About

Autumn Harris is an associate professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. She is a board-certified veterinary internist and researcher specializing in small animal internal medicine, with a focus on kidney and urinary tract diseases in dogs and cats. Harris received her veterinary medical degree from Mississippi State University in 2012, completed an internship at Kansas State University, and pursued her residency in internal medicine at the University of Florida, where she also completed a post-doctoral nephrology fellowship. She is currently completing a residency at NC State through the American College of Veterinary Nephrology-Urology. Her research spans both benchtop translational science and clinical discovery, with a particular interest in understanding the mechanisms through which the kidneys maintain acid-base balance and how this impacts chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. Harris aims to improve veterinary treatments for pets with CKD by investigating novel biomarkers, therapies, and the role of the kidneys in heart disease. Her work emphasizes the importance of continued clinical research to better diagnose and treat kidney disease in companion animals, ultimately seeking to enhance their quality of life.

Research topics

• Environmental science
• Medicine
• Environmental engineering
• Water resource management
• Environmental planning
• Environmental health
• Biology
• Virology
• Ecology
• Business

Selected publications

• Viral inclusions unveiled: antenatal and post-mortem features in a case of congenital cytomegalovirus infection

  Pathology · 2025-01-23

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Listeria tempestatis sp. nov. and Listeria rocourtiae subsp. hofi subsp. nov.

  INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY · 2025-05-12 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  In September 2018, Hurricane Florence resulted in major flooding in North Carolina, USA. Efforts to isolate Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. from Hurricane Florence floodwaters repeatedly yielded non-haemolytic Listeria -like isolates that could not be readily assigned to known Listeria taxa. Whole-genome sequence analyses against the 28 currently known Listeria species confirmed that the isolates constitute two new taxa within the genus Listeria . Taxon I, with one isolate, showed the highest similarity to Listeria goaensis, with an average nucleotide identity blast of 85.3±4.4% and an in silico DNA–DNA hybridization ( is DDH) of 32.4% (range: 30–35%), differing from the latter by its ability to reduce nitrate, ferment d -ribose and sucrose, and by its inability to produce catalase or ferment d -trehalose and d -lactose. Taxon II, represented by 11 isolates, showed the highest similarity to Listeria rocourtiae, with an average nucleotide identity blast of 92.64±3.8% and an is DDH of 49.9% (range: 47.3–52.5%), differing from the latter by its ability to ferment l -arabinose and its inability to ferment l -rhamnose, d -galactose, d -lactose and d -melibiose. The names Listeria tempestatis sp. nov. and Listeria rocourtiae subsp. hofi subsp. nov. are proposed for taxon I and II, respectively, with type strains CLIP 2022/01175 T (F6L-1A=CIP 112444 T = DSM 117029 T ) and CLIP 2022/01000 T (F66L-1A=CIP 112443 T = DSM 117030 T ), respectively. Both taxa lack known Listeria pathogenic islands, suggesting a lack of pathogenicity for humans.

  PublisherDOI

• Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Drivers of Microbial Contaminants in Hurricane Florence Floodwaters

  ACS ES&T Water · 2025-04-26

  article

  To strengthen our understanding regarding the signatures and drivers of floodwater contamination, this study aimed to investigate spatiotemporal patterns of pathogens, fecal indicator bacteria, and fecal biomarker detections, and identify the watershed characteristics that best explain water quality signatures in floodwaters. To accomplish this, we collected water samples across 51 sites during and after Hurricane Florence impacted North Carolina in 2018. Each site was visited four times, and samples were assessed for Arcobacter, Salmonella, Listeria, Escherichia coli, and source-specific biomarkers HF183 and Pig2Bac. Water quality responses were explained using a multivariate Bayesian logistic regression model incorporating land characteristics, pollution point sources, and hydroclimatic factors contributing to water quality degradation. Model results suggested that during flood conditions, pollution point sources were the dominant contributors to surface water contamination, likely due to direct connectivity with floodwaters. In contrast, nonpoint sources and rainfall-driven processes played a greater role in pollutant transport during nonflooded conditions. Overall, the high prevalence of contaminants during flood conditions underscores public health concerns associated with floodwater exposure. In particular, modeling results reveal potential drivers and sources of water quality contamination across spatiotemporal scales and can inform targeted strategies for improved water quality management and enhanced public health protection.

  PublisherDOI

• Zoonotic and Environmental Sources of Infant Enteric Pathogen Infections Identified with Longitudinal Sampling

  Environmental Science & Technology · 2025-06-23 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Many enteric pathogens that infect young children can be zoonotic, yet the exposure risk of domestic animals living in close proximity to young children is poorly understood. Here, we longitudinally measured 33 enteric pathogens in child stool, animal feces, and the household environment (n = 28,743 pathogen-sample observations) to investigate pathogen transmission between animals and children under two in pastoralist communities in rural Northern Kenya. Children were typically infected with 1 enteric pathogen by 3 months of age, and pathogen burden increased with age; 85% of enteric pathogens detected in child stool were also detected in animal feces. New infections in children were associated with preceding household detection of the same pathogen in soil (Odds ratio: 8.8, 95% confidence interval: 3.3–23) and on child hands (odds ratio: 5.0, 95% confidence interval 1.1–17). Regression modeling revealed transmission of pathogens from poultry, dog, and ruminant feces to household soil, and between child hands and child stool. Our results provide new evidence that domestic animals in the household environment contribute to early life enteric pathogen exposure, and that child hand hygiene could substantially prevent animal-child transmission.

