Karen Shapiro

DVM, PhD, MPVM

Adjunct Professor, Ontario Veterinary College, Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph; School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California

Location

Guelph, Ontario

Keywords

Zoonoses, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, water quality, food safety, detection, transmission, epidemiology, ecology, wildlife, public health

Research interests

My research interests span the epidemiology, ecology, detection, and transmission mechanisms of zoonotic waterborne pathogens. Much of my work has targeted the waterborne transmission of Toxoplasma gondii, particularly the land-to-sea transmission of this parasite along coastal California. Other projects have investigated contamination of water and shellfish by Giardia and Cryptosporidium. An integral component of my research program is to employ a holistic, One Health approach, integrating studies on wildlife populations, people, and our environment. Ongoing and future topics that I am interested in pursuing include the effects of landscape change and climate variability on disease transmission; impacts of water scarcity and impaired quality on human and animal population health, and food safety.

Expertise in

Cryptosporidiosis

Cyclosporiasis

Detection/Diagnostics

Epidemiology

Food

Giardiasis

Marine Mammals

Public Health

Shellfish

Surveillance

Toxoplasmosis

Veterinary

Relevant publications

Krusor, C., Smith, W. A., Tinker, M. T., Silver, M. S., Conrad, P. A., and K. Shapiro. 2015. Concentration and retention of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts by marine snails demonstrate a novel mechanism for transmission of terrestrial zoonotic pathogens in coastal ecosystems. Environmental Microbiology. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.12927.

Shapiro, K., VanWomer, E., Aguilar, B., and P. Conrad. 2014. Surveillance for Toxoplasma gondii in California mussels (Mytilus californianus) reveals transmission of atypical genotypes from land to sea. Environmental Microbiology. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.12685

Adell, A., Smith, W. Shapiro, K., Melli, A., and P. Conrad. 2014. Molecular epidemiology of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. in mussels (Mytilus californianus) and California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) from central California. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 80(24):7732-40. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02922-14

Shapiro, K., Krusor, C., Mazzillo, F., Conrad, P., Largier, J., Mazet, J., and M. Silver. 2014. Aquatic polymers can drive pathogen transmission in coastal ecosystems. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 281: 1795 20141287. doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.1287.

Miles E. Daniels, Hogan J., Smith W. A., Los Huertos M., Oates S. C., Miller M. A., Hardin D., Shapiro K., Conrad P. A., Dominik C., and F. G. R. Watson. 2014. Estimating environmental conditions affecting protozoa pathogen removal in surface water wetland systems using a multi-scale model-based approach. Science of the Total Environment. 493: 1036–1046

Orlofsky, E., Gillor, O., Melli A., Miller,, W. A., Wuertz, S., Bernstein, N., and K. Shapiro. 2013. Simultaneous detection of Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum (oo)cysts in soil using immunomagnetic separation and direct fluorescent antibody staining. Journal of Microbiological Methods. 94: 375-377

VanWormer, E., Fritz, H., Shapiro, K., J.A.K. Mazet, and P.A. Conrad. 2013. Molecules to modeling: Toxoplasma gondii oocysts at the human-animal-environment interface. Comparative Immunology, Microbiology & Infectious Diseases. 36: 217-231

Shapiro, K., Silver, M.W. Largier, J.L., Conrad P.A., and J.A.K. Mazet. 2012 Association of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts with fresh, estuarine, and marine macroaggregates. Limnology & Oceanography. 57(2) 449-456

Shapiro, K., Conrad, P.A., Mazet, J.A.K., Wallender W.W., Miller W.A., and J.L. Largier. 2010. Effect of estuarine wetland degradation on transport of Toxoplasma gondii surrogates from land to sea. Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 76(20) 6821-8

Shapiro, K., Mazet, J.A.K., Schriewer A., Wuertz, S., Fritz, H., Miller, W.A., Largier, L., and P.A. Conrad. 2010. Detection of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts and surrogate microspheres in water using capsule and ultrafiltration and capsule filtration. Water Research 44(3) 893-903.

Shapiro, K., Largier, L., Mazet, J.A.K., Bernt, W., Ell, J.R., Melli, A., and P.A. Conrad. 2009. Surface Properties of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts and surrogate microspheres. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 75(4) 1185-91.

Contact

kshapiro@ucdavis.edu