University of Pennsylvania: School of Veterinary Medicine

Charles E. Benson A.B., M.S., Ph.D.

Professor of Microbiology
Chief of Clinical Veterinary Microbiology Laboratory at New Bolton Center

Department of Pathobiology
382 West Street Rd
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
Kennett Square, PA 19348

Research Interests

The primary objective of the laboratory is to develop techniques and protocols that will be of value in the delineation of clinical problem problems relative to the practice of veterinary medicine in large animals. Thus a large number of different research approaches have been applied to assisting the clinical faculty in the pursuit of specific clinical problem. In addition, the laboratory has focused on Salmonella pathogenesis in avian species and large animals. We were the first laboratory in the USA to isolate Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) from the ovaries of egg-laying hens and have participated extensively in the development of the microbiological protocols to assess the presence of SE in the egg and environment. At the present we are working to define the mode of transmission of SE in chickens. In addition, we have adapted a rapid PCR approach to detect salmonellae in the feces of horses entering the George Widener Hospital at New Bolton Center as an assessment tool that could be used to determine the restriction and infection control procedures that will be utilized to manage the clinical case. In keeping with the original objective, we are involved in several studies of staphylococcal mastitis in dairy cows to define frequency of transmission among casual contact and improved modes of therapy without using antibiotics. The Laboratory of Microbiology at New Bolton Center has adapted the World Health Organization guidelines for Salmonella serotyping to organize the Salmonella Reference Center (of Pennsylvania) define the serotype of all veterinary isolates of salmonellae in Pennsylvania. We are working on several molecular approaches to accomplish the same goal (establishing the serovar of the pathogen) apart from this serological protocol. The Clinical Veterinary Microbiology at New Bolton Center is a part of the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic laboratory system in partnership with the appropriate laboratories at Penn State and the Department of Agriculture and is accredited by the American Association of Veterinary laboratory diagnosticians. Dr. Benson was one of the founding constructors of this system in 1988. Dr. Benson teaches in the Core Veterinary Microbiology course and is the course organizer for Food Safety and Quality Assurance presented in the senior year curriculum.

Selected Publications

Cogan, T., F. Jorgensen, H.M. Lappin-Scott, C.E. Benson, M.J. Woodward, T.J. Humphrey. 2004. Flagella and curli fimbriae are important for the growth of Salmonella enterica in hen eggs. 2004. Microbiology 150: 1063-1071.

Orsini, JA, PJ Moate, J. Engiles, T. Norman, R. Poppenga, CE Benson, RC Boston. 2004. Cefotaxime kinetics in plasma and synovial fluid following intravenous administration in horses. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 27: 293-298.

Rankin, SC, JM Whichard, K Joyce, L Stephens, K O’Shea, H Aceto, DS Munro, CE Benson. 2005. Detection of a blaSHV extended-spectrum B-lactamase in Salmonella Newport MDR-AmpC. Accepted for publication in Emerging Diseases.

Benson, CE, S Young, MP Battenfelder, CN Benson, DS Munro, T Cogan, T Humphrey . 2005. Egg culture methodology: Brief Communication: A useful amendment to egg culture protocols for the isolation of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis. Submitted: Journal of Investigative Veterinary Diagnostics. (August 2005)

Rankin, S., S. Roberts, K. O’Shea, D. Maloney, M. Lorenzo, CE Benson. 2005. Panton valentine leukocidin (PVL) toxin positive positive MRSA strains isolated from companion animals. Vet Microbiol. M108: 145-148.

Orsini, J.A., P.J. Moate, R.C. Boston, T. Norman, J. Engiles, C.E. Benson and R. Poppenga. 2005. Pharmacokinetics of imipenem-cilastatin following intravenous administration in healthy adult horses. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 28: 355-361.