Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Volume 29 Article 5
Issue 1 Special COVID Issue

1-31-2022

Virtual Training for Managing Emerging Zoonotic Diseases

including COVID-19
Ramjee P. Ghimire
Michigan State University, [email protected]

Karim M. Maredia
Michigan State University, [email protected]

Melinda J. Wilkins
Michigan State University, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation
Ghimire, R. P., Maredia, K. M., & Wilkins, M. J. (2022). Virtual Training for Managing Emerging Zoonotic
Diseases including COVID-19. Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, 29(1), 57-75.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4148/2831-5960.1019

This Research Article is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for
inclusion in Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education by an authorized administrator of New
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Virtual Training for Managing Emerging Zoonotic Diseases including COVID-19

Abstract
The burden of zoonotic diseases is an important global issue affecting human and animal health, food
value chains, international trade, and the environment. Two-thirds of the infectious diseases affecting
human health are of animal origin. Information and knowledge of zoonotic diseases and associated
effects is critical for managing these diseases. The World TAP at Michigan State University offered an
online course in zoonotic diseases in March 2021, which a diverse group of 42 participants from 15
countries in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Americas attended. Grounded on Experiential Leaning Theory
this paper discusses the conceptualization, design, implementation, outcomes of, and lessons-learned
from this course. Key contents of this comprehensive course included epidemiology of zoonotic diseases,
zoonoses of wildlife origin, utilizing a One Health approach to managing zoonoses, and roles of regional/
international organizations in strengthening zoonotic disease management capacities, and the lessons-
learned from the pandemic on diagnosis, prevention, and prediction of zoonotic diseases. The paired t-
test results using pre- and post-course survey data showed significant increases in the participants’ level
of knowledge on zoonoses post-course. in comparison to their pre-course knowledge. During the
interactive discussion, participants stressed the need for continuing information sharing, and networking.
For future offerings, the participants suggested adding impacts of zoonoses on international trade, and
effect of climate change on zoonoses., and increasing collaborations between national, regional, and
international organizations working on zoonoses. With the success of the first offering, MSU will continue
to offer this course in the future, may be in a hybrid mode.

Keywords
zoonotic diseases, training, capacity building, online course, experiential learning cycle

Funding Source
This course was possible because of the enthusiastic participants from 13 countries and expert speakers
from MSU and various international organizations. They are greatly appreciated for their participation in
and contribution to the course. The CANR and CVM leaderships, Dr. Kelly Millenbah and Dr. Srinand
Sreevatsan, respectively and their teams, encouraged and supported to organize this course to whom we
are greatly thankful to.

This research article is available in Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education:
https://newprairiepress.org/jiaee/vol29/iss1/5
Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education Volume 29, Issue 1

Virtual Training for Managing Emerging Zoonotic Diseases Including

COVID-19
Ramjee P. Ghimire, Michigan State University
Karim M. Maredia, Michigan State University
Melinda J. Wilkins, Michigan State University

Abstract
The burden of zoonotic diseases is an important global issue affecting human and
animal health, food value chains, international trade, and the environment. Two-
thirds of the infectious diseases affecting human health are of animal origin.
Information and knowledge of zoonotic diseases and associated effects is critical
for managing these diseases. The World TAP at Michigan State University offered
an online course in zoonotic diseases in March 2021, which a diverse group of 42
participants from 15 countries in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Americas
attended. Grounded on Experiential Leaning Theory this paper discusses the
conceptualization, design, implementation, outcomes of, and lessons-learned from
this course. Key contents of this comprehensive course included epidemiology of
zoonotic diseases, zoonoses of wildlife origin, utilizing a One Health approach to
managing zoonoses, and roles of regional/international organizations in
strengthening zoonotic disease management capacities, and the lessons-learned
from the pandemic on diagnosis, prevention, and prediction of zoonotic diseases.
The paired t-test results using pre- and post-course survey data showed
significant increases in the participants’ level of knowledge on zoonoses post-
course. in comparison to their pre-course knowledge. During the interactive
discussion, participants stressed the need for continuing information sharing, and
networking. For future offerings, the participants suggested adding impacts of
zoonoses on international trade, and effect of climate change on zoonoses., and
increasing collaborations between national, regional, and international
organizations working on zoonoses. With the success of the first offering, MSU
will continue to offer this course in the future, may be in a hybrid mode.
Keywords: zoonotic diseases, training, capacity building, online course,
experiential learning cycle
Acknowledgement: This course was possible because of the enthusiastic
participants from 13 countries and expert speakers from MSU and various
international organizations. They are greatly appreciated for their participation in
and contribution to the course. The CANR and CVM leaderships, Dr. Kelly
Millenbah and Dr. Srinand Sreevatsan, respectively and their teams, encouraged
and supported to organize this course to whom we are greatly thankful.

