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Professor Javier Guitian

LV MSc PhD DipECVPH FHEA FIFST GradStat
Professor of Veterinary Public Health

Department: Pathobiology & Population Sciences

Campus: Hawkshead

Research Groups: Pathogen Flow in Ecosystems, Sustainable Food Systems, Food Safety, Antimicrobial Resistance, IRLFS (Research Programme)

Research Centres: Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health

Javier is Professor of Veterinary Public Health within the Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group in the Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, he leads the RVC Food Safety research group.

Javier obtained a veterinary degree and a PhD in veterinary epidemiology from the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain. He also holds an MSc in data analytics. Before joining the RVC as a lecturer in population medicine in 2002, Javier worked in the private sector for three years, focusing on diagnostics and herd health in Spain. Concurrently, he lectured part-time at the University of Porto in Portugal. In 2010, he was appointed Professor of Veterinary Public Health.

Javier serves as a consultant epidemiologist to the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency. He acts as the Head of the RVC’s FAO Reference Centre in Veterinary Epidemiology and as the Institute Lead of the WOAH Collaborating Centre in Risk Analysis and Modelling.

Javier is a Graduate Statistician of the Royal Statistical Society and a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology. He holds an honorary research associate position at the Social Sciences Research Institute (INCISO) of Universidad Mayor de San Simon, Bolivia.

Javier conducts applied research on a range of topics across the animal and human health spectrum, mostly focusing on zoonotic diseases and food safety. His work combines epidemiological studies in livestock and human populations and analysis of animal and public health surveillance data. Javier is involved in research in the UK, India, Rwanda, Jordan, Peru and Bolivia. Ongoing projects include:

Together with Prof. Joanne Webster, he is currently supporting FAO with the development of technical guidelines for the surveillance of endemic zoonoses in the animal source.

For a full list of publications click

Nunney E, Crotta M, van Winden S, Bond K, Green M, Guitian J. . Prev Vet Med. 2023 Sep 9;219:106022. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2023.106022. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37738751.

Guitian J, Arnold M, Chang Y, Snary EL. . Rev Sci Tech. 2023 May;42:230-241. English. doi: 10.20506/rst.42.3366. PMID: 37232301.

Holt HR, Walker M, Beauvais W, Kaur P, Bedi JS, Mangtani P, Sharma NS, Gill JPS, Godfroid J, McGiven J, Guitian J. . J R Soc Interface. 2023 Mar;20(200):20220756. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0756. Epub 2023 Mar 8. PMID: 36882115; PMCID: PMC9991488.

Holloway P, Gibson M, Nash S, Holloway T, Cardwell J, Al Omari B, Abu-Basha E, Mangtani P, Guitian J. . Zoonoses Public Health. 2023 May;70(3):238-247. doi: 10.1111/zph.13019. Epub 2023 Jan 5. PMID: 36601879.

Nunney E, Crotta M, van Winden S, Bond K, Green M, Guitian J. . J Dairy Sci. 2022 Oct;105(10):8354-8363. doi: 10.3168/jds.2021-21753. Epub 2022 Aug 31. PMID: 36055833.

Holloway P, Gibson M, van Doremalen N, Nash S, Holloway T, Letko M, Cardwell JM, Al Omari B, Al-Majali A, Abu-Basha E, Mangtani P, Munster VJ, Guitian J. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021 Sep;27(9):2301-2311. doi: 10.3201/eid2709.203508. PubMed PMID: 34423762; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8386791.

 Takahashi EA, Masoud L, Mukbel R, Guitian J, Stevens KB.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020 Nov 23;14(11):e0008852. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008852.

Mohammed Hegazy Y, Schley D, Ridler A, Beauvais W, Musallam I, Guitian J.Transbound Emerg Dis. 2020 Oct 28;. doi: 10.1111/tbed.13897.

. Food Control. Volume 121, March 2021, 107662. doi: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2020.107662.

Chinchio E, Crotta M, Romeo C, Drewe JA, Guitian J, Ferrari N. PLoS Pathog. 2020 Oct;16(10):e1008922. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008922. 

Patterson S, Bond K, Green M, van Winden S, Guitian J. Prev Vet Med. 2020 Aug;181:104634. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2019.02.009. 

Chengat Prakashbabu B, Cardwell JM, Craighead L, Ndour APN, Yempabou D, Ba E, Bada-Alambedji R, Akakpo AJ, Guitian J. BMC Public Health. 2020 May 20;20(1):742. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-08877-1. 

Mangtani P, Berry I, Beauvais W, Holt HR, Kulashri A, Bharti S, Sagar V, Nguipdop-Djomo P, Bedi J, Kaur M, Guitian J, McGiven J, Kaur P, Singh Gill JP, Grover GS, Kumar R. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Apr 8;114(4):255-263. doi: 10.1093/trstmh/trz133.

Musallam I, Ndour AP, Yempabou D, Ngong CC, Dzousse MF, Mouiche-Mouliom MM, Feussom JMK, Ntirandekura JB, Ntakirutimana D, Fane A, Dembele E, Doumbia A, Ayih-Akakpo AAPS, Pato P, Pali M, Tapsoba ASR, Compaore GM, Gagara H, Garba AI, Chengat Prakashbabu B, Craighead L, Takahashi E, McGiven J, Nguipdop-Djomo P, Mangtani P, Alambédji-Bada R, Akakpo AJ, Guitian J. Acta Trop. 2019 Sep;197:105042. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105042. 

