PUBH X756 - The Petting Zoo Problem: Zoonotic Disease Outbreaks Associated with Animal contact at Public Venues: Occurrence, Prevention, and Challenges
Description
Kirk Smith, DVM, MS, PhD
Manager, Foodborne, Waterborne, Vectorborne and Zoonotic Diseases Section
Minnesota Department of Health
Contact with animals in public settings (e.g., fairs, educational farms, petting zoos, and schools) provides opportunities for entertainment and education, and there are many positive benefits of human-animal contact. However, an inadequate understanding of disease transmission and animal behavior can increase the likelihood of infectious diseases and other health problems among visitors, especially children, in these settings. Since 1996, well over 200 human infectious disease outbreaks associated with animal contact have been identified in the United States, and the number of such outbreaks has increased markedly in recent years. Such outbreaks have substantial medical, public health, legal, and economic effects.
As in many other states, disease outbreaks associated with animal contact in public settings is an important public health problem in Minnesota; since 2000 we’ve identified over 20 such outbreaks. These types of outbreaks affect predominantly children. Outbreaks are often caused by E. coli O157:H7, which can cause a serious complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) that involves kidney failure and is fatal in about 6% of cases. In 2012, a child in North Carolina died from HUS from an E. coli O157:H7 infection acquired at a highly publicized outbreak at a county fair petting zoo.
The “Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Settings” (Compendium) has been published by the National Association of Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV) since 2005. The Compendium provides standard national recommendations for public health officials, veterinarians, animal venue operators, animal exhibitors, visitors to animal venues and exhibits, and others concerned with control of disease and with minimizing health risks associated with animal contact in public settings. Despite the presence of the national Compendium for 10 years, uptake of appropriate prevention measures at many public animal contact venues has been modest to poor, and outbreaks continue to occur as frequently as ever. Even legislation passed in some states to mandate implementation of prevention measures has failed to prevent outbreaks.
This course is designed to give students an in-depth understanding of this issue. Topics will include: a history and overview of outbreaks associated with animal contact at public venues; pathogens involved and their clinical consequences; animal types involved; contributing antecedents and risk factors; content of the Compendium recommendations; the extent of uptake of the Compendium recommendations; legislation approaches to prevention; and issues and challenges related to prevention.
This non-credit course meets with the academic course PubH 7230-101 as part of the 2025 Public Health Institute.
Enrollment will open for this course on February 27, 2025.
Additional information can be found on the Public Health Institute website.
Objectives
After completing the course, participants will be able to:
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Describe the occurrence of zoonotic disease outbreaks associated with animal contact in public settings in the United States in the last 20 years (number of outbreaks, recent trends in outbreaks, pathogens, settings, animal sources, risk factors and antecedents for outbreaks, and burden of illness among affected humans).
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Discuss the history of development of guidelines and recommendations to minimize zoonotic disease outbreaks associated with animal contact in public settings in the United States.
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Describe in detail the latest version of the “Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Settings” (Compendium) published by the National Association of Public Health Veterinarians.
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List and describe challenges/obstacles to implementation of Compendium recommendations at public animal contact venues.
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Develop and explain strategies to achieve more comprehensive implementation of Compendium recommendations, and to decrease the occurrence of outbreaks associated with animal contact in public settings in other ways.
Competencies
The core competencies in Public Health Preparedness and Response identified in the CDC planning model that apply to this course include:
Domain 1: Model Leadership
1.6 Act within the scope of one’s legal authority
Domain 3: Plan for and Improve Practice
3.3 Participate in improving the organization’s capacities
The core competencies identified in the HRSA Council of Linkages model that apply to this course include:
2. Policy Development/Program Planning Skills
7. Examines the feasibility (e.g. fiscal, social, political, legal, geographical) and implications of policies, and services.
3. Communication Skills
6.Communicates information to influence behavior and improve health (e.g., uses social marketing methods, considers behavioral theories such as the Health Belief Model or Stages of Change Model)
5. Community Dimensions of Practice Skills
3.Suggests relationships that may be needed to improve health in a community
6. Public Health Sciences Skills
2.Describes prominent events in the history of public health (e.g., smallpox eradication, development of vaccinations, infectious disease control, safe drinking water, emphasis on hygiene and hand washing, access to health care for people with disabilities)
7. Financial Planning and Management Skills
2.Identifies government agencies with authority to address specific community health needs (e.g., lead in housing, water fluoridation, bike lanes, emergency preparedness)
8. Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills
9.Contributes to continuous improvement of individual, program, and organizational performance (e.g., mentoring, monitoring progress, adjusting programs to achieve better results)
Registration & Cancellation
The registration fee for this course is $595. You will receive an email letter outlining program logistics two weeks prior to the start of the course.
Requests for refunds will be honored in full if a written cancellation request is received prior to the course start date. An administration fee of $50 will be charged to all refund requests received after the first day of class. The Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach (CPHEO) reserves the right to cancel any course. In the event of a course cancellation, registrants will receive a full refund of the program registration fee. CPHEO is not responsible for refund of travel or other costs incurred by registrants.
The Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach will provide a certificate of attendance verifying 1.5 CEUs (15 contact hours) offered for this program. This course is eligible for 15 CPH recertification credits.
All courses are approved for CPH Recertification Credits by the National Board of Public Health Examiners.