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Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education Volume 29, Issue 1

Introduction and Importance of Zoonotic Diseases

Zoonotic diseases, also called zoonoses, are infectious diseases transmitted
between animals to humans or from humans to animals. Globally one billion
cases of illness and millions of deaths are associated with zoonoses annually and
about 60% of emerging infectious diseases that are reported are zoonoses (WHO,
2021). Over 30 new pathogens affecting human health have been detected in the
last three decades, 75% of which have originated from animals (Jones et al.,
2008).
The imminent risks of zoonotic diseases are further substantiated by the
fact that the animal-human nexus is getting stronger and more important than
ever. Symbiotic relationships between human and animal systems that have
existed for time immemorial are critical for sustaining global ecosystems.
Consumption of animal-sourced food and the practice of owning pet animals,
especially in developing countries are on the rise. Regional and international trade
of livestock and livestock products is also rising. These trends are creating several
public health challenges, specifically related to zoonoses. COVID-19 (SARS-
CoV-2) is a current example of an emergent zoonotic pandemic. A deeper
understanding of zoonotic diseases, their dynamics, and interventions to prevent
and manage these diseases has become more critical than ever. Professionals
working in animal health and public health as well as allied sectors need to be
informed, educated, and empowered so that they can inform and educate their
clientele to prevent and manage the spread of zoonoses and minimize the damage
from these diseases.
Zoonotic diseases are global issues and widely discussed. According to
Kilpatrick and Randolph (2012) many vector-borne pathogens have appeared in
new regions, where they were not reported previously, for example, West Nile
virus in the United States and Chikungunya virus in Madagascar. They stressed
pathogens with zoonotic attributes thus transmitted are emerging in new regions
primarily because of pathogen movement due to trade and travel, whereas local
emergence is driven by a combination of environmental changes that affect
vectors and wildlife hosts and social changes such as poverty and conflict that
affect human exposure to vectors. Kilpatrick and Randolph (2012) further note
that pathogens found in new geographic regions are often explosive and cause
extensive initial damage. Climate change combined with deforestation, changing
land use patterns by humans - with more settlements being developed by clearing
forests - and increasing human population leading to increase in demand for food
and fiber, are exerting tremendous pressure on natural ecosystems. Increasing
contact between human and domestic animals with wildlife is also creating
opportunities for pathogens from wildlife to spill over into domestic animals and
human populations (Wang & Crameri, 2014).

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A wide range of diseases affecting humans (e.g., anthrax, tuberculosis,

