Research Interests
My laboratory focuses on understanding the distribution and clustering of diseases at the population level.
We use spatial and conventional modeling approaches to identify infection risk factors to aid public health authorities in developing disease prevention programs.
My laboratory also conducts research studies that evaluate the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance in commensal and pathogenic bacteria of humans and animals.
Courses Taught
I teach Spatial Epidemiology (PATH/GGIS 560) each fall. This course is a graduate-level course with a hands-on component with the goal of teaching students to identify the causes of health disparities across time and locations. I use real-life examples from public, animal, and environmental health.
Additional Campus Affiliations
Assistant Professor, Pathobiology
Affiliate, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
Highlighted Publications
Yudhanto, S., & Varga, C. (2023). Knowledge and Attitudes of Small Animal Veterinarians on Antimicrobial Use Practices Impacting the Selection of Antimicrobial Resistance in Dogs and Cats in Illinois, United States: A Spatial Epidemiological Approach. Antibiotics, 12(3), Article 542. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12030542
Hedman, H. D., Krawczyk, E., Helmy, Y. A., Zhang, L., & Varga, C. (2021). Host Diversity and Potential Transmission Pathways of SARS-CoV-2 at the Human-Animal Interface. Pathogens, 10(2), 1-28. Article 180. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10020180
Varga, C., John, P., Cooke, M., & Majowicz, S. E. (2020). Spatial and space-time clustering and demographic characteristics of human nontyphoidal Salmonella infections with major serotypes in Toronto, Canada. PloS one, 15(7), Article e0235291. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235291
Varga, C., Guerin, M. T., Brash, M. L., Slavic, D., Boerlin, P., & Susta, L. (2019). Antimicrobial resistance in fecal Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica isolates: A two-year prospective study of small poultry flocks in Ontario, Canada. BMC Veterinary Research, 15(1), Article 464. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-019-2187-z
Varga, C., McDonald, P., Brown, W. M., Shelton, P., Roca, A. L., Novakofski, J. E., & Mateus-Pinilla, N. E. (2022). Evaluating the ability of a locally focused culling program in removing chronic wasting disease infected free-ranging white-tailed deer in Illinois, USA, 2003–2020. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 69(5), 2867-2878. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.14441
Recent Publications
Chen, C., Martins, M., Nooruzzaman, M., Yettapu, D., Diel, D. G., Reinhart, J. M., Urbasic, A., Robinson, H., Varga, C., & Fang, Y. (2024). Spatial and temporal clustering of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Illinois household cats, 2021–2023. PloS one, 19(5), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299388
John, P., Varga, C., Cooke, M., & Majowicz, S. E. (2024). Temporal, spatial and space–time distribution of infections caused by five major enteric pathogens, Ontario, Canada, 2010–2017. Zoonoses and Public Health, 71(2), 178-190. https://doi.org/10.1111/zph.13096
Sodagari, H. R., Agrawal, I., Sohail, M. N., Yudhanto, S., & Varga, C. (2024). Monitoring antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter isolates of chickens and turkeys at slaughter establishment level across the United States, 2013-2021. Epidemiology and Infection, 152, Article e41. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268824000359
Agrawal, I., Bromfield, C., & Varga, C. (2023). Assessing and improving on-farm biosecurity knowledge and practices among swine producers and veterinarians through online surveys and an educational website in Illinois, United States. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10, Article 1167056. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1167056
Hung, C. C., Varga, C., Reinhart, J. M., Maddox, C. W., Dilger, R. N., Forsythe, L., Stevenson, A. K., Franklin-Guild, R. J., Paul, N. C., & Ramachandran, A. (2023). Assessing the urinary concentration of nitrofurantoin and its antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, and Enterococcus faecium isolated from dogs with urinary tract infections. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10, Article 1189374. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1189374