B-1048: Group B Streptococcus: a killer of fish and men

Presenter: Dr. Ruth N. Zadoks

Date: September 15, 2021 Time: 12:00 PM UTC

CEPD credits are available for this event

Costs for training: Free to full members, Free to student members, Non member/guest: $15

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Presentation Synopsis:

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has just released a Risk Profile on group B Streptococcus, also known as Streptococcus agalactiae, in freshwater fish. Why is this organism on FAO’s radar? What does it do to freshwater fish and people? Does it affect any other species? Drawing on collaboration with experts in aquaculture, medical microbiology and other disciplines across the globe, this presentation will explore what we know about its epidemiology and control, and what we still need to find out.

Presentation Learning Objectives:

  1. 1. Understanding of GBS risk to fish
  2. 2. Understanding of GBS risk to people
  3. 3. Insight into GBS control options

Speaker Bio:

Prof. Ruth Zadoks is a veterinarian and molecular epidemiologist who has studied group B Streptococcus across host species and continents for more than a decade. Coming from a background in dairy herd health, she was introduced to GBS as an aquatic pathogen through collaboration with the Institute of Aquaculture in Stirling, UK. Since then, she has worked on GBS as aquatic and multihost pathogen in a variety of countries and contexts with collaborators ranging from aquatic and medical microbiologists to biomedical engineers and anthropologists. With colleagues from Singapore, she was one of the drivers behind the recently published FAO Risk Profile on GBS in freshwater fish, which will be one of the topics covered in the presentation.