plague, yellow fever, influenza, etc.) have originated in domestic animals, poultry,
and livestock. More recent outbreaks such as Ebola virus and severe acute
respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, have been traced to cave-dwelling bats
in Africa and bats and civets, respectively before infecting humans through the
wet markets and restaurants of southern China (Leroy et al., 2005; Li et al., 2005).
Influenza and coronaviruses top the list of viruses with pandemic potential;
both routinely emerge from animal sources (Grange et al., 2021).
The world is increasingly inter-connected. Emerging zoonoses in one
country can potentially spread rapidly and widely and become a threat to global
health security. Zoonoses are important not only because of high morbidity and
mortality placing immense pressure on public health systems but also because
they cause significant economic damage through loss in animal trade and travel as
well as loss of economic opportunities for the people through loss of livestock
(WHO, 2021). Zoonoses also affect food systems leading to food insecurity
because of the disruption in the food chains.
Need for Awareness, Education, Information, Training, and Capacity
Building on Zoonoses
Lack of awareness, education and information negatively affects zoonoses
management programs. Capacity for surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, record
keeping and data analysis, researching new and emerging zoonoses and study of
disease epidemiology are essential in zoonoses management, but many
developing countries are not prepared for these activities (WHO, 2021). Scholars
report limited response capacity at the local level in most countries due to lack of
awareness, inadequate supplies and human resource quality and quantities
(Devleesschauwer et al., 2014). Institutionalized inter-sectoral collaboration
between the key sectors, for example, animal health, public health, agriculture,
civil society, etc. that are critical for zoonoses management is often slow.
Accurate and current information and reports on zoonotic disease situations are
difficult to find because of the inability to obtain quality information from the
grassroot level and inadequate communication between agencies (WHO, 2021).
According to Seimenis (2010) in many countries stringent government policies to
manage zoonoses and hesitancy of senior officers to use those policies still
prevail. Inadequate information can delay efforts to develop policies, to garner
financial support and to launch public awareness campaigns (Seimenis, 2004).
Similarly, lack of knowledge about the zoonotic diseases (e.g., brucellosis, ebola,
anthrax, their causative agents, clinical symptoms, and transmission) among
health care workers are hampering zoonoses management in many countries in
sub-Saharan Africa (Benon et al., 2018).
There are several courses and training programs on zoonoses offered in
various formats and by many different organizations globally. They include but

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are not limited to courses offered by universities (Iowa State University:

https://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/product/zoonoses-course/; University of
Washington: https://deohs.washington.edu/cohr/zoonotic-disease; University of
Vermont: https://learn.uvm.edu/course/202101/15910/spring-2021/public-
health/one-health-zoonoses/); international organizations (The International
Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC): https://theiwrc.org/about-us;
https://wildlifecontroltraining.com/training/wildlife-diseases/); European Unions:
(https://zoeproject.eu/); and public agencies (Texas Department of State and
Health Services: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/idcu/health/zoonosis.aspx). To the
authors’ knowledge, none of the above courses and training programs cover topics
from the genesis of zoonoses to planning and management and predicting and
preventing future pandemics. Resource persons involved lack diversity in terms of
their research, education, and experience. As is obvious from the review,
zoonoses are not limited to specific geographic regions and they can spread
anywhere across the globe. The recent COVID-19 pandemic (a zoonotic disease)
has created a heightened interest in the education, awareness, and capacity
building in zoonotic diseases. Approaches to manage outbreaks vary from country
to country providing many opportunities for sharing experiences and best
practices.
In this context, Michigan State University in collaboration with global
partners has developed and piloted an international short course on zoonotic
diseases. This course aimed to provide a deeper understanding of zoonoses,
including epidemiology, control, and prevention of zoonotic diseases; provide
understanding of principles and practices of utilizing the One Health approach;
inform about the roles of international organizations, for example, World Health
Organization (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Food and
Agricultural Organizations for the United Nations (FAO), etc. in zoonoses
management; create awareness of impacts of COVID-19 and prevention of future
zoonotic diseases; and build a network of professionals working in the field of
international zoonoses.
Designing and implementation of this course is based on experiential learning
theory posited by Kolb (1984) (Figure 1). The learning cycle begins with
exploring, reviewing, and examining the world zoonoses situation and the
education and training programs offered globally (Reflective
Observation/Diverging). Information collected was critically examined and
analyzed which led to the conceptualization of this course (Abstract
Conceptualization: Concluding).

