental professions (n=10 653) and other employed mothers (n=8082). Relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using log binomial regression. Outcomes studied were premature birth (ResultsWhile no statistically significant associations were found, we noted a trend for SGA births in all veterinary mothers compared with dental mothers (RR=1.16, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.36) and in veterinarians compared with other employed mothers (RR=1.37, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.96). Positive but non-significant association was found for malformations among children of veterinary support staff.ConclusionsThese results support the need for further study of the association between veterinary occupation and adverse birth outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) remains one of the most prevalent occupational diseases. Occupational hearing conservation programs (HCPs) can reduce the risk of NIHL, but there remains no consensus on assessing HCP effectiveness. We conducted a multi-site, mixed-method assessment of HCP programs. METHODS: At thirteen manufacturing plants, we performed assessments, including interviews with program staff and worker focus groups and surveys. We analyzed the association between these assessments and age-corrected NIHL rates. RESULTS: Only a few items from the HCP staff interviews correlated with NIHL rates. For the employee survey, management commitment to NIHL prevention and being counseled about NIHL were strongly associated with NIHL rates. CONCLUSION: Management commitment and counseling of workers about NIHL may be key factors in program effectiveness. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods appears to be useful for assessing HCPs.

The often-noted and persistent increased incidence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections in rural areas is not well understood. We used a cohort of E. coli O157:H7 cases reported in Washington, USA, during 2005-2014, along with phylogenomic characterization of the infecting isolates, to identify geographic segregation of and temporal trends in specific phylogenetic lineages of E. coli O157:H7. Kernel estimation and generalized additive models demonstrated that pathogen lineages were spatially segregated during the period of analysis and identified a focus of segregation spanning multiple, predominantly rural, counties for each of the main clinical lineages, Ib, IIa, and IIb. These results suggest the existence of local reservoirs from which humans are infected. We also noted a secular increase in the proportion of lineage IIa and IIb isolates. Spatial segregation by phylogenetic lineage offers the potential to identify local reservoirs and intervene to prevent continued transmission.

Most emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in origin, with wildlife a frequent source of zoonotic disease events. Although individuals with extensive wildlife contact may be at the greatest risk of contracting novel infectious agents, the occupational risk of those working closely with wildlife has not been well studied. This study assessed the occupational exposures among wildlife health professionals working in multiple countries worldwide. An occupational risk survey of past and present exposures was developed and administered online in a confidential manner to wildlife workers recruited through an ongoing international wildlife pathogen surveillance project. Surveys were completed by 71 participants in 14 countries. Significant lifetime exposures reported included bites from bats and rodents and touching dead animals. Completion of training in occupational safety was reported by 75% of respondents. While gloves were used for most tasks, use of N95 respirators and other personal protective equipment varied by task. Eighty percent of workers reported rabies vaccination. Some respondents indicated interest in enhanced occupational health services targeting their unique needs. Wildlife workers represent an occupational population at risk of zoonotic infection and injury. Enhanced occupational health services targeting wildlife workers could reduce the risk and sequelae of zoonotic exposure and infection.

Background: Little is known about how best to implement infection prevention and control programs in low-resource settings. The quality improvement approach using plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles provides a framework for data-driven infection prevention and control implementation. We used quality improvement techniques and training to improve infection prevention and control practices in 2 model hospitals in Kenya. Methods: The 2 hospitals were chosen by the Kenya Ministry of Health for capacity building on infection prevention and control. At each site, the project team (the University of Washington International Training for Education and Training in Health, Ministry of Health, and Centers for Disease Control) conducted infection prevention and control training to infection prevention and control committee members. Infection prevention and control quality improvement activities were introduced in a staggered manner, focusing on hand hygiene and waste management practices. For hand hygiene, the project team’s technical assistance focused on facility hand hygiene infrastructure, hand hygiene practice adherence, hand hygiene supply quantification, and monitoring and evaluation using WHO hand hygiene audit tools. Waste management technical assistance focused on availability of policy, guidelines, equipment and supplies, waste segregation, waste quantification, and monitoring and evaluation using a data collection tool customized based on previously published tools. Regular interactive video conference sessions between the project team and the sites that included didactic sessions and sharing of data provided ongoing mentorship and feedback on quality improvement implementation, data interpretation, and data use. Results: Hand hygiene data collection began in April 2018. In hospital A, hand hygiene compliance increased from a baseline of 3% to 51% over 9 months. In Hospital B, hand hygiene compliance rates increased from 23% at baseline to 44% after 9 months. Waste management data collection began in November 2018. At hospital A, waste segregation compliance scores increased from 73% at baseline to 80% over 6 months, whereas hospital B, waste segregation compliance went from 44% to 80% over 6 months. Conclusions: A quality improvement approach appears to be a feasible means of infection prevention and control program strengthening in low resource settings.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

The One Health approach recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecosystem health and encourages collaboration between diverse disciplines to address complex health problems. In this paper, 3 academics, with diverse training, experience and backgrounds who each work on different pathogenic parasites, will share their stories of tackling parasitic challenges by applying a One Health approach. The pathogenic parasites to be discussed include the helminth Taenia solium and protozoans Giardia, Theileria, Babesia, Neospora and Toxoplasma species. The 3 narratives focus on research and clinical case-based challenges and illustrate where collaboration between human, animal, and environmental health scientists either has or could lead to improved control of human and animal health as well as important research discoveries. The need for better evaluation of interventions and scientific evidence to support changes in clinical practice and encourage enhanced collaboration between human and veterinary clinicians, as well as new governmental policies to improve public and wildlife health, are described. The need for a range of evidence-based metrics to monitor the success and impact of the One Health approach to veterinary parasitology is also discussed.

