Recipients of the University of Guelph Partnership | Graduate Studentship in One Health

About the Project:

Leptospirosis is a climate-sensitive bacterial zoonoses and a global One Health problem that affects humans and other mammalian species, including wildlife, livestock, and companion animals. At the nexus of environmental, animal, and human health, dogs can become infected with Leptospira bacteria through exposure to food, water, or soil contaminated by urine from infected wildlife and other animals. Dogs can then shed Leptospira in their urine, putting humans and other animals at risk. Between 2009-2018, the annual prevalence of canine leptospirosis in Canada was estimated at 5-14% using veterinary diagnostic records. Given changing climatic conditions, prevalence is expected to increase, but this has not been formally evaluated. To effectively reduce the risk of canine leptospirosis, we need to gain a better understanding of its environmental sources, risk factors, and how prevalence is expected to change in response to future climatic conditions. This information can be used to develop better, evidence-informed preventive programs and services.

We will use a multi-method, interdisciplinary approach to address this knowledge gap by:

1. Synthesizing high-quality evidence on environmental risk factors for canine leptospirosis in domestic and international contexts.
2. Constructing etiological models to explain the effects of climatic conditions, such as temperature and precipitation, on risk of canine leptospirosis using Canadian veterinary diagnostic data.
3. Constructing predictive models to forecast the impact of future climatic scenarios on risk of canine leptospirosis in Canada.
4. Conducting Leptospira surveillance in surface water sources to quantify levels, examine phylogenetic relationships, and associate with environmental conditions.   

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Meet the team:

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My research program investigates the social and environmental determinants of One Health in animal and human populations using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. I am especially interested in using novel, linked data to understand how these determinants impact health and health inequalities. My program has three areas of focus: 1) Social and environmental determinants of population health and health system utilization, 2) Health inequities in population health outcomes, and 3) Social and environmental determinants of companion animal health and veterinary care utilization. I am also keen to collaborate on projects investigating social and environmental determinants where my knowledge and skills can be an asset.

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The overall objective in our research is to understand how fungi evolve. We examine both the patterns of fungal evolution as well as the mechanisms responsible for the observed patterns of evolution. We study fungal populations from the environment, human hosts, clinics, and the laboratory to address a variety of issues such as the rates and effects of spontaneous mutations; the persistence and spread of mutations in natural environments and human populations; and the origins of novel traits, genotypes and species. Our research uses microbiological, molecular, ecological and quantitative genetic tools. Our current research includes the following topics: 1. Population genetics of fungi, including wild mushrooms and human and animal fungal pathogens 2. Fungal mitochondrial DNA variation and inheritance 3. Development of biomarkers for efficient identification of human fungal pathogens. 4. Genetic analyses of quantitative traits in human fungal pathogens.

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Dr. Murphy’s research interests involve understanding and addressing water and health challenges in both developed and developing countries using a One Health approach. She leads the Water, Health and Applied Microbiology (WHAM) Lab. Her work seeks to identify and understand the ways enteric pathogens move through water and the environment, and propose appropriate interventions and water and sanitation controls measures needed to protect human and animal health. Her multidisciplinary research program uses microbiology, engineering, risk assessment, epidemiology and other methods to understand the transmission pathways of pathogens in the environment. Her research has been funded by agencies such as the Canada Research Chairs Program, NSERC, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the National Institutes of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, Grand Challenges Canada, the Philadelphia Water Department, Drexel’s Academy of Natural Sciences, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA Cure funds) and The Department of Public Health for the City of Philadelphia.

About the Project:

Thousands of free ranging wild birds ingest lead from the environment, and many are subsequently admitted to wildlife rehabilitation centres. Current methods to detect lead levels in live birds often require obtaining a blood sample to assess blood-lead levels. This method is somewhat invasive and does not truly reflect the levels of lead in the birds because the vast majority (up to 90%) of lead which is stored in bone. A newer technology called x-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a non-invasive, non-destructive analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of various sources. It is essential because with the vast majority of lead stored in bone, we want to quantify the levels of lead in birds to have a better understanding of how long we must treat (e.g. via chelation therapy) birds in rehabilitation centres. We also have an opportunity to develop prognostic factors based on lead thresholds found in bone and whether or not these birds have a chance of rehabilitation and release. 

Working with people, animals, and the environment to understand the prevalence and impact of lead will enable us to better understand how to improve wild animal welfare, identify the potential location of lead (or at least where the birds were found to further investigate the presence of lead in the water system in a subsequent study). The health of wildfowl and water systems is strongly linked to human health. While urban Canadian lead exposure is now extremely low, people in who hunt wildfowl, and subsistence fish, are known to have higher lead exposure. Eating wildfowl is correlated with higher blood lead levels, but the absence of quantitative measures of lead exposure in wildfowl means the assessment of human health risk from eating exposed birds is limited. While we do not eat swans, measurements in these birds could be a useful surrogate for other wildfowl and used in models of human uptake. 

Meet the Team:

Principal Investigator (U of G)

As a wildlife veterinarian and Medical Director at the National Wildlife Centre, Dr. Sherri Cox is passionate about helping to improve the health and welfare of wild animals and disseminating new information about unique cases she sees when treating sick and injured wildlife. From moose to mice and turtles to terns, Dr. Cox treats all indigenous wildlife. Dr. Cox seeks to help connect students, the public, wildlife rehabilitators, and scientists together to improve the lives of these wild animals through a One Health concept.  

Co-Investigator (McMaster)

About the Project:

Since January of 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused COVID-19 illness in more than 200 countries and regions, causing approximately 375 million human infections  and 5.7 million deaths. While much research has focused on zoonotic transmission to explain the SARS-CoV-2  spillover event, anthroponotic transmission has been much less studied. We hypothesize that both regular or inadvertent interactions between infected people and domestic and/or wild animals allows for anthroponotic transmission of COVID-19. Our hypothesis is supported by reports that domestic cats and dogs owned by infected individuals have become infected with SARS-CoV-2, and direct human-to-animal transmission has been proposed from epidemiological data and genetic similarities of SARS-CoV-2 strains isolated from wild animals and their keepers in zoos. Minks infected with SARS-CoV-2 have also been identified on farms in several countries where infected farm workers were speculated as the source of infection. The objective of this project is to conduct genomic-based epidemiological surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in domesticated and wild animal populations that live in close contact with humans. In addition, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the environment will also be assessed.  This research is important because the genetic diversity of coronaviruses is caused by accumulation of mutations and high-frequency homologous recombination, leading to infections across interspecies barriers and potential subsequent re-infection of humans with deadlier mutants.  In addition, host-switching events could cause SARS-CoV-2 to adapt to a wider array of selective pressures, leading to emergence of new viruses and diseases.

Meet the Team:

Principal Investigator (U of G)

In January, 2019, Lawrence joined the Department of Food Science as Director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety, where he holds the Leung Family Professorship in Food Safety.  Dr. Goodridge conducts research in a One Health context, as it relates to control, detection and surveillance of pathogenic microorganisms including bacteria, viruses and parasites. Dr. Goodridge has published more than 100 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and has been awarded more than $30 million in research funding from US, Canadian and international funding sources.

Co-Investigator (Western)

Co-Investigator (U of G)