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Figure 1
Experiential Learning Cycle (Adapted from Kolb, 1984)

Next, the course was designed with objectives and contents, and resource
persons were identified, and the course was offered (Active Experimentation:
Planning). Finally, participants’ experience as well as the organizing team’s
experience of implementing this course were examined. The experiential learning
cycle repeats again, and this goes on with new knowledge generated and shared.
As is articulated in the Experiential Learning Cycle, “reflection” is imbedded as a
critical element to elevate simple experience to a learning experience, and it is
highly recommended to incorporate “reflection” into all activities along the
learning cycle of this and other similar educational programs (National Society
for Experiential Education, 2021).
Need Identification
The idea for this short course on zoonoses was conceived in early 2020;
however, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic (being a zoonotic disease)
encouraged a team at MSU to design and offer this course quickly. There was a
growing interest globally for educational and awareness programs related to
zoonotic diseases. The MSU team consulted with local, national, and international
stakeholders to identify the gaps in areas such as surveillance and disease
diagnosis that this could address.
Course Planning
The course was designed in a participatory way. Faculty members across
the Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Veterinary Medicine, and
Osteopathic Medicine at MSU and experts from the World Health Organization

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(WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), International Livestock

Research Institute (ILRI) and other relevant professionals working in animal
health research and education in the United States and around the world were
consulted. The course offered elsewhere along with their contents were reviewed
and course contents were finalized integrating those inputs. The course
components are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1.
Short Course on Zoonoses, Major Course Components
Epidemiology, Control and Prevention of Endemic/Emerging Bacterial, Viral,
Parasitic, and Fungal Zoonoses
Zoonotic Diseases of Wildlife Origin
One Health Program: Principles, Practices, and Importance in Zoonoses Management
Roles of WHO, OIE, FAO, and National, Regional and Private Veterinary Services in
Zoonoses Management
Public Health Approach to Detecting and Surveillance of Endemic/Emerging Zoonoses
Lessons-learned from COVID-19 and Predicting and Preventing Future Pandemic
Zoonoses

The One Health approach has been widely recognized and accepted for
zoonoses management globally. “One Health is a collaborative, multisectoral, and
trans-disciplinary approach - working at local, regional, national, and global
levels - to achieve optimal health and well-being outcomes recognizing the
interconnections between people, animals, plants and their shared environment”
(One Health Commission, 2021). The One Health approach recognizes that the
health of humans is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared
environment.
Implementation of the One Health approach has been mixed. The One
Health concept is widely accepted in Europe, but is yet to be fully implemented
there and more research and education are required to speed up its adoption
(Sikkema & Koopmans, 2016). The situation is similar in other continents. It was
critically important for participants to know about One Health, therefore, a special
session on One Health was required and offered.
International organizations like WHO, FAO, OIE, etc. have the mandate to
coordinate with countries to survey disease prevalence and develop international
charters, guidelines, protocols, and standard operating procedures and implement
them through the member countries. It was therefore essential for professionals in
public health, animal health, and associated fields to understand these guidelines,
charters, and their implementation modalities. Therefore, a session on “Roles of
WHO, OIE, and FAO in zoonotic disease management” was included. It was
critical to share experiences and lessons-learned about COVID-19 management in

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different parts of the world and co-learn. Thus, sessions on “Public health
approach to detecting and surveillance of endemic/emerging zoonotic diseases”
and “Lessons-learned on diagnosis and control of COVID-19: A case of
Pakistan” were included.
Wildlife are considered the reservoirs for most zoonotic pathogens.
Destruction of habitat for wildlife and increased human/wildlife interactions
create a conducive environment for pathogens to escape from their natural hosts
and spill over into other animal and human populations. To better understand this
phenomenon, two sessions “Emerging diseases of wildlife with examples of major
zoonotic diseases” and “Lessons-learned from zoonotic outbreaks of wildlife
origin” were included.
Zoonotic outbreaks can incur trillions of US dollars in costs across the
globe and prevention is much more cost-effective than responding to such
outbreaks (United Nations Environment Program and International Livestock
Research Institute, 2020). Dobson et al. (2020) estimate that the present value of
prevention costs for 10 years could be only about 2% of the costs of the COVID-
19 pandemic. Accordingly, one of the objectives of this course was to educate
participants about major zoonoses prevalent in the world and enable them to
predict and prevent future pandemic zoonoses. Thus, the culmination of the
course was a panel discussion on “Lessons-learned from COVID-19 and
predicting and preventing future pandemic zoonoses” organized as the last
session.
The course wrapped-up with a reflection on the experience of the course
from participants and closing remarks from the organizing committee members.
The pre- and post-course surveys were administered to participants, and a portion
of the survey results are presented later in the paper.
Participants and Resource Faculty Recruitment
The course was advertised through brochures mailed to institutions within
the U.S. and outside and emailed to individuals serving in but not limited to
human health, animal health, wildlife, and food safety in developing countries in
Asia and Africa. Institutions contacted included FAO, United States Department
of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS), OIE, One Health
Commission, among others. The course was conducted virtually from March 22-
26, 2021 using Zoom (zoom.us). Participants were reminded of the course date
along with the detailed program with sessions, speakers, duration, and date and
time one week ahead of the scheduled date. They were also provided with a zoom
link and a link for a Google shared folder where they could access presentations
and reference materials. Speakers were sent a zoom invite about one and half
weeks in advance of their scheduled session date and also reminded through email
one day prior to the day of their class. They were also provided with a link to the
Google shared folder and requested to upload their presentations and reading

