Abstract
The Rosalind Franklin Society (RFS), in partnership with Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, enthusiastically congratulate our distinguished recipient of the 2022 annual
Kate Varela, et al., “A Review of Zoonotic Disease Threats to Pet Owners: A Compendium of Measures to Prevent Zoonotic Diseases Associated with Non-Traditional Pets Such as Rodents and Other Small Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, Backyard Poultry, and Other Selected Animals,” Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 22, no. 6 (June 2022): 303–360,
Abstract
Ownership of “non-traditional pets” (NTPs) is increasing in the United States. Guidance on preventing zoonotic diseases associated with these species is needed. The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians developed the “Compendium of Measures to Prevent Zoonotic Diseases Associated with Non-Traditional Pets.” to address this. A literature review was conducted to characterize the types of pathogens and number of outbreaks associated with NTP species in the United States. Reports of outbreaks associated with NTP species were also retrieved from CDC's National Outbreak Reporting System. A total of 223 outbreaks and 20 case reports were identified, largely attributable to Salmonella bacteria. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, Streptobacillus moniliformis bacteria, and Seoul virus were also identified. A total of 9,875 human illnesses, 1,752 hospitalizations, and 33 deaths were attributable to these pathogens, An expert committee develop NTP Compendium recommendations to control zoonotic diseases in NTPs.
Dr. Kate Varela is a veterinary epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases in the Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch. Currently, she works to build capacity globally and domestically at the intersection of human and animal health related to the prevention and control of zoonotic diseases. Prior to this, she was a preventive medicine resident in CDC's One Health Office and completed CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service program in the respiratory health division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. She is passionate about translating science to policy and spent a year in Washington, DC as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Congressional fellow in the Office of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.