COMPANION ANIMAL ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP AND INFECTION CONTROL 2024-2025 SEMINAR SERIES

This seminar series is organized and hosted by the Education & Outreach working group of Companion Animal Antimicrobial Stewards (CAAMS), which formed after a 2023 antimicrobial stewardship workshop hosted at the University of Minnesota with Tufts University and Ohio State University. Register to attend and access clinically relevant information and cutting-edge research updates that will help you implement and expand an antimicrobial stewardship and infection control program in your hospital! Click on the seminar title below to register.

Breaking Down Barriers to Sustainable Antimicrobial Use in Cats

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a One Health challenge that necessitates improved antimicrobial use across all sectors. Existing recommendations support judicious antimicrobial use in companion animals including cats, but a range of individual and structural factors limit effective stewardship for feline veterinarians. In addition to challenges with diagnostics, perceived difficulty medicating cats and limited awareness of AMR can also lead to overuse of cefovecin, a critically important third generation cephalosporin. This presentation covers findings from a study with both cat owners and veterinarians on the drivers of cefovecin overuse and outlines actionable solutions to improve antimicrobial use in cats.

Presented by:
Dr. Amelia Greiner Safi, PhD, MS, earned her PhD in Social and Behavior Sciences from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and her MS in Communication from Cornell University – with an emphasis on risk, science and health communication. She currently serves as Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Public Health Practice in the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health at Cornell University. Dr Safi’s expertise spans: 1) multilevel influences on health, 2) strategic public health communication, 3) health disparities 4) emerging disease threats and 5) implementation science.

Casey Cazer, DVM, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in the Departments of Clinical Sciences and Public and Ecosystem Health. She is a veterinary epidemiologist researching antimicrobial resistance and stewardship through a One Health lens. Her work encompasses statistical and machine learning models to improve antimicrobial resistance surveillance, and systems-based approaches to enhance antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary settings. She is also the Associate Hospital Director at Cornell’s Small Animal Community Practice.

This program has been submitted (but is not yet approved) for 9 hours of continuing education credit (1 hour per session) in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. All seminars take place at 1:00 PM Eastern Time / 7:00 PM Central European Time.