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materials. Participants were provided access to presentations one day before the
scheduled date of the presentation.
Forty-two participants for this course came from 13 countries representing
Africa (25), Asia (6), Middle East (5), and the U.S. (5) (Table 2). Almost 40% of
participants were female, about half held a master’s degree, and 43% had an
undergraduate degree. Most participants work in the animal health sector (33%)
followed by food safety (20.5%), public health (15.4%), international trade,
environmental health, and biosafety. More than two-thirds were senior
government employees serving in regulatory and policy positions.

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Table 2
Participant Demographics
Particular Frequency %
Country Africa (25): Cameroon (1), Ethiopia (7),
(N=42) Ghana (3), Libya (1), Nigeria (2), Rwanda 25 61.9
(9), Sudan (1), Tanzania (1), Uganda (1)
Middle East (5): Egypt 5 11.9
Asia (6): Cambodia (4), Nepal (2) 6 14.3
USA (5) 5 11.9
Gender Male 23 60.5
(N=38) Female 15 39.5
Education Doctorate 2 5.4
(N=37) Master's 18 48.6
Undergraduate 16 43.2
Other (DVM) 1 2.7
Profession Academician 2 5.3
al groups Researcher 7 18.4
(N=38) Regulator 9 23.7
Policy maker 8 21.1
Practitioner 11 28.9
Other (Government employee) 1 2.6
Primary Public health 6 15.4
field of Animal health 13 33.3
work Wildlife 3 7.7
(N=39) Food safety 8 20.5
Other (Trade/International Trade Policy=4,
Biology=2, Veterinary Epidemiology and 9 23.1
One Health=1)
Sector Private Sector 2 5.3
(N=38) Public Sector 26 68.4
Non-profit/International non-profit 7 18.4
Other (Government) 3 7.9

The course resource persons represented WHO, OIE, ILRI, Centers for
Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), National Wildlife Health Center, National
Institutes of Health (NIH), Ghent University, Hanoi University of Public Health,
Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia University, the Global Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness & Response
(APAR), Central Health Establishment (CHE) Pakistan, and Michigan State