  PublisherDOI

• Associations between water supply intermittencies and drinking water quality, child health, and caregiver emotional stress in peri-urban Malawi

  medRxiv · 2025-06-04 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Abstract Background Achieving universal access to safe and affordable drinking water remains a critical global challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where intermittencies in water supply are common. We aimed to examine relationships between water intermittency and multiple outcomes, including microbial water contamination, child health, and caregiver stress. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with 237 households with a child <5 years old in a peri-urban neighborhood of Blantyre, Malawi. We conducted a structured questionnaire with primary caregivers to record water intermittencies, water handling and hygiene practices, caregiver-reported child diarrhea and acute respiratory infection (ARI) symptoms, and stress among caregivers. Drinking water samples were tested for E. coli and cefotaxime-resistant E. coli using IDEXX Quanti-Tray/2000. We used generalized linear models to evaluate how intermittency occurrence, frequency, and duration influenced outcomes, adjusting for sociodemographic and WASH factors. Findings Of 237 households, 32.5% reported ≥1 water intermittency in the past month. These households were more likely to experience water insecurity, skip bathing and laundry, and report less handwashing after animal contact or outdoor work. E. coli was detected in 65.7% and cefotaxime-resistant E. coli in 8.4% of water samples. Intermittency was not associated with impaired water quality. Children in intermittent households had higher prevalence of diarrhea (PR=1.94, 95% CI: 1.11–3.39) and ARI with fever (PR=2.00, 95% CI: 1.11–3.60). Rare/short intermittencies were more strongly associated with diarrhea; frequent/long intermittencies were more strongly associated with ARI. Caregivers in households with short and frequent intermittencies reported higher stress. Interpretation Water intermittencies were associated with impaired hygiene, child illness, and caregiver stress. Frequency and duration modified the associations, suggesting that short- vs. long-term behavioral adaptations may differently influence exposure to enteric and respiratory pathogens and stress responses. Interventions like low-flow handwashing stations and water reuse may help reduce health risks in intermittent water settings.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Health Trade-Offs of Boiling Drinking Water with Solid Fuels: A Modeling Study

  Environmental Health Perspectives · 2025-05-09

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Billions of the world's poorest households are faced with the lack of access to both safe drinking water and clean cooking. One solution to microbiologically contaminated water is boiling, often promoted without acknowledging the additional risks incurred from indoor air degradation from using solid fuels. OBJECTIVES: This modeling study explores the trade-off of increased air pollution from boiling drinking water under multiple contamination and fuel use scenarios typical of low-income settings. METHODS: We calculated the total change in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from household air pollution (HAP) and diarrhea from fecal contamination of drinking water for scenarios of different source water quality, boiling effectiveness, and stove type. We used Uganda and Vietnam, two countries with a high prevalence of water boiling and solid fuel use, as case studies. RESULTS: Boiling drinking water reduced the diarrhea disease burden by a mean of 1,100 DALYs and 367 DALYs per 10,000 people for those under and over 5 y of age in Uganda, respectively, for high-risk water quality and the most efficient (lab-level) boiling scenario, with smaller reductions for less-contaminated water and ineffective boiling. Similar results were found in Vietnam, though with fewer avoided DALYs in children under 5 y of age due to different demographics. In both countries, for households with high baseline HAP from existing solid fuel use, adding water boiling to cooking on a given stove was associated with a limited increase in HAP DALYs due to the log-linear exposure-response curves. Boiling, even at low effectiveness, was associated with net DALY reductions for medium- and high-risk water, even with unclean stoves/fuels. Use of clean stoves coupled with effective boiling significantly reduced total DALYs. DISCUSSION: Boiling water generally resulted in net decreases in DALYs. Future efforts should empirically measure health outcomes from HAP vs. diarrhea associated with boiling drinking water using field studies with different boiling methods and stove types. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15059.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 737 A Blueprint for Surgical Education: Experience at a Busy District General Hospital

