Dr. Scott Weese, Professor in the Department of Pathology at OVC and Director of the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, appeared on several media channels last week, including CTV News in Toronto, to discuss Covid transmission between humans and pets. You can watch the story here or read his blog here.

Research to date indicates that cats are more susceptible than dogs to COVID-19. While most cats don't get sick, some can develop myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) or respiratory tract infections.

Humans are more likely to spread the virus to their cats (rather than the other way around), yet cats have the potential to spread the virus in shelters or animal clinics. While there is no need for panic, Dr. Weese feels that it is something that we should be following more closely.

Dr. Weese and his team are currently visiting the homes of pet owners who have tested positive for COVID-19 to determine if the variants are finding their way into the pet population.

Our website has been redesigned and we think it looks sharp!

You can find everything University of Guelph One Health-related here including info on One Health academic programs, events, affiliated faculty, the One Health Student Committee, Faculty Focus articles, past newsletters, links to social media and more. Special thanks to B.Comm. co-op student Mikayla Derewianko for all her work on the website.

Over the last year, COVID-19 has dominated almost every aspect of our lives. In this talk, Dr. Daniel Gillis presents several ongoing COVID-19 research projects spanning the domains of computer science, mathematics, and public health. While the talk focused on the use of scenario analysis and agent-based models, data issues, science communication, and collaboration were also discussed.

Dr. Daniel Gillis is an Associate Professor and Statistician in the School of Computer Science in the College of Engineering and Physical Science at the University of Guelph. He spends most of his time working on interdisciplinary teams which have focused on public health assessment, and natural resource management, software design, and pedagogy.

What is the right way to deal with livestock mortality?

The avian flu outbreak in 2015 in the United States created a a scenario where farmers were forced to safely manage large amounts of animal mortality in a very short period of time, to prevent the dead livestock from becoming a health hazard to humans, the environment, or other livestock.

To this end, Dr. Gilroyed and his team have developed a process called ambient alkaline hydrolysis which can be used to solubilize the bodies of dead livestock, thereby getting rid of pathogens and stopping putrefaction (decay or rotting that can create toxins).

Read about how One Health is realated to his research here.

Local Health Informatics Expert Making a Global Impact

“Sharing data more widely has allowed scientific advances to increase at an incredible pace,” says Dr. Theresa Bernardo, the IDEXX Chair in Emerging Technologies and Preventative Healthcare in Population Medicine at OVC. With an increasingly connected world facing so many global issues, she believes that sharing data is an important part of combating plant, animal and human health issues.

Dr. Bernardo is a key member of the informatics team of the Global Burden of Animal Diseases Program, a global initiative that aims to identify and document the prevalence and economic burden of animal diseases in areas across the globe.

Read about how One Health is related to her research here.

Join a top-level panel of scientists, conservationists and policymakers as they discuss how our disregard for nature caused COVID-19 – and how it may provide a unique opportunity to build it back better.

New Scientist magazine hosts this panel discussion on Thursday, April 15, 1:00 pm EST (6:00pm BST) and is presented in conjunction with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and is free for all to attend. Register here.

National Institute of Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education virtual conference on April 20-21, 2021. Four sessions will cover NIAMRRE's four priority areas: advocacy, collaboration, research, and education. Register here.

International Conference on One Health, 2021 on May 24-25 in London, UK, and July 19-20 in Paris. This virtual conference aims to bring together scientists, researchers and scholars to exchange and share experiences and research results on all aspects of One Health.  Abstracts accepted until April 15th. ​​​​​​

Canadian Veterinary Medicine Association hybrid conference is July 22-25, 2021, in Calgary, Alberta. Register for access to 80 hours of continuing education, and a virtual exhibit hall & social programs.

American Veterinary Medical Association hybrid convention is July 29 to August, 2021​​​, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

The Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses (CPHAZ) hosts Student Mentorship events in the winter semester. The eighth and final mentorship event of the winter will be held on April 20th.

These mentorship events are an opportunity for University of Guelph students to interact with a One Health professional in academia, public health, and research sectors. These virtual events use Microsoft Teams and there is limited enrollment, so don't wait to register! For more information about this event and for registration please go to the CPHAZ website.

Save your empty bottles and cans - the OHSC is having another bottle drive fundraiser in support of OHSC-funded scholarships and the rebuilding of the Iqaluit Humane Society!

Beer bottles, beer cans, wine bottles, plastic rum bottles...virtually any alcohol containers that you purchase at the LCBO or Beer Store can be donated.

To participate, arrange for contactless pick-up between now and Sunday, April 11th. Please contact Emily (erobin07@uoguelph.ca) to set up a time for pick-up.

*Please note that drop-off at The Beer Store has been cancelled due to current lockdown restrictions.