Aquaculture and Health Seminar

Salmon aquaculture net pens are a key cause of zoonotic diseases.\Photo courtesy of Washington Dept. of Ecology.

Veterinarian Carla Schubiger will describe current research on “Aquaculture and the One Health Paradigm” at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (2030 S.E. Marine Science Dr., in the South Beach area of Newport) in the Guin Library Seminar Room at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12.

Schubiger is an Assistant Professor Senior Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University.

 As she describes her topic:

The “One Health” paradigm is the concept that human, environmental and animal health are closely interconnected. It also recognizes that many different disciplines contribute together to the “one health” goal. As a veterinarian engaged in production animals medicine, and then later also in small animal medicine in Switzerland, this paradigm has been my guiding North Star throughout my years as a veterinarian but also during my science career. At the core of one health are zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that are spread between animals and humans. This includes vector-borne diseases transmitted by, for example, ticks, fleas or mosquitoes, to viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections passed on from more or less direct human-animal contact. Aquatic animals are no exclusion to those transmissions, even though we might have a less tight bond with those animals. While my research focuses on disease processes in aquatic animals, I aim to also include the third leg of the paradigm (Environmental Health) by creating environmentally sustainable treatment solutions, using natural elements of the environment such as marine beneficial bacteria (probiotics) or herbal supplements to fight disease agents or to positively influence the host immune system.

The talk is part of the HMSC Seminar Series.  These presentations are free and open to the public.