  British journal of surgery · 2025-06-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Aim Education and training within the NHS present significant challenges for resident doctors - having the time for training whilst aspiring to excellence in a post-covid service environment. At BHRUT, the goal was to create a blueprint for surgical education that was designed by and for resident doctors. Method Mixed methods were used to explore resident doctors’ expectations when commencing their surgical rotation and obtain feedback when rotating away. A surgical education committee was formed by competitive application. Its first objective was to design a curriculum based on the MRCS and critical conditions for CCT. This is complemented by an in-house RCS-accredited surgical skills course. The second iteration expanded the committee’s remit to include departmental induction, local faculty group meetings (sponsored lunch), bi-monthly digital departmental newsletter, and teaching ward rounds. This now includes a mentorship group, oversight of medical students, and research which included journal club and cataloging departmental activity. The fourth iteration will include collaborative learning with primary care e.g. case vignettes, and A&E e.g. trauma team simulation training and human factors. Results This year, lecture programme attendance was 79.8%, the surgical skills course achieved re-accreditation, the local faculty group meetings consistently achieved 100% attendance, with foundation representatives responsible for updating induction materials. Data from the digital newsletter, teaching ward rounds, mentorship programme, and research are currently being collated and analysed. Conclusions This blueprint provides a scalable model for enhancing surgical education across NHS departments, fostering innovation, reciprocal illumination, continuous learning and collaboration, with improved training opportunities and patient care at its core.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Timelines of transition: a retrospective review of length of stay in the Randwick perinatal post-mortem service

  Pathology · 2025-01-23

  reviewSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Exposure Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistant <i>E. coli</i> via Self-Supplied Drinking Water in Indonesia: Evaluating Boiling and Storage Practice Effectiveness

  ACS ES&T Water · 2024-09-23

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  The rise of antimicrobial resistance is a rapidly worsening global health threat. Household water treatment and storage (HWTS) strategies are commonly employed in low-income settings to prevent the ingestion of unsafe drinking water. In order to evaluate the potential exposure to E. coli and cefotaxime-resistant E. coli via drinking water in Bekasi, Indonesia, we sampled drinking water sources (boreholes, protected/unprotected wells, bottled/refill) and point-of-use water from approximately 54 households during both wet season and dry season in 2020. Monte Carlo simulations were then used to estimate daily and annual exposure to both E. coli and cefotaxime-resistant E. coli. E. coli and cefotaxime-resistant E. coli were detected at 67.5% (77/114) and 28.1% (32/114) of source water samples, respectively. Median exposure estimates were reduced by approximately 1 order of magnitude for each log-removal of E. coli, and the proportion of the population exposed to E. coli that corresponds to a boiling efficiency of 0 (i.e., untreated), 2, and 4 log-removals was 68%, 54%, and 14%, respectively. Even when water boiling strategies achieve log-removal levels typically observed in practice or when they achieve “most protective” levels, fractions of the population may still be exposed to both E. coli and resistant E. coli.

  PublisherDOI

• Fecal Bacteria Contamination of Floodwaters and a Coastal Waterway From Tidally‐Driven Stormwater Network Inundation

  GeoHealth · 2024-04-01 · 11 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Inundation of coastal stormwater networks by tides is widespread due to sea‐level rise (SLR). The water quality risks posed by tidal water rising up through stormwater infrastructure (pipes and catch basins), out onto roadways, and back out to receiving water bodies is poorly understood but may be substantial given that stormwater networks are a known source of fecal contamination. In this study, we (a) documented temporal variation in concentrations of Enterococcus spp. (ENT), the fecal indicator bacteria standard for marine waters, in a coastal waterway over a 2‐month period and more intensively during two perigean spring tide periods, (b) measured ENT concentrations in roadway floodwaters during tidal floods, and (c) explained variation in ENT concentrations as a function of tidal inundation, antecedent rainfall, and stormwater infrastructure using a pipe network inundation model and robust linear mixed effect models. We find that ENT concentrations in the receiving waterway vary as a function of tidal stage and antecedent rainfall, but also site‐specific characteristics of the stormwater network that drains to the waterway. Tidal variables significantly explain measured ENT variance in the waterway, however, runoff drove higher ENT concentrations in the receiving waterway. Samples of floodwaters on roadways during both perigean spring tide events were limited, but all samples exceeded the threshold for safe public use of recreational waters. These results indicate that inundation of stormwater networks by tides could pose public health hazards in receiving water bodies and on roadways, which will likely be exacerbated in the future due to continued SLR.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• RAPID: Collaborative Research: Assessing chemical and microbiological contamination in environmental waters in Eastern North Carolina after Hurricane Florence

  NSF · $100k · 2018–2020

• Collaborative Research: Multiscalar Approaches to Understanding Syndemic Water Insecurity

  NSF · $85k · 2020–2026

Frequent coauthors

• Amy J. Pickering

  32 shared

• Jennifer Davis

  Stanford University

  23 shared

• Alexandria B. Boehm

  18 shared

• Margaret P. Battin

  University of Utah

  16 shared

• Gordon B. Mower

  Brigham Young University

  16 shared

• JoAnn S. Lighty

  Boise State University

  16 shared

• Francis L. de los Reyes

  North Carolina State University

  14 shared

• Stacie Reckling

  13 shared

Education

• PhD, Civil and Environmental Engineering

  Stanford University

  2015

• BS, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

  Georgia Institute of Technology

  2009

Awards & honors

• American Society of Animal Science Scholastic Achievement Aw…
• Phi Zeta Veterinary Honor Society, Mississippi State Univers…
• Resident Best Paper Award, Journal of Feline Medicine and Su…
• Postdoctoral Excellence in Renal Research Award, American Ph…
• C.E. Cornelius Young Investigator Award, University of Flori…