The Clinical Microbiology Laboratories at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania comprise five individual laboratories, namely, Ryan Clinical Microbiology (CML-Ryan), New Bolton Center Clinical Microbiology (CML-NBC), the Salmonella Reference Center (SRC), Molecular Testing Laboratory (MTL) and the Salmonella Egg Testing (PEQAP) lab. The New Bolton Center Labs belong to the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System (PADLS). All labs perform diagnostic testing and each lab also has a research component.

KEY WORDS:
Salmonella, Staphylococcus, antibiotic resistance, molecular diagnostics, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE)

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Research performed at both the CML-Ryan and CML-NBC includes the development, validation and execution of molecular diagnostic assays, and discriminatory molecular typing methods for the diagnosis of infectious disease in animals. The CML-Ryan lab focuses primarily on the transmission of methicillin-resistant staphylococci isolated from companion animals and their potential to be transmitted to humans. At the SRC, surveillance of Salmonella strains isolated from food animals is a key research activity as a control measure in the prevention of food-borne disease outbreaks. We also study of the mechanisms of transferable and non-transferable antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella and other Enterobacteriaceae in natural populations. The MTL has recently added an ABI 310 DNA Sequencer and the fully validated MicroSeq™ Bacterial and Fungal Databases. This system offers the ability to rapidly identify uncommon bacterial and fungal pathogens that are fastidious or difficult to identify by conventional methods. DNA sequence-based identification of bacterial pathogens from sterile body fluids can be achieved in four hours and our research in this area is expected to enhance the diagnostic capabilities of veterinarians in the face of life threatening infections such as sepsis. A real-time 16S rRNA PCR assay has been developed for the rapid diagnosis of septic peritonitis and has shown great promise in many areas. In collaboration with colleagues at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Michigan state University College of Veterinary Medicine we continue to research the development of rapid diagnostics directly from clinical samples such as blood, CSF, aspirates and pleural fluid.

Abraham, Jill L. Morris, Daniel O. Griffeth, Gregory C. Shofer, Frances S. Rankin, Shelley C. Surveillance of healthy cats and cats with inflammatory skin disease for colonization of the skin by methicillin-resistant coagulase-positive staphylococci and Staphylococcus schleiferi ssp. schleiferi. Veterinary Dermatology 18: 252-9, 2007.

Morris, Daniel O. Rook, Kathryn A. Shofer, Frances S. Rankin, Shelley C. Screening of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus intermedius, and Staphylococcus schleiferi isolates obtained from small companion animals for antimicrobial resistance: a retrospective review of 749 isolates (2003-04). Veterinary Dermatology 17: 332-7, 2006.

You, Youwen. Rankin, Shelley C. Aceto, Helen W. Benson, Charles E. Toth, John D. Dou, Zhengxia. Survival of Salmonella enterica serovar Newport in manure and manure-amended soils. Applied & Environmental Microbiology 72: 5777-83, 2006.

Morris, Daniel O. Mauldin, Elizabeth A. O'Shea, Kathleen. Shofer, Frances S. Rankin, Shelley C. Clinical, microbiological, and molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections of cats. American Journal of Veterinary Research 67: 1421-5, 2006.

Preziosi, Diane E. Morris, Daniel O. Johnston, Matthew S. Rosenthal, Karen L. O'Shea, Kathleen. Rankin, Shelley C. Distribution of Malassezia organisms on the skin of unaffected psittacine birds and psittacine birds with feather-destructive behavior. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 228: 216-21, 2006.

Rankin, Shelley C. Whichard, Jean M. Joyce, Kevin. Stephens, Lynn. O'shea, Kathleen. Aceto, Helen. Munro, Donald S. Benson, Charles E. Detection of a bla(SHV) extended-spectrum {beta}-lactamase in Salmonella enterica serovar Newport MDR-AmpC. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 43: 5792-3, 2005.

Rankin, Shelley. Roberts, Scott. O'Shea, Kathleen. Maloney, Donna. Lorenzo, Marianne. Benson, Charles E. Panton valentine leukocidin (PVL) toxin positive MRSA strains isolated from companion animals. Veterinary Microbiology 108: 145-8, 2005.

Roberts, Scott. O'Shea, Kathleen. Morris, Daniel. Robb, Andrew. Morrison, Donald. Rankin, Shelley. A real-time PCR assay to detect the Panton Valentine Leukocidin toxin in staphylococci: screening Staphylococcus schleiferi subspecies coagulans strains from companion animals. Veterinary Microbiology 107: 139-44, 2005.

Olsen, Sonja J. Ying, Michelle. Davis, Meghan F. Deasy, Marshall. Holland, Ben. Iampietro, Larry. Baysinger, C Michael. Sassano, Frances. Polk, Lewis D. Gormley, Betty. Hung, Mary Jane. Pilot, Keith. Orsini, Maria. Van Duyne, Susan. Rankin, Shelley. Genese, Carol. Bresnitz, Eddy A. Smucker, Joseph. Moll, Maria. Sobel, Jeremy. Multidrug-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium infection from milk contaminated after pasteurization. Emerging Infectious Diseases 10: 932-5, 2004.

Liebana, Ernesto. Garcia-Migura, L. Guard-Petter, J. McDowell, S W J. Rankin, S. Opitz, H M. Clifton-Hadley, F A. Davies, R H. Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis phage types 4, 7, 6, 8, 13a, 29 and 34: a comparative analysis of genomic fingerprints from geographically distant isolates. Journal of Applied Microbiology 92: 196-209, 2002.

Davison, Sherrill. Benson, Charles E. Munro, Donald S. Rankin, Shelly C. Ziegler, Andre E. Eckroade, Robert J. The role of disinfectant resistance of Salmonella enterica serotype enteritidis in recurring infections in Pennsylvania egg quality assurance program monitored flocks. Avian Diseases 47: 143-8, 2003.

Rankin, Shelley C. Aceto, Helen. Cassidy, Jennifer. Holt, Jeff. Young, Sheri. Love, Brenda. Tewari, Deepanker. Munro, Donald S. Benson, Charles E. Molecular characterization of cephalosporin-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Newport isolates from animals in Pennsylvania. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 40: 4679-84, 2002.

BSc (Hons) (Microbiology) University of Glasgow, 1988

PhD (Molecular Epidemiology) University of Glasgow, 1996