Population Medicine

 

department initiatives

Dr. Scott A. McEwen

Acting Chair (Sep 1, 2011 - Apr 30, 2012) - Professor
Dr. Scott A. McEwen

 

Email: smcewen@uoguelph.ca

Office: 201 - Clinical Research
Ext: 54751
Lab:
Ext:

Profile

My principal interests are food safety, antibiotic resistance and epidemiology. Research, teaching and mentoring graduate students occupy most of my time, but I also provide expert advice to a variety of governmental and non-governmental organizations in North America and Europe. These include various food animal industry groups, the World Health Organization, the United States Food and Drug Administration, and Health Canada.

Education

DVM, DVSc Guelph, Dip ACVP - University of Guelph

Research

My research group focuses on the epidemiology of foodborne and waterborne infections in animal and human populations. We have particular interests in E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter and antibiotic resistant organisms. We seek to better understand the dynamics of these infections in animals and humans, to determine risk factors for infection, and to evaluate methods of control. I like to work with graduate students and supervised 25 MSc and 8 PhD students.

Teaching

My research group focuses on the epidemiology of foodborne and waterborne infections in animal and human populations. We have particular interests in E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter and antibiotic resistant organisms. We seek to better understand the dynamics of these infections in animals and humans, to determine risk factors for infection, and to evaluate methods of control. I like to work with graduate students and supervised 25 MSc and 8 PhD students.

Links
Professional Experience & Honours

I consult on food safety, antibiotic resistance, epidemiology and other veterinary public health matters with a number of governmental and non-governmental organizations in North America and Europe, notably various food animal industry groups, the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, the World Health Organization, the United States Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Chair, Joint FAO/WHO/OIE Expert Meeting on Critically Important Antimicrobials, Rome, 26-30 November 2007.

Chair, Health Canada’s Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Risk Assessment. 2005-06.

Co-Chair. Expert Advisory Panel. Judicial Review of Meat Inspection in Ontario. 2004.

Rappateur, Joint FAO/OIE/WHO 2nd Workshop on Non-human Antimicrobial Usage and Antimicrobial Resistance: Management Options, Oslo, Norway, 15-18 March 2004.

Chair, Joint First FAO/OIE/WHO Expert Workshop on Non-human Antimicrobial Usage and Antimicrobial Resistance: Scientific assessment, Geneva, 1-5 December 2003.

Chair, WHO International Review Panel Evaluation of the Termination of the Use of Antimicrobial Growth Promoters in Denmark. 2003. Report available at http://www.who.int/salmsurv/links/gssamrgrowthreportstory/en/.

Chair, Health Canada Advisory Committee on Animal Uses of Antimicrobials and their Impact on Resistance and Human Health, 1999-2002. Final report available at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/vetdrugs-medsvet/amr_final_report_june27_tc_e.html.

Selected Publications
  • Rajic, A, O’Connor, BP, Deckert, AE, Keenliside, J, McFall, ME, Reid-Smith, R, Dewey, CE, McEwen, SA. Farm-level risk factors for Salmonella shedding in 89 Alberta swine finishing farms. Can J Vet Res. 2007 Oct;71(4):264-70.
  • Akwar TH, Poppe C, Wilson J, Reid-Smith RJ, Dyck M, Waddington J, Shang D, Dassie N, McEwen SA.  Risk Factors for Antimicrobial Resistance among Fecal Escherichia coli from Residents on Forty-Three Swine Farms. Microb Drug Resist. 2007;13(1):69-76.
  • Pearl DL, Louie M, Chui L, Dore K, Grimsrud KM, Martin SW, Michel P, Svenson LW, McEwen SA. The use of randomization tests to assess the degree of similarity in PFGE patterns of E. coli O157 isolates from known outbreaks and statistical space-time clusters. Epidemiol Infect 2007 Jan;135(1):100-9.
  • McEwen SA. Antibiotic use in animal agriculture: what have we learned and where are we going? Anim Biotechnol. 2006;17(2):239-50.
  • Rajic A, Reid-Smith R, Deckert AE, Dewey CE, McEwen SA. Reported antibiotic use in 90 swine farms in Alberta. Can Vet J. 2006 May;47(5):446-52.
  • McEwen SA, Wilson TM, Ashford DA, Heegaard ED, Kuiken T, Kournikakis B. Microbial forensics for natural and intentional incidents of infectious disease involving animals. Scientific and Technical Review 2006; 25(1): 329-339.
  • Pearl DL, Louie M, Chui L, Dore K, Grimsrud KM, Leedell D, Martin SW, Michel P, Svenson LW, McEwen SA. The use of outbreak information in the interpretation of clustering of reported cases of Escherichia coli O157 in space and time in Alberta, Canada, 2000-2002. Epidemiol Infect. 2006 Aug;134(4):699-711.
  • Jones, A.Q., Dewey C.E., Dore, K., Majowicz, S.E., McEwen, S.A., Waltner-Toews,D., Henson, S.J., Mathews, E. Public perception of drinking water from private water supplies: focus group analyses. BMC Public Health 2005, 5:129.
  • Innocent GT, Mellor DJ, McEwen SA, Reilly WJ, Smallwood J, Locking ME, Shaw DJ, Michel P, Taylor DJ, Steele WB, Gunn GJ, Ternent HE, Woolhouse ME, Reid SW. Spatial and temporal epidemiology of sporadic human cases of Escherichia coli O157 in Scotland, 1996-1999. Epidemiol Infect. 2005 Dec;133(6):1033-41.
  • McEwen SA, Fedorka-Cray P. Antimicrobial use and resistance in animals. Clin Inf Dis. 2002. 34 (Suppl): S93-106.
  • Jordan, D., McEwen, S.A., Lammerding, A.M. McNab, B., and Wilson, J.B., 1999. Pre-slaughter control of Escherichia coli O157 in beef cattle: a simulation study. Prev. Vet. Med., 41: 55-74.