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University. They came from diverse fields representing animal health, public
health, wildlife, education, research, and non-profit organizations.
Program Implementation
With the expansion of internet availability, online education and training
are on the rise. The current COVID-19 pandemic has further necessitated the
adoption of online learning due to mandatory social distancing requirements
enacted in many countries. Most educational institutions are using online
platforms for teaching. In a study among undergraduate students in the California
State University San Bernardino, Ni (2013) found that participation in online
learning is less intimidating than in-class learning. In a study among
undergraduate students at a university in the Midwestern U.S., Sellnow-
Richmond, Strawser and Sellnow (2020) found that students desire more
interaction with both peers and instructors in online courses. A study among
students of an asynchronous online course in Taiwan, Wei and Chien (2020)
found students’ computer/internet self-efficacy and motivation for learning had a
direct, positive effect on their online discussion scores and course satisfaction. To
the authors’ knowledge no studies have documented the experiences of designing
and implementation of an online zoonoses short course.
The International Zoonoses Short Course sessions started with the
Program Manager introducing the speakers and the topics. Participants were
encouraged to ask questions throughout. All speakers gave live presentations
except one who provided a recorded presentation. There were two sessions
scheduled on the first and third day, three on the second, fourth and fifth day.
Knowledge Gains – Pre and Post-Test Results
In order to measure the effectiveness of the content provided during the
course, participants were asked to complete a knowledge survey before and after
the course. Each question started with “Please indicate your level of knowledge
on each of the following topics on or related to zoonoses”. Possible responses
ranged from 1= “No Knowledge” to 6 = “Very High Knowledge”. The paired t-
test was used to assess the statistical significance (2 tailed, alpha=0.5) of the
difference in mean scores of self-reported knowledge level on 18 different topics
before and after the training. Between 30 and 34 people completed each pre- and
post-course survey question. A statistically significant (p<0.05) gain in self-
reported knowledge was found for all 18 topic areas suggesting that the
participants found the content provided contributed greatly to improving their
level of knowledge. Each topic, pre-test mean and standard deviation, post-test
means and standard deviation, degrees of freedom and p-values are presented in
Table 3. Participants were asked about the effectiveness of each session with
response options being 1 = “Not Effective” to 5 = “Very Effective”. The average
response for all sessions combined was 4.35 (range 4.1 to 4.5: SD 1.36). For
each session, participants were also asked “How useful is this information to

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you?” with response options being 1 = “Not Useful” to 5 = “Highly Useful”. The
average response for all sessions combined was 4.34 (range 4.1 to 4.6: SD 1.45).

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Table 3.
Pre- and Posttest Self-reported Knowledge Level (means and standard
deviations) on Various Course Topics, Assessment Using Paired T-Test Analysis
Please indicate your level of knowledge p-value
D
on each of the following topics on or Pretest Posttest (2-
F
related to zoonoses: tailed)
Alpha
M SD M SD =0.05
Global status of zoonotic diseases 3.61 0.75 4.91 0.40 32 0.000*
Epidemiology, control, and prevention of
the major endemic bacterial zoonoses 3.67 1.10 4.97 0.41 33 0.000*
Epidemiology, control, and prevention of
the major emerging bacterial zoonoses 3.56 0.96 4.91 0.41 32 0.000*
Epidemiology, control, and prevention of
the major endemic viral zoonoses 3.45 0.79 4.81 0.36 30 0.000*
Epidemiology, control, and prevention of
the major emerging viral zoonoses 3.58 1.05 4.71 0.35 31 0.000*
Emerging zoonotic outbreaks of wildlife
origin 3.32 1.09 4.74 0.73 31 0.000*
Epidemiology, control, and prevention of
the major endemic parasitic zoonoses 3.43 1.43 4.73 0.62 29 0.000*
Epidemiology, control, and prevention of
the major emerging parasitic zoonoses 3.39 1.11 4.71 0.55 30 0.000*
Epidemiology, control, and prevention of
the major endemic fungal zoonoses 3.06 1.20 4.64 0.50 30 0.000*
Epidemiology, control, and prevention of
the major emerging fungal zoonoses 3.03 1.43 4.61 0.65 30 0.000*
One Health Program: Principles and
practices 3.69 1.19 4.97 0.55 31 0.000*
World Health Organization (WHO)'s roles
on zoonoses management 3.72 0.85 4.81 0.42 31 0.000*
Food and Agriculture Organization of the
UN (FAO)'s roles on zoonoses management 3.69 0.93 4.97 0.42 31 0.000*
Federal Government’s roles in the
investigation and prevention of zoonoses 3.64 1.80 4.82 0.40 32 0.000*
Public health approach for detecting and
surveillance of emerging zoonotic diseases 3.50 1.10 4.45 0.05 31 0.000*
Standard setting for zoonotic disease
mitigation and prevention as envisioned by
the World Animal Health Organization
(OIE) 3.45 1.51 4.67 0.48 32 0.000*
World Animal Health Organization (OIE)'s
roles for improving animal and public
health systems on zoonotic disease
management in its members countries 3.64 1.17 4.79 0.42 32 0.000*
Multifaceted effects of COVID-19
pandemic 3.72 1.50 4.81 0.48 31 0.000*
Note. *p < .001, 2-tailed test.

