Introduction to waterborne pathogens from livestock and wildlife on California rangeland. Atwill, Rob^*,1, Nat. Res. Advisors, UCCE Livestock and², ¹ Veterinary Medicine Teaching Reseach Center, Tulare, CA, USA² All, Over, CA

ABSTRACT- Numerous pathogens are present in varying amounts in animal agricultural systems and free ranging wildlife that have the potential to be transmitted to humans through the waterborne route of exposure. In most if not all cases the microbial pathogens that function as a foodborne hazards will likewise function as waterborne hazards. An exact list of important zoonotic species present in North American animal agriculture and wildlife is hard to agree upon due to the lack of survey data in animals and credible evidence of animal-to-human waterborne transmission for many microorganisms. Nevertheless, the list of opportunistic or overtly pathogenic waterborne zoonoses would likely include some set of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and helminths, with a primary emphasis on bacterial and protozoal species that are shed in fecal material, such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, pathogenic Escherichia coli, and protozoal species such as Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia (a.k.a. G. duodenalis, G. intestinalis). A quick overview of these basic groups of pathogens and how they are manifested in animal populations will be presented. This information is the first step in designing beneficial management practices that reduce the risk of animal populations discharging unacceptable levels of these microbial hazards into surface water supplies.

KEY WORDS: pathogens, waterborne, livestock, wildlife