About

Jeff B. Bender is a Professor in Environmental Health Sciences and an Adjunct Professor in Veterinary Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota. His research spans a broad range of topics within veterinary science and public health, with a particular focus on infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and zoonotic pathogens such as Salmonella. Bender's work contributes significantly to understanding and combating infectious diseases in both human and animal populations, emphasizing the One Health approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health. His expertise aligns with multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Clean Water and Sanitation, and Responsible Consumption and Production, among others. Throughout his career, Bender has been involved in numerous research projects and grants, including leadership roles in initiatives addressing pathogen genomics, agricultural safety and health, antimicrobial-resistant infections, and COVID-19 response strategies. His research outputs include over 130 publications, reflecting his active engagement in advancing knowledge on infectious disease epidemiology, occupational health in veterinary settings, and health and safety training for immigrant agricultural workers. Bender's interdisciplinary work supports efforts to improve public health outcomes, enhance disease prevention, and promote sustainable and safe agricultural practices.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Genetics
• Microbiology
• Biology

Selected publications

• Health and safety training for immigrant dairy workers in the Upper Midwest

  Journal of Dairy Science · 2025-01-07 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  This project implemented Seguridad en las Lecherías, an award-winning, bilingual (Spanish and English), 5-module curriculum approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The intervention aimed to increase safety knowledge among immigrant dairy workers, encourage a safety culture, and identify challenges faced by the dairy farming community in Minnesota and South Dakota. A total of 360 Hispanic immigrant workers from 19 participating dairies were trained. Pre- and post-assessments revealed a statistically significant increase in knowledge after each training. Producers and managers provided positive feedback noting improved awareness of safety and positive behavior changes to reduce farm incidents. A flexible approach to implementation was essential to the intervention's success, including synchronizing training with workers' shifts. Overall, this application of the Seguridad en las Lecherías curriculum suggests that comprehensive, culturally responsive safety training delivered in the language spoken by workers can have a positive effect on workers' safety knowledge, practices, and behavior on dairy farms. Continued efforts to prioritize and reinforce worker safety are vital to the sustainability and well-being of the dairy farming community in the region and beyond.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Phylogenomic associations among methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> isolates derived from pets, dairies, and humans

  Microbiology Spectrum · 2025-05-01 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus is conferred by the mobile genetic element, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCC mec ). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can transmit among animals and humans, leading to persistence and back transmission events. The current study tested the hypothesis that companion animal and livestock-associated (LA) MRSA isolates share genomic similarity, suggesting shared ancestry with hospital-associated (HA) or community-associated (CA) MRSA. Eight S . aureus isolates from therapy dogs ( n = 5) and bulk tank milk ( n = 3) were genome sequenced, and 71,721 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) locations were extracted and phylogenetically compared against methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and MRSA genomes of isolates from a variety of species and time frames, available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed to define S. aureus lineages across isolates from animals and humans. Four isolates from companion animals and three bulk tank milk isolates clustered with human isolates, while one companion animal isolate clustered with genomes of MRSA isolated from swine. Four therapy dog isolates had CA-MRSA SCC mec types IVa, IVc, and V/VII, respectively, while one therapy dog and one bulk tank milk isolate shared SCC mec type (IIa) that is commonly seen in HA-MRSA. Two isolates from bulk tank milk were methicillin sensitive and did not carry mecA . IMPORTANCE Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are a major medical concern, causing a range of conditions from skin infections and invasive disease to death. MRSA was discovered as a nosocomial infection; however, it has since been isolated in communities and animals worldwide. This research was significant because canine and bulk tank milk isolates were found to have genomic relatedness to human and domestic animal S. aureus isolates. This genetic relatedness implies either a parallel evolution within hosts converging to successful genotypes or real interspecies transmission events among animals and humans.

