One Health Microbial Quest!

Citizen science, also known as community science, engages the public to help answer scientific questions. Citizen science is a well-recognized and highly successful method of surveillance. Citizen science helps to improve the scientific community’s capacity and increase the public’s understanding of science.

The One Health Microbial Quest is a fun, easy, and FREE citizen science surveillance project where YOU get to help scientists collect data. The project is aimed at understanding what type of microbes (such as bacteria and viruses) are shared between people and the animals we interact with, such as pets and livestock, or the animals around us, including wildlife.

We will be testing animal poop samples for the presence of different viruses, including those that cause respiratory illnesses (such as COVID-19) and enteroviruses (such as the one that causes hand-foot-and-mouth disease).

We are interested in obtaining fresh or semi-fresh poop samples (less than 2 days old) from animals, including pets, livestock, and even wildlife that may be near your home. These samples will be screened for microbes in our Flagstaff laboratory.

Thanks for your interest in participating in the quest! Unfortunately, registration is currently closed.

We will be asking interested participants to answer a few brief questions. These include date of collection, type of animal the sample was collected from, city/county, and if anyone in contact with the animal had experienced recent illness. If you are interested in receiving project updates, responding to additional questions if applicable, and receiving results on the sample(s) submitted, you will also be able to provide contact information (e.g., an email address). No personal identification information on you or your animals will be released.

Yes, you can submit more than one sample if you have interactions with multiple animals, (e.g., have a cat and a dog, or have multiple horses). Please request the number of kits (up to 3 per participant) that you will need. You will need ONE kit for each animal. We also ask that you answer the questions for each individual animal’s sample.

Great news! In your kit, there are instructions on how to collect the poop sample and a sample collection tube. The tube has a stabilizing agent (clear liquid) that will make the sample safe and stable for transport. The cap on the tube has a spatula/scooper to make the poop easier to collect. Wash your hands before you collect the sample and wear the gloves provided in your kit. Follow the instructions on how much poop to collect (~1ml or 1g). Make sure you screw the cap on tightly after collection, use the parafilm wax strip to secure the cap, and place the barcode provided in the kit on the tube. Wash your hands after collecting the sample and complete the brief printed questionnaire provided in your kit.

Thank you for collecting the sample(s)! In your kit, you should have received extra Ziplock bags, a small shipping box, and a stamped envelope that you can use to return the sample collection tube(s). Ensure the parafilm wax strip is secured around the cap of the tube and place the tube in the quart size Ziplock bag with the white absorbent sheet. Please make sure you that have labeled your sample collection tube with the provided barcode and completed paper questionnaire prior to sending in your sample(s).

We recognize that participants may be very interested in learning the results of the sample(s) submitted. If you provide contact information on the questionnaire, we will be able to share some results directly with participants. This will include if the virus that causes COVID-19 was identified in the animal samples. All findings from the project in summary form will be also shared on our website in late 2022.

There are lots of microbes that can be shared between people and animals, most of which do not cause harm. So, don’t be alarmed. If you, a person in your household, or an animal you interact with shows any signs of illness, we recommend you consult with a human doctor or veterinarian. And remember – practicing proper hand hygiene is always a good idea!

Millions of human-animal interactions occur daily within the household or in a work environment (e.g., pet stores, petting zoos, farms). With that connection comes the potential for intimate interactions and the exchange of microbes that can be found on the skin, and in the respiratory and intestinal tracts. We hope to gain a better understanding of the extent of microbial sharing between humans and animals and help improve public health guidance of proper hygiene practices and education.

You can email us at citizen-science@tgen.org.