INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF POULTRY AS A PATHOGEN VECTOR IN MULTI-SPECIES ANIMAL AGRITOURISM SETTINGS

Agritourism is a growing industry, as interest in eating locally and understanding the origins of one's food is increasing. Despite the economic benefits of agritourism, it also brings customers into contact with farm animals and environments, increasing the potential for zoonotic disease transfer. While numerous outbreaks have been tied to agritourism, the factors determining whether a farm hosts zoonotic pathogens are unclear. We hypothesize that the pathogen risk on agritourism operations varies depending on the animals present, the regional climate, and farm practices, with chickens and other poultry being a key vector for zoonotic illnesses such as S. enterica and Campylobacter spp. This project addresses priority areas a(2) optimizing animal management for... animal health and human health including challenges that are exacerbated... climate change and c(1) Identifying and resolving factors that influence building trust around animal agriculture or aquaculture across a diversity of communities such as consumers and producers to improve animal welfareThe goals of this project are to (i) improve biosecurity on agritourism and (ii) reduce agritourism-associatedzoonotic illness and liability risks for agritourism operations in the northeast, northwest, and southeastern United States via the following objectives:Objective I:Determine the prevalence and genetic characteristics ofSalmonellaentericaandCampylobacterin animals and environments of multi-species on-farm agritourismsettings located in Vermont, Oregon, and North CarolinaObjective II:Identify management practices, animal behaviors, and vectors associated with organism transfer and movement in a multi-species settingvia surveys of owners and on-site visits/observations and (ii) development of an agent-based model for pathogen spread through the environmentObjective III:Develop and deliver farmer-focused messaging to reduce the risk of zoonoses and promote animal welfare and management for both animal and human health.