  PublisherDOI

• Estimating Infected Blacklegged Tick Encounters Among Outdoor Workers in Minnesota

  EcoHealth · 2025-09-18 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Outdoor workers are at increased risk of tick-borne diseases, yet we poorly understand the interaction between occupational risk factors and worker behavior. This study integrates active tick surveillance with worker-reported survey data to assess how occupational behaviors, demographic characteristics, and tick-prevention knowledge influence exposure to infected ticks. We collected blacklegged ticks ( Ixodes scapularis ) from three Minnesota counties to determine the infection prevalence and density of infected ticks for Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum . Molecular surveillance was coupled with outdoor worker surveys that ascertained exposure characteristics to model individual-specific probabilities of encountering infected ticks during their job responsibilities. From May to July 2023–2024, 872 ticks were collected, where 45.6% ( n = 398) were infected with B. burgdorferi and 7.2% ( n = 78) were infected with A. phagocytophilum . Across both years, maximum infected tick densities peaked in Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area at 0.80 (0.22 [IQR 0.16, 0.48]) per 100 m 2 , were intermediate in Lake Elmo Park Reserve at 0.35 (0.12 [IQR 0.05, 0.18]) per 100 m 2 , and lowest in Whitewater Wildlife Management Area at 0.25 (0.04 [IQR 0.02, 0.13]) per 100 m 2 . Forty-two survey responses revealed individual probabilities of encountering infected ticks ranged from ~ 5 to 65% for B. burgdorferi and ~ 0–25% for A. phagocytophilum . Our results suggest that outdoor workers have a high probability of encountering infected ticks through occupational exposure, which was marginally associated with demographic factors (e.g., age) and preventive behaviors (e.g., tick checks, repellent use). This study reports elevated B. burgdorferi infection prevalence from adult (62.1%) and nymphal (36.5%) blacklegged ticks within Minnesota.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Exploring long COVID in pediatric patients: clinical insights from a long COVID clinic

  Frontiers in Pediatrics · 2025-10-15 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background Long COVID describes the persistence or recurrence of symptoms beyond the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection and is increasingly recognized in children and adolescents. Despite its prevalence, understanding of symptom patterns and the influence of vaccination on disease trajectory in pediatric populations remains limited. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of patients aged 0–21 years evaluated at the Long COVID Clinic at Children's Hospital Los Angeles between August 2021 and November 2023. Patients were included if they reported persistent or new symptoms ≥4 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results A total of 123 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 13.1 years, and 51% were male. Symptom onset occurred a mean of 5 weeks after infection. At presentation, 56% of patients reported symptoms lasting 0–24 weeks, 28% for 25–52 weeks, and 16% for &amp;gt;52 weeks. Fatigue (93%) and headache (70%) were the most prevalent symptoms in both younger (&amp;lt;12 years) and older (&amp;gt;12 years) cohorts. Female patients more frequently reported brain fog, dizziness, palpitations, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Overall symptom burden decreased significantly over time ( p &amp;lt; 0.001). Vaccination status at baseline was not associated with difference in symptom duration on initial presentation ( p = 0.4). However, among those vaccinated after developing long COVID, 41% reported subjective improvement in the following weeks. Conclusion Pediatric long COVID is marked by prolonged, multisystem symptoms. Vaccination may offer symptomatic benefit for some patients, though larger prospective studies are necessary to better define its role.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Application of adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence for hygiene assessment in a veterinary medical center

  American Journal of Veterinary Research · 2025-03-21 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Objective: To assess the effectiveness of cleaning protocols and support infection prevention efforts, we instituted ATP bioluminometer monitoring at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center. Our objective with this serial cross-sectional study was to summarize our ATP bioluminescence reading from animal and human contact areas and the impact of seasonality. Methods: From April 2020 through November 2023, swabs were collected from common contact surfaces at the hospital. Using the 3M Clean-Trace ATP Luminometer, relative light units (RLUs) served as a surrogate for an assessment of hygiene. Relative light unit values were compared by location, season, and "animal contact" or "human contact" surfaces. A mixed model compared RLU levels across different locations and dates. Results: ATP readings varied across locations, ranging from 5 to 301,158 RLUs, with a mean of 1,441.14 (± 8,951.79), a median of 494, and an IQR of 1,138. Most readings were below 1,000 RLUs (67%), and 37% were below 300 RLUs. Animal contact areas had lower RLU readings compared to human contact areas. The mixed model identified statistically significant variable RLU values by location but not by season. Conclusions: We observed a wide variation in median RLU values across the sampled locations. This is to be expected since hospital environments are dynamic, with varied animal and human interactions throughout the day as well as changing staffing patterns and patient volumes across different seasons. Clinical Relevance: Maintaining high hygiene standards is crucial for patient well-being and reducing the risk of healthcare-associated, zoonotic, and antimicrobial-resistant infections. The use of the ATP bioluminometer is one tool to reduce healthcare-associated infections and support better patient outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Recurring bacterial strains, subclusters, and the importance of practising lessons learned

