People

Pam M. Dennis

DVM, MSL, PhD Diplomate ACZM

Associate Professor - Practice

Contact

dennis.129@osu.edu (614) 292-1206 Sisson Hall
1920 Coffee Road
Columbus, OH 43210
Map Link

Department

Veterinary Preventive Medicine

Professional Training and experience

  • MSL, environmental law, Vermont Law School
  • DVM, North Carolina State University
  • Internship, Large Animal Medicine and Surgery, North Carolina State University
  • Residency, Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, University of Florida
  • PhD, Ohio State University

Research Interests

  • Epidemiology of infectious and non-infectious diseases of captive and free-ranging wildlife


The Epi-Zoo Program

The Ohio State University Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in partnership formed the Epi-Zoo Program and hired Dr. Pam Dennis to lead research that will investigate the relationships between animal management, disease, and the environment. Information gained through this research is instrumental in improving the health and welfare of zoo animals and free-ranging animal populations. The goal of this collaboration is to link a wide range of expertise available at OSU to the considerable resources, expertise, and opportunities available around the world through the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, as a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), is part of an integrated network of accredited institutions dedicated to excellence in animal care and welfare, conservation, education, and research. The mission of the Epi-Zoo Program is to assess the health, disease and environment of captive and free-ranging wildlife populations, to improve and monitor the health and well-being of these populations, and to provide research, education and training opportunities in wildlife health. There is vast research potential through this collaborative effort as the questions involving veterinary wildlife epidemiology are never-ending. Recognizing that most emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, and that many of them have emerged at the human-wildlife interface (eg Ebola virus, SARS, West Nile virus in the United States, monkeypox), the Epi-Zoo Program creates a unique avenue to foster research in emerging infectious diseases. In addition, the Program expands the opportunity for research in comparative medicine, particularly in the area of chronic diseases and non-infectious diseases, many of which are seen in both humans and captive wild species (eg hemochromatosis, cardiovascular disease, different neoplasias). The zoo, the University students and faculty, as well as the public will benefit as the program develops.

Current projects include:

    Avian influenza surveillance in Ohio zoos;
    disease surveillance in Cleveland Metroparks white-tailed deer herds;
    insulin resistance as a risk factor in reproductive acyclicity in African elephants;
    Effects of dietary resistant starch on cardiovascular parameters, colon health and the occurrence of regurgitation and reingestion in captive gorillas;
    hepatocellular cholestasis in Geoffroyi's tamarins; investigation of the relationship between body condition and the skewed natal sex ratio in captive black rhinoceros;
    descriptive epidemiology of captive slenderhorn gazelle and gerenuk in the United States;
    diabetes in captive tamandua

 

Professional Memberships

  • American College of Zoological Medicine
  • American Association of Zoos and Aquariums
  • American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
  • Wildlife Disease Association
  • American Veterinary Medical Association

Veterinary Epidemiologist
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
3900 Wildlife Way
Cleveland, OH 44109
Ph: (216) 635-2520
Fx: (216) 635-3318
pmd@clevelandmetroparks.com

Publications

2021

  • Hale, V.L.; Dennis, P.M.; McBride, D.S.; Nolting, J.M.; Madden, C.; Huey, D. et al. (2021). SARS-CoV-2 infection in free-ranging white-tailed deer. Nature, doi:10.1038/s41586-021-04353-x
  • Tennant, K.S.; Dennis, P.M.; Less, E.H.; Lukas, K.E. (2021). Prevalence of regurgitation and reingestion and occurrence of coprophagy in the North American AZA Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) population. Zoo Biol, doi:10.1002/zoo.21659
  • Hale, V.L.; Dennis, P.M.; McBride, D.S.; Nolting, J.M.; Madden, C.; Huey, D. et al. (2021). SARS-CoV-2 infection in free-ranging white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ). bioRxiv, doi:10.1101/2021.11.04.467308
  • Ballash, G.A.; Munoz-Vargas, L.; Albers, A.; Dennis, P.M.; LeJeune, J.T.; Mollenkopf, D.F.; Wittum, T.E. (2021). Temporal Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance of Fecal Escherichia coli from Deer. Ecohealth, 18 (3), 288-296. doi:10.1007/s10393-021-01559-3
  • Minich, D.; Madden, C.; Evans, M.V.; Ballash, G.A.; Barr, D.J.; Poulsen, K.P. Dennis, P.M. et al. (2021). Alterations in gut microbiota linked to provenance, sex, and chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Sci Rep, 11 (1), 13218. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-89896-9
  • Conrad, J.; Norman, J.; Rodriguez, A.; Dennis, P.M.; Arguedas, R.; Jimenez, C. et al. (2021). Demographic and Pathogens of Domestic, Free-Roaming Pets and the Implications for Wild Carnivores and Human Health in the San Luis Region of Costa Rica. Vet Sci, 8 (4), doi:10.3390/vetsci8040065