BackgroundPediatric diarrhea, a leading cause of under-five mortality, is predominantly infectious in etiology. As many putative causal agents are zoonotic, animal exposure is a likely risk factor. To evaluate the effect of animal-related factors on moderate to severe childhood diarrhea in rural Kenya, where animal contact is common, Conan et al. studied 73 matched case-control pairs from 2009-2011, collecting rich exposure data on many dimensions of animal contact. We review the challenges associated with analyzing moderately-sized datasets with a large number of predictors and present two alternative methodological approaches.Methodology/principal findingsWe conducted a simulation study to demonstrate that forward stepwise selection results in overfit models when data are high-dimensional, and that p values reported directly from the data used to train these models are misleading. We described how automated methods of variable selection, attractive when the number of predictors is large, can result in overadjustment bias. We proposed an alternative a priori regression approach not subject to this bias. Applied to Conan et al.'s data, this approach found a non-significant but positive trend for household's sharing of water sources with livestock or poultry, child's presence for poultry slaughter, and child's habit of playing where poultry sleep or defecate. For many predictors evaluated few pairs were discordant, suggesting matching compromised the power of this analysis. Finally, we proposed latent variable modeling as a complimentary approach and performed Item Response Theory modeling on Conan et al.'s data, with animal contact as the latent trait. We found a moderate but non-significant effect (OR 1.21, 95% CI 0.78, 1.87, unit = 1 standard deviation).Conclusions/significanceAutomated methods of model selection are appropriate for prediction models when fit and evaluated on separate samples. However when the goal is inference, these methods can produce misleading results. Furthermore, case-control matching should be done with caution.

Background Limited studies have investigated the microbial diversity of wild marine mammals. Objectives This study characterized Escherichia coli isolates collected from fresh faecal samples of endangered southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) located by detection dogs. Methods WGS of each strain was done to determine ST (using MLST), clonotype (C:H), antimicrobial resistance and virulence profile. Conjugation experiments were done to determine the mobility of the tet(B) tetracycline resistance gene. Results All isolates belonged to extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) clonal lineages ST73 (8/9) and ST127 (1/9), often associated with human community-acquired urinary tract disease. Clonotyping using fumC and fimH alleles showed divergence in clonal lineages, with ST73 isolates belonging to the C24:H10 clade and the ST127 isolate belonging to C14:H2. The eight ST73 isolates carried multiple acquired antibiotic resistance genes, including aadA1, sul1 and tet(B), encoding aminoglycoside, sulphonamide and tetracycline resistance, respectively. Conjugative transfer of the resistance gene tet(B) was observed for three of the eight isolates. ST127 did not carry any of these acquired resistance genes. Virulence-associated genes identified included those encoding adhesins (iha, papC, sfaS), toxins (sat, vat, pic, hlyA, cnf1), siderophores (iutA, fyuA, iroN, ireA), serum survival/protectins (iss, ompT), capsule (kpsM) and pathogenicity island marker (malX). Conclusions Orca whales can carry antibiotic-resistant potentially pathogenic strains of E. coli. Possible sources include contamination of the whale’s environment and/or food. It is unknown whether these isolates cause disease in southern resident killer whales, which could contribute to the ongoing decline of this critically endangered population.

OBJECTIVES This study utilized personal noise measurements and fit-testing to evaluate the association between noise exposures and personal attenuation rating (PAR) values among participating workers, and second, to compare the attenuated exposure levels received by the workers and the British Standards Institute's recommended noise exposure range of 70 to 80 dBA. DESIGN We measured hearing protection device (HPD) attenuation among a sample of 91 workers at 2 US metal manufacturing facilities, through performance of personal noise dosimetry measurements and HPD fit-testing over multiple work shifts. We compared this testing with participant questionnaires and annual audiometric hearing threshold results. RESULTS The average 8-hr time-weighted average noise exposures for study participants was 79.8 dBA (SD = 7.0 dBA), and the average PAR from fit-testing was 20.1 dB (±6.7 dB). While differences existed between sites, 84% of the 251 PAR measurements resulted in effective protection levels below the recommended 70 dBA (indicating overprotection), while workers were underprotected (i.e., effective exposures >80 dBA) during

Objective: We assessed the reliability of a hearing risk factor screening survey used by hearing conservation programmes for noise-exposed workers. Design: We compared workers’ answers from the screening survey to their answers to a confidential research questionnaire regarding hearing loss risk factors. We calculated kappa statistics to test the correlation between yes/no questions in the research questionnaire compared to answers from 1 and 5 years of screening surveys. Study sample: We compared the screening survey and research questionnaire answers of 274 aluminum plant workers. Results: Most of the questions in the in-company screening survey showed fair to moderate agreement with the research questionnaire (kappa range: −0.02, 0.57). Workers’ answers to the screening survey had better correlation with the research questionnaire when we compared 5 years of screening answers. For nearly all questions, workers were more likely to respond affirmatively on the research questionnaire than the screening survey. Conclusions: Hearing conservation programmes should be aware that workers may underreport hearing loss risk factors and functional hearing status on an audiometric screening survey. Validating company screening tools could help provide more accurate information on hearing loss and risk factors.