A cross-sectional study investigated risk factors associated with choices to drink bottled water and tap water in rural Saskatchewan. Of 7,500 anonymous postal questionnaires mailed out, 2,065 responses were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Those who reported a water advisory (p < 0.001) or living in the area for £10 years (p = 0.01) were more likely to choose bottled water. Those who reported tap water was not safe to drink were more likely to choose bottled water, an effect greater for those who had no aesthetic complaints (p ≤ 0.001), while those with aesthetic complaints were more likely to choose bottled water if they believed the water was safe (p < 0.001). Respondents who treated their water and did not use a community supply were more likely to choose bottled water (p < 0.001), while those who did not treat their water were more likely to choose bottled water regardless of whether a community supply was used (p < 0.001). A similar pattern of risk factors was associated with a decreased likelihood of consuming tap water daily; however, the use of a community water supply was not significant. Understanding the factors involved in drinking water choices could inform public health education efforts regarding water management in rural areas.

Groundwater drinking water supply surveillance data were accessed to summarize water quality delivered as public and private water supplies in southern Saskatchewan as part of an exposure assessment for epidemiologic analyses of associations between water quality and type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Arsenic in drinking water has been linked to a variety of chronic diseases and previous studies have identified multiple wells with arsenic above the drinking water standard of 0.01 mg/L; therefore, arsenic concentrations were of specific interest. Principal components analysis was applied to obtain principal component (PC) scores to summarize mixtures of correlated parameters identified as health standards and those identified as aesthetic objectives in the Saskatchewan Drinking Water Quality Standards and Objective. Ordinary, universal, and empirical Bayesian kriging were used to interpolate arsenic concentrations and PC scores in southern Saskatchewan, and the results were compared. Empirical Bayesian kriging performed best across all analyses, based on having the greatest number of variables for which the root mean square error was lowest. While all of the kriging methods appeared to underestimate high values of arsenic and PC scores, empirical Bayesian kriging was chosen to summarize large scale geographic trends in groundwater-sourced drinking water quality and assess exposure to mixtures of trace metals and ions.

Water-related health challenges on First Nations reserves in Canada have been previously documented. Our objective was to describe factors associated with self-reported health effects from tap water in 8 First Nations reserve communities in Saskatchewan, Canada. Community-based participatory approaches were used in designing and implementing cross-sectional household surveys. Individual, household, community, and contextual effects were considered in multilevel analysis. Negative health effects from tap water were reported by 28% of households (n = 579). Concerns about environmental factors affecting water quality (odds ratio [OR] = 3.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.8-6.7), rarely or never drinking tap water (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.3-6.6), insufficient tap water (OR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.4-6.3), paying for bottled water (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.2-8.7), and dissatisfaction with tap water were associated with self-reported health effects (n = 393); however, the effect of dissatisfaction was modified by respondent age (P = .03). Quality and availability were associated with perceptions of health effects from drinking water, providing additional information on how ongoing concerns about drinking water influence self-reported health in some First Nations.

Trace mineral supplementation of beef cattle is essential for efficient reproduction and herd health. Understanding regional differences in cow trace mineral status could inform decisions about risks of deficiencies and supplementation management. Cow–calf surveillance projects provided three opportunities to evaluate the trace mineral status of Canadian beef cow herds. Blood samples were collected at pregnancy testing in 2014 from 102 cow–calf herds and in 2016 from 86 cow–calf herds in Western Canada. In 2019, blood samples were collected at pregnancy testing from cows in 163 cow–calf herds from Eastern and Western Canada. Serum samples were analyzed for copper, selenium, and molybdenum concentrations using a plasma mass spectrometer. The prevalence of copper deficient cows sampled from the Western provinces ranged from 24% to 43% across the three periods, and was 20% from Eastern Canada in 2019. The prevalence of selenium deficient cows ranged from 0.2% to 0.4% across the three projects in Western Canada, but was higher in Eastern Canada at 4.6% in 2019. High serum molybdenum was identified in 9.4% to 14% of cows across the three periods in Western Canada and in 15% of cows sampled in Eastern Canada in 2019. Serum copper, selenium, and molybdenum concentrations varied by cow age and month of sample collection. Serum selenium and molybdenum concentrations, but not copper, varied by soil type associated with the location of the farm. A subsample of samples from cows from Western Canadian herds provided body condition score (BCS) data, pregnancy status, and calf survival data and were used to estimate updated serum reference values for adequate concentrations. Age-specific values were required for selenium and molybdenum. Reference intervals (80%) were estimated from 2,406 pregnant beef cows from 99 herds with each cow having a BCS ≥ 2.5/5 and a live calf at 3 wk with no retained placenta: copper for all cows (0.379 to 0.717 ppm), selenium for cows <4 yr (0.052 to 0.152 ppm), and selenium for cows ≥4 yr (0.064 to 0.184 ppm). Upper 90% reference limits were also estimated for serum molybdenum for cows 0.104 ppm) and cows ≥4 yr (>0.110 ppm). The lower limits for the reference intervals for adequate copper and selenium are below those previously reported; nevertheless, they represent a large sample that was specifically applicable to extensively managed beef animals in western Canada.

Safe drinking water is a global challenge for rural populations dependent on unregulated water. A scoping review of research on human health risk assessments (HHRA) applied to this vulnerable population may be used to improve assessments applied by government and researchers. This review aims to summarize and describe the characteristics of HHRA methods, publications, and current literature gaps of HHRA studies on rural populations dependent on unregulated or unspecified drinking water. Peer-reviewed literature was systematically searched (January 2000 to May 2014) and identified at least one drinking water source as unregulated (21%) or unspecified (79%) in 100 studies. Only 7% of reviewed studies identified a rural community dependent on unregulated drinking water. Source water and hazards most frequently cited included groundwater (67%) and chemical water hazards (82%). Most HHRAs (86%) applied deterministic methods with 14% reporting probabilistic and stochastic methods. Publications increased over time with 57% set in Asia, and 47% of studies identified at least one literature gap in the areas of research, risk management, and community exposure. HHRAs applied to rural populations dependent on unregulated water are poorly represented in the literature even though almost half of the global population is rural.

Background/Objectives: Long-read metagenomic sequencing can detect bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) from bovine respiratory samples, providing an alternative to culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (C/S). This study applied Bayesian latent class models (BLCMs) to estimate the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of long-read metagenomic sequencing compared to C/S for detecting Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Histophilus somni, as well as associated macrolide and tetracycline resistance potential. Methods: Deep nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from fall-placed feedlot calves at arrival, 13, and 36 days on feed across two years and two metaphylaxis protocols. Samples underwent C/S and long-read metagenomic sequencing. BLCMs were used to estimate Se and Sp for the detection of bacteria and potential for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Results: Se and Sp for detecting respiratory bacteria by metagenomics were not significantly different than culture, with four exceptions. For the 2020 samples, Se for M. haemolytica was lower than culture, and Sp for H. somni was lower, while in both 2020 and 2021 samples, Se for P. multocida was higher for metagenomics than culture. The estimated Se and Sp of metagenomics for the detection of msrE-mphE, EstT, and tet(H) within bacterial reads were either not significantly different or were lower than AST, with Sp > 95% with one exception. Conclusions: This study provided BLCM-based estimates of clinical Se and Sp of metagenomics and C/S without assuming a gold standard in a large pen research setting. These findings demonstrate the potential of long-read metagenomics to support bovine respiratory disease diagnostics, AMR surveillance, and antimicrobial stewardship in feedlot cattle.