2020

  • Moll Remington J., Ortiz-Calo Waldemar, Cepek Jonathon D., Lorch Patrick D., Dennis Patricia M., Robison Terry, Montgomery Robert A. (2020) The effect of camera-trap viewshed obstruction on wildlife detection: implications for inference. Wildlife Research 47, 158-165. https://doi.org/10.1071/WR19004
  • Moll, R.J., Eaton, J.T., Cepek, J.D., Lorch Patrick D., Dennis Patricia M., Robison Terry, Tsaio, Jean, Montgomery Robert A. Dynamic rodent behavioral response to predation risk: implications for disease ecology. Oecologia 192, 67–78 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-019-04565-z
  • Leeds, A, Good, J, Schook, MW, Dennis PM, Stoinski TS, Willis MA, Lukas KE.    Evaluating changes in salivary oxytocin and cortisol following positive reinforcement training in two adult male western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Zoo Biology. 2020; 39: 51– 55. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21524
  • Moll, R.J., Cepek, J.D., Lorch, P.D., Dennis, P.M., Robison, T. and Montgomery, R.A. (2020), At what spatial scale(s) do mammals respond to urbanization? Ecography, 43: 171-183. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.0476

2018

  • KM Anderson, M Garner, PM Dennis. (2018). Causes of mortality in sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) housed in U.S. zoos. 2018  JZAR 6(1) 12-15
  • KM Anderson, AH Lewandowski, PM Dennis. Suspected Hypervitaminosis D In Red-Rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta Leporina) Receiving A Commercial Rodent Diet. JZWM 49(1):196-200.
  • JB Rose, S Davies, KM Anderson, GS Allan, PM Dennis, R Malik. (2018). Treatment Of Mycotic Rhinosinusitis In A Bennett's Wallaby (Macropus Rufogriseus) Using Topical Voriconazole Suspended In A Reverse Thermodynamic Pluronic Gel. JZWM 49(1): 231-236
  • KM Anderson, PM Dennis. (2018). Retrospective Mortality Review Of Six Callitrichid Species Housed At A Single Institution (1990–2014). JZWM 49(3): 715-721. 
  • ML Monson, PM Dennis, KE Lukas, KL. Krynak, SR Carrino-Kyker, DJ Burke, MW Schook. (2018). The effects of increased hay-to-grain ratio on behavior, metabolic health measures, and fecal bacterial communities in four Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Zoo Biol: 37:320–331.
  • RJ Moll, JD Cepek, PD Lorch, PM Dennis, T Robinson, JJ Millspaugh, RA Montgomery. ( 2018). Humans and urban development mediate the sympatry of competing carnivores. Urban Ecosystems 21(4):765-778. 
  • CC Lepard, RJ Moll, JD Cepek, PD Lorch, PM Dennis, T Robison, RA Montgomery. (2018). The influence of the delay period setting on camera trap data storage, wildlife detections, and occupancy models. Accepted for publication in Wildlife Research.

