Zoonotic Diseases & The Environment-The story from a Food Safety researcher

Luxin Wang, Ph.D.Assistant Professor

Food Microbiology and SafetyDepartment of Animal Sciences

November 12 2014

Zoonotic Diseases• Contagious diseases spread between animals

and humans• Caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and

fungi• Carried by animals originally with or without

symptoms• Severe infections in humans– Examples: • Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections

– Fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney damage

Foodborne outbreaks/recalls

• Escherichia coli O157:H7– Multistate outbreak linked to ground beef (May

2014)• 12 people from 4 states• 1.8 million pounds of ground beef recalled

– Multistate outbreak linked to fresh spinach (October 2006)• 199 people from 26 states (three deaths confirmed, 2-

year-old child)• Farmers faced up to $74 million economic losses.

– Each acre lost amounts to roughly $3,500.

Survival and Transfer of Pathogens• Survive long period of time in water, soil, and animal feces

Environment

Control of Zoonotic Pathogens

FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)- Signed by President Obama in January 2011- Ensures the U.S. food supply is safe by

shifting the focus from Responding to contamination to Preventing it.

- “From Farm to Fork”- Water, manure-based soil amendment,

temperature, rainfall, etc.

On-going Research• USDA-AFRI – On farm sampling (water, manure, pens, feed, bedding

materials, etc.)– Water stream (in and out of the farm)

• U.S. Geological Survey– Alabama Water Watch– Recreational water

• E. coli monitoring• Seasonal impacts (rainfall events, temperature, wild animals)• Development of more sensitive and accurate enumeration

methods for indicator microorganisms