Beauvais W, Zuther S, Villeneuve C, Kock R, Guitian J. R Soc Open Sci. 2019 Jan;6(1):181043. doi: 10.1098/rsos.181043.

Neves MI, Malkawi I, Walker M, Alaboudi A, Abu-Basha E, Blake DP, Guitian J, Crotta M. Epidemiol Infect. 2019 Jan;147:e134. doi: 10.1017/S0950268818003308. 

Chengat Prakashbabu B, Marshall LR, Crotta M, Gilbert W, Johnson JC, Alban L, Guitian J. Parasites & vectors. 2018; 11(1):257.

Meyer A, Holt HR, Oumarou F, Chilongo K, Gilbert W, Fauron A, Mumba C, Guitian J. Parasites & vectors. 2018; 11(1):154.

 Meyer A, Bond K, Van Winden S, Green M, Guitian J.Prev Vet Med. 2018 Feb 1;150:30-37. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.11.016.

Crotta M, Limon G, Blake DP, Guitian J. International journal of food microbiology. 2017; 261:95-101.

Wall BA, Arnold ME, Radia D, Gilbert W, Ortiz-Pelaez A, Stärk KD, Van Klink E, Guitian J. Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles. European communicable disease bulletin. 2017; 22(32).

 Limon G, Beauvais W, Dadios N, Villena I, Cockle C, Blaga R, Guitian J. Foodborne pathogens and disease. 2017; 14(5):269-281.

. Crotta M, Georgiev M, Guitian J. Food control. 2017 May; 75:29.

Hill AA, Crotta M, Wall B, Good L, O'Brien SJ, Guitian J. Royal Society open science. 2017; 4(3):160721.

Georgiev M, Beauvais W, Guitian J. Epidemiology and infection. 2017; 145(3):553-567.

 Crotta M, Paterlini F, Rizzi R, Guitian J. Journal of dairy science. 2016; 99(2):1029-38.

 Holt HR, Selby R, Mumba C, Napier GB, Guitian J. Parasites & vectors. 2016; 9(1):53.

 Beauvais W, Musallam I, Guitian J. Parasites & vectors. 2016; 9(1):55.

 Musallam II, Abo-Shehada MN, Guitian J. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene. 2015; 93(6):1148-55.

 Musallam II, Abo-Shehada M, Omar M, Guitian J. Preventive veterinary medicine. 2015; 118(4):387-96.

 Fournié G, Guitian J, Desvaux S, Cuong VC, Dung do H, et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2013; 110(22):9177-82.

Javier is involved with undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in epidemiology, food safety and public health. He regularly contributes to international training courses and in the last 15 years, he has designed and taught courses in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Javier co-led the , one of the first education twinning programs endorsed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). He was involved in the design and delivery of the China Field Epidemiology Training Program for Veterinarians since its inception in 2011, contributing to the training of five cohorts of veterinary epidemiologists in China over a 10 year period. Between 2020 and 2023, Javier supported FAO with the development and implementation of  field epidemiology training programs for veterinarians in Jordan, Malaysia, Philippines and Turkey.

Javier is actively involved in promoting epidemiology and its potential contribution to public health with the general public through different outreach activities. He volunteers for the statisticians for society program of the Royal Statistical Society, currently supporting the .

 

 

  • Control of brucellosis in dairy herds in Rwanda

    We are working with overseas partners to research the frequency and distribution of brucellosis among dairy herds, and longitudinal studies to identify Brucella species causing infection in dairy herds.

    Brucellosis is the world's most widespread zoonosis, imposing a substantial burden on the livelihoods of poor people as a result of human disease and reduced livestock productivity. However, brucellosis is rarely a priority for health systems and for this reason the WHO classifies brucellosis as a "neglected endemic zoonosis"

  • Foodborne diseases and public health governance: Comparing food safety, consumer preferences and governance in the supply of meat to urban markets.

    Foodborne diseases are a major cause of morbidity, mortality and undernutrition including micronutrient deficiencies, with animal-derived food posing the highest risk for consumers in low and middle-income countries such as Peru. Traditional food markets are still the dominant distribution channel for locally produced food in developing countries and the main food source for most poor urban households. The research explores the safety of meat supplied through traditional food markets that serve poor urban consumers. 

  • Genetic and non-genetic factors in Campylobacter levels in poultry

    Researchers explored variation at specific positions in chickens’ genome and their association with Campylobacter in the birds’ guts. Campylobacteriosis exerts profound societal and economic costs to the UK and other countries. The World Health Organization has estimated that Campylobacter causes 95 million illnesses, 21,000 deaths and loss of 2.1 million disability-adjusted life years globally. In the UK alone, there were 63,946 laboratory-confirmed human cases in 2017.

    The study concluded that, although there are genetic factors that influence Campylobacter colonisation, these factors play a relatively minor role.

  • Responding to the challenge of MERS-CoV: Development and testing of interventions to reduce risk among Bedouin populations in southern Jordan

    Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging infectious disease first identified in Jordan and Saudi Arabia in 2012. Clinical cases present as an acute respiratory infection with rapid onset pneumonia and, in many cases, death.

    In this interdisciplinary research, we study the biological and sociocultural contexts of the disease among at-risk Bedouin populations in southern Jordan. In particular, we are seeking to understand which individuals, or camels, should be targeted for future vaccination, the correct seasons for the deployment of such vaccines and the sociocultural issues that are driving the infection.

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