Discovering Your Risk: Zoonotic Disease Risk Perception

(A Colorado Airport Perspective)Emily L. Blizzard MS PhD, Kendra B. Cross, Todd Green, David Ulane, and

Martin LowneyAugust 22, 2018

Outline

• Disease Terminology• Background• Study Design• Results• Zoonotic Diseases in Colorado• Identifying Your Risk• Conclusions• Questions

Zoonotic Disease

• A disease that is spread between animal an people.

• Ex: viruses, bacteria, prions, and parasites

• Transmission• Direct – physical contact between hosts

• Ex: Rabies• Indirect – fomites, vectors, environment

• Ex: West Nile

https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/resources/pdfs/13_240124_west_nile_lifecycle_birds_plainlanguage_508.pdfhttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/771874823607526150/

• October 29 – November 3, 2007• 37 year old wildlife biologist• Grand Canyon National Park, AZ• 72-82 hrs• Endemic Area• Acutely ill

• Fever, chills, nauseahttps://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/environmental/article_3f67f6a3-c47b-5eff-b114-26b1dde80d3b.htmlhttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110829173751.htm

Background

• Wildlife Operations Personnel• Wildlife Strikes

Zoonotic Diseases in Colorado

Predators• Rabies• Mange• Plague• Parasitic

infections• EX: Baylisascaris

spp.

Birds• Salmonella• Histoplasmosis• Psittacosis

Rodents• Tularemia• Plague• Giardia• Hantavirus• Leptospirosis• Cryptosporidiosis

Vector(s)• West Nile• Plague• Colorado Tick

Fever• Tularemia• West Nile

Study Design

• Overall disease background.• Knowledge as to local disease outbreaks?• Perception of risk?• Work related exposures?• Precautions taken?• Amount of time in one location?

Demographics

• March – July 2018• 25 Questions

• 2 Open Ended

• N=130 • Airports = 15

• General Aviation• Part 139• Military

113, 87%

17, 13%

Sex Ratio of Participants

MaleFemaleN/A

32

71

26

8 2

General Aviation Part 139 DIA Military All of the Above

Num

ber o

f Ind

ivid

ualsType of Airport

10

43

33

22

21

1

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

18-25

25-34

35-44

45-55

56-64

65-74

75+

Number of Individuals

Age

Age of Participants

22%

28%

50%

EducationLevel

High schoolcompletedCollege Partially

University Degree

13

56

20

41

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

<1

1-5

6 - 10

> 10

Number of Individuals

Year

sTime at Airport

124

1 50

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Permanent Seasonal Intern

NU

MBE

R O

F IN

DIVI

DUAL

S

TERM OF SERVICE

Employee Status

24%

1%

63%

12%

Job Position

Maintenance

No Response

Operations

Business/Management

30%

69%

1%

Zoonotic Disease Perception

ConcernedNot ConcernedNo Response

4

14

1

3

16

8

5

1

13

2

15

8

14

2

2

15

7

35

27

22

14

20

37

29

15

8

18

17

22

19

14

14

33

34

62

50

9

35

1

2

7

5

6

4

14

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Live or dead animals at work?

Work in areas infested with mosquitoes?

Live or dead prairie dogs or rabbits at work

Handle skunks/raccoons?

Handle coyotes and Fox?

Live or Dead Birds?

Bird Fecal droppings

Exposure Risk

Daily Weekly Monthly Several times a year Once a year None N/A

4

5

58

25

50

38

35

2

3

11

18

28

13

21

1

2

5

8

8

4

10

8

11

5

6

7

7

7

80

73

16

36

5

10

15

5

5

5

7

2

28

12

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Wash Hands or Use Sanitizer

Wear Disposable Gloves

Wear Protective Clothing

Transport Animal in Bag or Container

Use Insect Repellent

Face Mask Bird or Rodent Fecal Droppings

Disinfect Work Vehicle

Personal Protective Measures

Never <1/2 1/2 >1/2 Always N/A

•What animal diseases have you heard about in Colorado (Please write below)?

38

1

4

4

1

6

32

3

5

5

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

NO RESPONSE

MOST OR SOME

TULAREMIA

CWD

MANGE

HANTAVIRUS

NONE

BIRD FLU

RABIES

PLAGUE

Zoonotic Disease Knowledge (n=78)

%

19 19

3

17

12

1 23

1

4

7

1

4

13

1 1 1

Perc

enta

ge %

Zoonotic Disease Knowledge (n=137)

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment

Report Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 20165-Year Average

(2012-2016)2017

Anthrax 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Brucellosis 2 1 3 0 0 1 0Hantavirus 3 2 6 6 11 5 4

Plague 1 0 8 4 0 2 0

Psittacosis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Q-Fever, Acute 9 5 4 7 3 5 6

Q-Fever, Chronic 1 3 2 1 2 1 0Rabies, Human 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Rabies, Animal 183 187 130 119 88 141 165

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

7 5 5 7 4 5 10

Tick-borne Relapsing Fever

7 6 2 3 5 4 3

Tularemia 0 2 16 52 14 16 5West Nile Virus 134 321 118 101 149 164 68

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment

Report Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 20165-Year Average

(2012-2016)2017

Anthrax 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Brucellosis 2 1 3 0 0 1 0

Hantavirus 3 2 6 6 11 5 4

Plague 1 0 8 4 0 2 0

Psittacosis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Q-Fever, Acute 9 5 4 7 3 5 6

Q-Fever, Chronic 1 3 2 1 2 1 0

Rabies, Human 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Rabies, Animal 183 187 130 119 88 141 165

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

7 5 5 7 4 5 10

Tick-borne Relapsing Fever

7 6 2 3 5 4 3

Tularemia 0 2 16 52 14 16 5

West Nile Virus 134 321 118 101 149 164 68

Colorado Department of Public Health & EnvironmentReport Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

5-Year Average(2012-2016)

2017

Anthrax 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Brucellosis 2 1 3 0 0 1 0Hantavirus 3 2 6 6 11 5 4

Plague 1 0 8 4 0 2 0

Psittacosis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Q-Fever, Acute 9 5 4 7 3 5 6

Q-Fever, Chronic 1 3 2 1 2 1 0Rabies, Human 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Rabies, Animal 183 187 130 119 88 141 165

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

7 5 5 7 4 5 10

Tick-borne Relapsing Fever

7 6 2 3 5 4 3

Tularemia 0 2 16 52 14 16 5West Nile Virus 134 321 118 101 149 164 68

Colorado Department of Public Health & EnvironmentReport Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

5-Year Average(2012-2016)

2017

Anthrax 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Brucellosis 2 1 3 0 0 1 0Hantavirus 3 2 6 6 11 5 4

Plague 1 0 8 4 0 2 0

Psittacosis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Q-Fever, Acute 9 5 4 7 3 5 6

Q-Fever, Chronic 1 3 2 1 2 1 0Rabies, Human 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Rabies, Animal 183 187 130 119 88 141 165

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

7 5 5 7 4 5 10

Tick-borne Relapsing Fever

7 6 2 3 5 4 3

Tularemia 0 2 16 52 14 16 5West Nile Virus 134 321 118 101 149 164 68

Colorado West Nile Data 2002- 2017

Identifying Your Risk

• Knowledge of Zoonotic Disease(s) outbreaks

• Proper PPE• Hand washing• After animal contact• Before eating, drinking• Limit contact with animals• Disinfect Equipment

Conclusions

• Highlights Gaps in Knowledge• Update Training – Diseases• Transmission and Persistence• PPE• Future

• Comparison to Wildlife Services Personnel

Cooperative Agreement Support

Questions ?