In collaboration with Dr. Erin Lipp from the College of Environmental Health, Dr. Hernandez received an NIH grant to investigate the epidemiology ofSalmonella. Specifically, Dr. Hernandez is determining the prevalence of Salmonella in wild birds and mesomammals. The objective of the study is to determine if there is any geographic, spatial or genotypic relationship between Salmonella cases isolated from wildlife and serotypes of Salmonella that cause non-food borne salmonellosis. In this project, water and wildlife from two watersheds (one in North and one in South Georgia) are being compared.