My name is Sabine Fischer-Daly and I am a member of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s class of 2018. American Samoa will be my home for two months this summer, where I will work as an Expanding Horizons fellow. I recently completed my second year at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine after having spent a few years teaching science in several different countries.

Where I’m Going

American Samoa is a U.S. territory located in the South Pacific Ocean, nearly halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. The island is 200 square kilometers in size and has a human population of 54,343 – roughly the size of Ithaca, NY. American Samoa’s economy is based mainly on the fishing and service industries, with tourism from cruise ships as a promising developing sector.

Why I’m Going

There are two One Health problems that I hope to help address in American Samoa, both related to dogs. American Samoa has a large population of free-roaming dogs, so many that there are now packs of dogs that are impacting the life and economy on the island. The large number of roaming dogs – who are often sick and territorial – scare visitors and deter people on the island from walking, jogging, riding bicycle and motorcycles. The dogs are negatively impacting transportation options, outdoor activities, and the tourism industry.

In addition to the negative impact on active lifestyles and the economy, many of the free-roaming dogs in American Samoa suffer from zoonotic diseases that impact the health of humans, including roundworm, hookworm and leptospirosis. Dogs with roundworm or hookworm pass eggs in their feces into soil. Humans, often children, become infected by accidentally swallowing contaminated soil. While neither has symptoms, severe infestations of roundworm may cause blindness, fever, or abdominal pain, and severe infestations of hookworm can cause anemia and protein loss.

Leptospirosis is spread from dogs to humans through urine contamination of soil and water sources. Outbreaks of leptospira in humans often follow periods of high rainfall in areas with poor sanitation systems and dogs roaming in proximity to water sources. When infected, the dogs show no symptoms of the disease. Humans with leptospirosis may suffer from a wide variety of symptoms including high fever, headache, chills, vomiting, and in severe forms, meningitis. The incidence of leptospirosis in humans in the Pacific Islands is high compared to other parts of the world, likely due the large, uncontrolled population of roaming dogs.

To address these One Health problems, I am going to work with the veterinarian at the American Samoa Department of Agriculture, Dr. Kristen Jensen , a CUCVM alumnus. Dr. Jensen has identified spay/neuter programs as the most sustainable strategy to reduce the America Samoa roaming dog populations. Over six years, just two dogs and their puppies can result in up to 67,000 dogs if all live and breed. To avoid such population explosions, spay and neuter programs are essential, especially in a small geographic area such as American Samoa.

What I’ll Be Doing

I will be spending two months with Dr. Jensen, who is the only veterinarian on the island, sterilizing and vaccinating free-roaming dogs against infectious diseases. In addition to reducing animal reproduction, neutering male dogs reduces their urge to mark territory, roam, and fight with other male animals; we hope that this will help to reduce the impact the roaming dogs have on public health and tourism.

While vaccinations can cure treated dogs, it is difficult to treat entire dog populations. Because of this, it is important to reduce the transmission of hookworm, roundworm, and leptospirosis from dogs to humans by washing hands with soap and water after playing with pets and animals and before handling food, deworming pets, washing food with soap before eating, and teaching children that it is dangerous to eat dirt or soil.

While the dogs are being treated, I will also take blood samples of the dogs in order to estimate the prevalence of leptospirosis using ELISA technology. I hope that this will contribute to the literature base and help to inform future public health prevention initiatives.

I look forward to sharing an update from the field as I learn more about, and practice, infectious disease control, small population management, herd health, preventive medicine, animal welfare and public education.