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Experiences with the Use of Zoom

About half of the respondents (46% of 35) acknowledged facing
challenges in learning virtually. Replying to what challenges you faced question,
14 of 15 reported issues with internet connection and three mentioned the
difference in time zones. To dive deeper into these challenges, attendees were
asked whether they faced any issues using Zoom. Only 3 of 34 indicated they
faced issues: taking longer to connect/join and issues with the internet.
Participants’ Feedback on the Short Course
When asked “What did you like the most about the course?” top
participant answers included: competent and expert resource persons/speakers
coming from diverse fields representing many parts of the world (n=9), followed
by comprehensive course contents (n=7), and well-organized and ordered
sessions (n=6).
“Good professors, everyone was free to interact and ask questions.”
“Interactive course, clear and well-organized presentations.”
“The caliber of most speakers was superb. I learned a lot and left me
wanting more.”
“The course covered a wide range of topics.”
“The presenters/speakers/panelists mastery of what they were teaching. The
organization was thoughtful.”
“The selected courses, the presenters and the materials.”
“The wide range of presenters and that the PowerPoints are detailed enough
that they will be continually useful as a resource.”
“Up-to-date contents and resource persons.”
“Very informative and educative.”

When asked “What did you like least about the course?” participants
mentioned: time (short time: n=8, time differences because of participant’s
different time zones=4). Furthermore, to the question “Please suggest any new
topics that you would like us to include in this course” 28 attendees responded
with requests to offer more information about Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
and approach to deal with it (n=2) and roles and responsibilities of governments,
researchers, and field practitioners in and strengthening these sectors for
zoonoses management (n=3), biosafety, biohazards, biosecurity, biotechnology
and zoonoses (n=4), diagnosis of zoonotic diseases (n=2). Additional topics
suggested included: epidemiological data analysis using various statistical

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software, fieldwork and ecology study on bats/rodents/other wildlife, food safety

and quality, hygiene, and HACCP System, zoonoses and the environment for
mitigation, challenges in international food trade, public health, research
findings-impact of zoonoses on economy, emphasis on One Health, and zoonoses
of companion animals (each n=1).
The most suggested method to make this course more effective and
participatory was to organize this course in-person or as a residential course with
opportunity for hands-on exercises, field tours and laboratory practices (n=9).
Including more interactive sessions such as breakout rooms (n=6), learning games
and short videos (n=3), and quizzes (n=3) to keep participants engaged and active
were other suggestions. A couple participants also suggested creating a WhatsApp
group and using it to communicate in the future. Select quotes from the
participants are provided below.
“I found it participatory. But the breakout room exercise that we did could
perhaps be applied more when there is more time.”
“Increase time of breakthrough rooms, suggest prior to the actual program
informal meeting with participants virtually sharing of what they are doing
in their country.”
“It was at its level best. If possible, it would have been more interesting and
participatory if it was in person (live) and with more hands-on.”
“It was very nice methods, but it is better to [make it] participatory and
experience sharing.”.
“It would have been good if it was residential course.”

To a question to provide additional suggestions about the course, if any,

23 participants responded. They reiterated making this course in-person,
increasing course and session duration, and making it more interactive. Many of
the respondents appreciated the way the course was managed. The following
select verbatims are self-explanatory.
“Give more time to topics, this course needs [sic] minimum 3 weeks.”
“I am very happy being part of this and all the presentations are very
interesting, and I gained an important knowledge. Thank you very much all
the presenters and the team organizing [sic] this course. This type of short
course is relevant for us especially for developing country.”
“I like the course, do not stop it. The course helps more people to be aware
of zoonotic diseases. If possible, course timeline should be extended [sic] to
one month.”

