1. Zoonotic Diseases & The Environment -The story from a Food Safety researcher Luxin Wang, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Food Microbiology and Safety Department of Animal Sciences November 12 2014

2. 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

3. 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.

4. Survival and Transfer of Pathogens Survive long period of time in water, soil, and animal feces Environment

5. Control of Zoonotic Pathogens FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) -Signed by President Obama in January 2011 Responding Preventing -Ensures the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from Responding to contamination to Preventing it. Farm -“From Farm to Fork” -Water, manure-based soil amendment, temperature, rainfall, etc.

6. 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