Considerations for studying transmission of antimicrobial resistant enteric bacteria between wild birds and the environment on intensive dairy and beef cattle operations.

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.

Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Tick-Borne Disease Cases among Humans and Canines in Illinois (2000-2009).

Four tick-borne diseases (TBDs), anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease (LD), and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), are endemic in Illinois. The prevalence of human and canine cases of all four TBDs rose over the study period with significant differences in geographic distribution within the state. Among human cases, there were associations between cases of RMSF and LD and total forest cover, seasonal precipitation, average mean temperature, racial-ethnic groups, and gender. Estimated annual prevalence of three canine TBDs exceeded human TBD cases significantly in each region. There was concordance in the number of human and canine cases by county of residence, in annual prevalence trends, and in time of year at which they were diagnosed. To account for multiple environmental risk factors and to facilitate early diagnosis of cases, integrated surveillance systems must be developed and communication between veterinarians, physicians, and public health agencies must be improved.

Temporal and spatial distribution of blastomycosis cases among humans and dogs in Illinois (2001-2007).

OBJECTIVE: To compare the temporal and spatial distribution of cases of blastomycosis among humans and dogs in Illinois. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional survey. SAMPLE: Human and canine populations in Illinois from 2001 through 2007. PROCEDURES: For each year, human population data were obtained from the US Census Bureau, and the total number of dogs was estimated by use of a human population-based formula. Data regarding infections with Blastomyces dermatitidis in humans were accessed from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Data regarding B dermatitidis infections in dogs were acquired through a survey of a random sample of the 747 veterinary medical practices in Illinois. Statistical analyses of human and canine data were performed by use of t tests, ANOVA, odds ratio assessment, and regression modeling. RESULTS: Estimated annual incidence of human cases of blastomycosis in Illinois increased from 3.8 to 10.7 cases/1 million persons/y from 2001 through 2007. Analysis of data from 221 veterinary practices revealed that the mean estimated annual incidence of canine cases of blastomycosis was 8.3 times the mean estimated annual incidence of human cases, with a similar pattern of change and regional distributions. Thirty-eight counties reported either human or canine cases but not both. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The estimated annual incidence of blastomycosis in humans and dogs in Illinois increased during the period of interest. Veterinarians, physicians, and public health agencies should be encouraged to communicate with each other regarding diagnoses of blastomycosis in either species to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment.

A public-policy practicum to address current issues in human, animal, and ecosystem health.

There are recognized needs for cross-training health professionals in human, animal, and ecosystem health and for public health policy to be informed by experts from medical, science, and social science disciplines. Faculty members of the Community Health and Preventive Medicine Section at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, have offered a public-policy 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.

One medicine, one university: the DVM/MPH program at the University of Illinois.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine (UIUC-CVM) and the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Public Health (UIC-SPH) are in the fourth year of a collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health dual-degree program. The two campuses, one urban and one rural, are 150 miles apart but are sister schools within the University of Illinois system. This article describes the origin of the program, how the program functions across two campuses, its academic focus, required coursework, and research projects designed to fulfill the program's capstone requirements. The article shows how two campuses can be linked through a combination of online and on-site didactic coursework, briefly describes innovative proposals for projects within the United States and abroad, and highlights faculty committed to educating cross-trained public-health professionals while addressing the national need for veterinarians trained in public health. The authors also discuss how the dual-degree program has led to the formation of the Illinois Center for One Medicine, One Health (ICOMOH), an intra-university collaboration focusing on the interface of human, animal, and ecosystem health.