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“I really enjoyed the course and found it very informative. The presentation
facilitation and technology were very well done as well.”
“Really, I do not have words to thank you, especially [x]. You are very active
and excellent in your all things. Thank you very much Dr. xx”.
Discussion
Overall, the course was well received by the participants. Significant
change in their knowledge level after attending the course compared to their
knowledge level prior to the course is clearly demonstrated. The desire of many
attendees to make this an in-person course with hands-on opportunities is a
common weakness of any virtual educational program, i.e., not being able to
provide an opportunity to learners for “learning by seeing” and “learning by
doing.” Poor internet connectivity could also have significant bearing to the
learning as not all people in the world have equal access to reliable internet and
digital learning tools and platforms (Dhawan, 2020; Favale et al., 2020). On the
positive note, 42 people would not have been able to attend this course and learn
about zoonoses had it not been a virtual course. Organizing this course in-person
cannot be imagined without securing significant resources and importantly, the
ongoing pandemic would not allow travel at the time the course was offered.
Attendees’ acknowledgment of the diversity and extensive experience and
expertise of resource persons is one of the strengths of this course and this was
possible because of this course being virtual.
Participants’ suggestions to include new topics including but not limited to
AMR, biosafety, international trade of livestock and animal source foods, and
relationships between zoonoses and environment show increase in importance of,
and demand for, deeper discourse on zoonoses and the One Health approach. On
the method aspect, suggestions to include more breakout rooms, quizzes, show
short videos, and make the course more interactive reiterate the interest and
enthusiasm to the course and eagerness to engage in a deeper learning among
participants.
Lessons Learned and Way Forward
The course participants represented a diverse group of global stakeholders.
There was diversity not only in terms of participant nationalities but also in their
backgrounds, professions, knowledgebase, and their experience with zoonoses.
Offering a program with contents and delivery methods tailored to meet the needs
of this diverse group participants greatly helped make this program successful.
Effective communication, teamwork, appreciating and acknowledging each
other’s contributions, demonstration of flexibility from all concerned
(participants, resource persons, management), and good grasp of language were
critical to the success of the course.

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With regards to the resource persons who volunteered to this course and
whom course participants greatly appreciated, meeting with them virtually or
talking with them by phone, appreciating them for their responses, tweaking the
title and contents of their session per their suggestions, and importantly,
debriefing them before the course about course objectives are of paramount
importance to build trust and gain their support.
Organizing an online course in an important topic like zoonoses and
inviting senior professionals from four continents was challenging but it was
worthwhile. It is our belief that Michigan State University’s image as a global
educational hub has helped to win the trust of the participants and resource
persons and sponsors. Overall, the online course on zoonoses has a tremendous
scope globally. As suggested by the participants, making this course more
interactive and participatory and sharing country examples during sessions and
sustaining the quality of the course is critical for its sustainability.
While both online and in person courses have their own pros and cons, it
will not be possible to replace one by the other. However, the lessons-learned
from this and other online courses should be evaluated in order to update and
upgrade future online courses to make them more learner and instructor friendly
and interactive. This course could be offered as a hybrid course—both virtually
and in-person. The offering of the in-person course however depends on the
availability of the resources -- willingness of the participants to pay and
willingness of institutions to sponsor their participants. More critically, this will
be possible only if the pandemic is contained and controlled and international
travel becomes normal. There should be a plan to review the contents per
changing needs of the stakeholders and countries.
A One Health approach should continue to be a priority to manage
zoonoses. Zoonoses, food safety, international trade, and antimicrobial resistance
(AMR) should be discussed given their increasing prominence globally. Not only
in the countries in Asia and Africa, AMR is a growing concern in the U.S. as well
where more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur each year, and
more than 35,000 people die as a result of these resistant infections (CDC, 2019).
Climate change, wildlife habitat destruction caused by human activity,
along with the trend of more and more people keeping pet animals are increasing
the chances of infection and spread of zoonoses. Therefore, global collaboration
and cooperation on research, education and teaching is essential to manage
zoonoses.
Heeding to the points raised during the panel discussion, several initiatives
have been started. Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (APAR),
one of the collaborators of this course has established an international forum to
explore innovative ideas focusing on research, outreach and extension targeting
resource poor and marginalized people around the world. Importantly, a book on

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zoonoses with chapters referencing country examples from course participants;

and a regional conference focusing on zoonoses are being discussed.

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