2017

  • Krynak, K.L., David J. Burke, Ryan A. Martin, Patricia M. Dennis. Gut microbiome composition is associated with cardiac disease in zoo-housed western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) FEMS Microbiology Letters, Volume 364, Issue 15, 15 August 2017, fnx149, https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnx149.
  • Wagman, J., Lukas, K.E., Dennis, P.M., Willis, M., Carroscia, Joe; Gindlesperger, C., & Schook, M.W.  A work-for-food enrichment program increases exploration and decreases stereotypies in four species of bears.  Revisions returned to Zoo Biology on 07/31/17.
  • Rose, J.B., Sarah Davies, Kadie M. Anderson, Graeme S. Allan, Patricia M. Dennis, and Richard Malik. Treatment Of Mycotic Rhinosinusitis In A Bennett’s Wallaby (Macropus Rufogriseus) Using Topical Voriconazole Suspended In A Reverse Thermodynamic Pluronic Gel. Submitted to JZWM on September 14, 2017. Accepted October 26, 2017.
  • Weiss, R., Schook, M., Robison, T.L., Keisler, D., Dennis, P.M.  Assessing the Condition of Whitetail deer using Serum Leptin and Traditional Post Mortem Indices of Body Condition.  Submitted to the Wildlife Society Bulletin Nov. 28, 2017
  • R. J. Moll, J. D. Cepek, P. D. Lorch, P. M. Dennis, T. L. Robison, J. J. Millspaugh, R. A. Montgomery. Human Superpredators Mediate The Spatio-Temporal Dynamics Of A Dominant-Subordinate Carnivore Pair Across A Heterogeneous Urban System. Submitted to Ecography Dec 8, 2017.
  • Sullivan, K.E., Marcus Clauss, Patricia M. Dennis, Elizabeth Koutsos, Michele Miller, Francisco Olea-Popelka, Eduardo V. Valdes.  A Review of Current Goals and Practical Action Plans from 2016 Workshop on Iron Overload Disorder in Browsing Rhinos at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Submitted to Zoo Biology July 11, 2017 Rejected.
  • Leeds, A., Dennis, P.M., Lukas, K.E., Stoinski, T.S., Willis, M.A., & Schook, M.W.  Validating the measurement of oxytocin in western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) urine and saliva using a commercial enzyme immunoassay.  Submitted to American Journal of Primatology on 05/12/17.  Rejected on 05/26/17.  Submitted to journal Primates on 08/11/17. Reviewer comments back on 9/20/17, revision for resubmission in progress.
  • Ballash, G.A., M.C. Jenkins, O.C.H Kwok, J. P. Dubey,  A.B. Shoben, T.L. Robison, T. Kraft, E. E. Shaffer and P. M. Dennis. The effect of urbanization on Neospora caninum seroprevalence in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).  To be submitted to Veterinary Parasitology
  • Monson, M., Dennis, P.M., Lukas, K.E., Kyker, S., Krynak, K., Burke, D., & Schook, M.W.  Preliminary implications regarding the effects of increased hay to grain ratio on behavior, metabolism, and fecal microflora diversity in four Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi). To be submitted to Zoo Biology

2016

  • Fuller, G., Raghanti, MA, Dennis, PM, Kuhar CW, Willis, MA, Schook, MW, Lukas, KE. "A comparison of nocturnal primate behavior in exhibits illuminated with red and blue light." Applied Animal Behavior Science. Vol. 184, (Nov 2016): 126-134. (Published). 20% Authorship
  • Leeds, A, Stone D, Johnson, B, Less, E, Schoffner, T, Dennis, P, Lukas, K, and Wark, J. "Managing repetitive locomotor behaviour and time spent off exhibit in." Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research. Vol. 4, no. 2. (May 2016): 109-114. (Published). 15% Authorship
  • Jason D. Wark, Laura Amendolagine, Kristen E. Lukas, Christopher W. Kuhar, Patricia M. Dennis, Charles T. Snowdon, Tad Schoffner, Mandi W. Schook. "Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite responses to management stressors and social change in four species of callitrichine monkeys." Primates. Vol. 57, (Feb 2016): 1-11. (Published). 20% Authorship.

2015

  • Katherine L. Krynak, Ronald G. Oldfield, Patricia M. Dennis, Michael Durkalec, Claire Weldon, "A novel field technique to assess ploidy in introduced Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cyprinidae)". Biological Invasions. Vol. 17, 131-1939. 2015.
  • Schook,Mandi,W; Wildt,David,E; Raghanti,Mary,Ann; Wolfe,Barbara,A; Dennis,Patricia,M, "Increased inflammation and decreased insulin sensitivity indicate metabolic disturbances in zoo-managed compared to free-ranging black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis).". General and comparative endocrinology. Vol. 217-218, 10-19. 2015.
  • Gregory A Ballash, J P Dubey, O C H Kwok, Abigail B Shoben, Terry L Robison, Tom J Kraft, Patricia M Dennis, "Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and Free-Roaming Cats (Felis catus) Across a Suburban to Urban Gradient in Northeastern Ohio.". EcoHealth. Vol. 12, no. 2: 359-367. 2015.