Fantastic Beasts and the Infections They Transmit



 

Zoonotic diseases represent an ongoing risk to humans, especially with increased interactions between animals, vectors, and humans. Though human behavior can sometimes be modified to avoid zoonoses, often the exposure and interface with nature cannot be avoided. This interactive narrative case series explores the variety of zoonotic diseases that can be encountered in North America and discusses appropriate diagnostic testing strategies and tips/tricks to predicting these zoonoses.

Originally published on May 1, 2025


Lecture Presenter

Marc R. Couturier, PhD

Marc R. Couturier, PhD

Former Professor (Clinical)
University of Utah School of Medicine
Former Head of Clinical Operations for Clinical Microbiology and Immunology; Medical Director, Emerging Public Health Crises, Parasitology/ Fecal Testing, and Infectious Disease Antigen Testing
ARUP Laboratories

Dr. Marc R. Couturier was the head of clinical operations for clinical microbiology and immunology, a medical director of emerging public health crises and microbial immunology, parasitology and fecal testing at ARUP Laboratories and a professor of pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He received his PhD in Medical Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada in 2008 and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Alberta Provincial Laboratory for Public Health, developing molecular diagnostic tests for enteric pathogens from 2008-2009. Dr. Couturier completed Medical Microbiology fellowship training at the University of Utah from 2009-2011.

Dr. Couturier has an extensive research portfolio, with a focus on parasites, enteric diseases, and emerging pathogens. Specifically, Dr. Couturier has ongoing research related to improving diagnostic detection of enteric pathogens through molecular and artificial intelligence, particularly parasites of the GI tract. Dr. Couturier is an active physician educator and the former director of the Medical Microbiology Fellowship at the University of Utah and is a member of the College of American Pathologists Microbiology Resource Committee and ASCP Education Committee and RISE Exam Committees. He is the recipient of the 2017 Diagnostics Young Investigator award from the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) and is board certified by the American Board of Medical Microbiology.

Dr. Couturier is board certified in Medical Microbiology by the American Board of Medical Microbiology and is a member of the American Society for Microbiology, ASCP, and ACLPS.


Objectives

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the impact of various animal hosts-to-human diseases
  • Apply the appropriate testing methods to optimal detection of zoonotic diseases

Sponsored by:

University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, and ARUP Laboratories