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This past week’s One Health Intellectual Exchange Group’s topic focusing on microbial source tracking in bodies of water was presented by Dr. Jill Stewart.  As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Stewart develops techniques to detect and track pathogens in water.  Dr. Stewart’s current research projects involve water quality evaluation associated with land application of waste products and water quality evaluation associated with urbanization on watersheds.  Her work with environmental sciences show how environmental impacts can affect human health. During the presentation, Dr. Stewart addressed the following learning objectives: Name a standard indicator used to detect fecal pollution of surface waters. List three issues associated with the use of traditional fecal indicator bacteria to monitor water quality. Define microbial source tracking and name a marker that can be used to track...

On Tuesday, February 25 th the North Carolina One Health Collaboration welcomed two speakers for the evening’s Intellectual Exchange Group meeting. Dr. Mike Piehler is dually appointed as an Associate Professor at the UNC Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, NC and as Head of the Program in Estuarine Ecology and Human Health and the UNC Coastal Studies Institute in Manteo, NC.  He is also the Director of Graduate Studies for the Curriculum for the Environment and Ecology at UNC Chapel Hill.  Dr. Piehler drove up from the coast last Tuesday to share his expertise and current research on microbially mediated processes in coastal land-water interfaces and their links to human health with the NC One Health Intellectual Exchange Group.  Dr. Piehler explained the importance of maintaining coastal shallow water ecosystems as “transition zones” between land based and fresh water areas and marine environments.  These areas mediate the contents of rivers...