  Epidemiology and Infection · 2024-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Exploring Long COVID in Pediatric Patients: Clinical Insights from a Long COVID Clinic

  Research Square · 2024-09-26

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Precipitation isn't runoff: Exploring the potential bias associated with this often-used proxy in climate change epidemiology

  ISEE Conference Abstracts · 2024-07-31

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Estimating Underdetection of Foodborne Disease Outbreaks

  Emerging infectious diseases · 2024-10-23 · 1 citations

  letterOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Mentorship of the next generation of One Health workers through experiential learning: A case of students of Makerere University

  CABI One Health · 2023-11-30 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Multiple zoonotic disease outbreaks occurred in Uganda over the past two decades and have needed operationalization of the One Health (OH) Approach to respond effectively. Between 2016 and 2018, the African One Health University Network (AFROHUN) supported 61 students (25 females, 36 males) to join multisectoral and multidisciplinary government national and district task force disease response teams. The goal of joining these teams was to build and strengthen the students’ disease investigation and response skills in real time using a One Health approach. Qualitative methods were used to collect student and partner responses on their field experiences. The AFROHUN project identified the experiential knowledge and skills that the students gained. Student project reports were reviewed by the joint technical teams from the university and the national/district task forces. These included training materials and disease outbreak investigation and response reports. Partnerships and collaboration between the university One Health networks and the government enabled 35 graduate and 26 undergraduate students to receive joint mentorship from the national or district task force outbreak response teams. Most participants were from degree programs in Public Health, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Veterinary, Wildlife Sciences, and Infectious Disease Management, while few students were from social sciences. Students were mentored in seven competency-based areas of disease management: (1) biorisk management, (2) community engagement and coordination, (3) epidemiology, (4) leadership, (5) outbreak investigation and response, (6) risk communication, and (7) surveillance. In conclusion, zoonotic outbreaks provided real-life learning opportunities for students in disease outbreak investigation and response using a multidisciplinary and multisectoral approach. The identified skills can be incorporated into educational materials such as curricula and present an ideal opportunity to build partnerships for workforce development. One Health impact statement The next generation of One Health workers, those capable of working across sectors and disciplines to improve the health of animals, humans, plants, and the environment, need soft and technical skills to guarantee optimal preparedness, prevention, and response to disease outbreaks and understand the animal to human transmission dynamics of disease. In countries where emerging, re-emerging, and endemic zoonoses and hemorrhagic fevers are prevalent, it is crucial to provide these real-life or experiential training opportunities for university students, working closely in multidisciplinary teams. The “real-time” joint mentorship by the government’s multidisciplinary and multisectoral outbreak response teams, during disease outbreaks, provides an opportunity to build and strengthen student skills in biorisk management, community engagement and coordination, epidemiology, leadership, outbreak investigation and response, risk communication, and surveillance.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center

  NIH · $24.2M · 2022–2027

• NIH Grant U19CI000407

  NIH · $2.8M · 2011

Frequent coauthors

• Kirk Smith

  Minnesota Department of Health

  25 shared

• Craig W. Hedberg

  University of Minnesota

  24 shared

• Bruce H. Alexander

  University of Minnesota

  15 shared

• David Boxrud

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  10 shared

• Julio Álvarez

  Universidad Complutense de Madrid

  10 shared

• Scott J. Wells

  University of Minnesota

  10 shared

• Francisco Diez‐Gonzalez

  University of Georgia

  10 shared

• Thomas Magnuson

  Johns Hopkins Medicine

  9 shared

Education

• Other

  University of Minnesota

• M.S.

  University of Minnesota

Awards & honors

• Delta Omega Honorary Society
• American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine
• American Veterinary Epidemiology Society
• American Veterinary Medical Association (1987-present)
• Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists