Kellogg J. Schwab

Associate Professor
Director: Center for Water and Health

Academic Degrees

MS University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, 1991; Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, 1995

School/Organization
Bloomberg School of Public Health

Department / Division
Environmental Health Sciences
Division of Environmental Health Engineering

Joint Departmental Affiliations
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering

Departmental Address
615 N. Wolfe St Room E6620
Baltimore MD 21205

Email: kschwab@jhsph.edu
Phone: (410) 614-5753
Fax: (410) 955-9334

Research and Professional Experience

• Kellogg Schwab is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and Director of the JHU Center for Water and Health. In January 2009, in collaboration with JHU colleagues, Dr. Schwab initiated the JHU Global Water Program. This program integrates Hopkins researchers from public health, engineering, behavior, policy and economic disciplines to address the critical triangle of water, food and energy. The goal of this program is to achieve sustainable, scalable solutions for disparate water needs both internationally and domestically. Dr. Schwab’s research focuses on environmental microbiology and engineering with an emphasis on the fate and transport of pathogenic microorganisms in water, food and the environment. This work includes extensive laboratory-based research designed to develop and evaluate molecular detection methods with subsequent application of these methods in field-based investigations. Data gathered during these studies are then integrated into exposure assessments for risk analysis and microbial risk assessment. In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health laboratories Dr. Schwab has investigated numerous waterborne and foodborne outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis. Dr. Schwab’s current research projects involve improving environmental detection methods for noroviruses (the leading cause of non-bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide) by integrating quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, proteomics and pyrosequencing. He is also investigating how important human pathogens including noroviruses, hepatitis A virus, rotaviruses, Campylobacter, antibiotic resistant E. coli and enterococci, Cryptosporidium parvum, Toxoplasma gondii and molds such as Aspergillus persist and are transported through environmental media (water, air, and food). Applying classical and molecular diagnostic tools, he has developed and participated in multiple research projects designed to evaluate the public health impacts of improving water access and potable water quality and the effectiveness of point-of-use water treatment. His research group has also examined the health effects of inadequate management of human and animal waste with a focus on assessing the impact of concentrated animal feeding operations on human health, the environment and quality of life in the communities in which these operations are located. He continues to evaluate the impact of human pollution on urban streams and the Chesapeake Bay caused by aging and deteriorating distribution systems by combining microbial, chemical and geographic information system (GIS) data. Recent international work has focused on developing field-portable microbial and chemical laboratories. These self-contained labs facilitate evidence-based assessments of point of use and community level water treatment systems designed to provide potable water to individuals in low income countries including Nicaragua, Peru, Ghana and South Africa.

Honors and Awards

• Graduate Student Travel Award, 1993
• Hoechst Celanese Excellence in Graduate Research Award, 1993
• American Society of Microbiology Travel Award, 1995
• Division of Molecular Virology Training Award, 1997-1999
• Division of Molecular Virology Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Research, 1999
• Johns Hopkins Award for Excellence in Advising, Mentoring and Teaching, 2005
• Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society Alpha Chapter 2009
• Participation on Advisory Panels and Committees -
• -Governor Glendening’s Task Force on Upgrading Sewerage systems in Maryland, Maryland Department of the Environment, Appointed by JHBSPH Dean Al Sommer to be the Johns Hopkins representative for this committee Baltimore MD. 07/01 to 12/01.
• -American Water Works Association Microbial Research Needs Advisory Panel. Invited member. 09/14-15/01.
• -USEPA Experts Workshop on Public Health Impacts of Sewer Overflows. Invited panelist. Washington, DC, 08/14-15/02
• -Maryland Department of the Environment – Maryland State Water Quality Advisory Committee (SWQAC) Alternate. Appointed by JHBSPH Dean Al Sommer to be the Johns Hopkins representative for this committee 1/1/03 – 12/31/05
• -Workshop to Develop a Protocol for Reliable Genetic Methods for the Detection of Viruses, for use in EPA’s Water Programs. Invited panelist. Cincinnati, OH 01/15-16/03
• -Military Infectious Diseases Research Program – Norovirus Conference. Invited panelist. Silver Spring MD 09/23-24/03
• -Joint Medical Technology Workshop - US Army Medical Research and Material Command. Invited panelist. Landsdowne VA 11/30 -12/03 /03
• -Governor Ehrlich’s Maryland Water Security and Wastewater Systems Advisory Council Appointed by JHBSPH Dean Al Sommer to be the Johns Hopkins representative for this committee. 01/04- 12/06
• -National Ecological Observatory Network - Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases Workshop. Invited panelist. Belmont MD 08/31-09/02/04
• -Paul Allen’s Vulcan Inc. Visions Meeting of the Global Solutions Institute for Environment and Energy. Invited panelist. Seattle WA 10/18-20/04
• -Water Environment Research Foundation WERF Project 03-CTS-12PP Project Advisory Committee Invited Member. –“Characterizing the quality of effluent and other contributory sources during peak wet weather events”. 2005-2008
• -U.S. Congressional briefing on the Public Health Impact of Industrial Animal Production, Invited panelist. Washington DC 7/7/05
• -Johns Hopkins/American Red Cross – Public health assessment of Hurricane Katrina shelter evacuees in Mississippi and Alabama. Invited assessor. 9/1 to 9/6/05
• -Institute of Medicine of the National Academies – Environmental Public Health Impacts of Disasters: Hurricane Katrina, Invited presenter. 10/20/05
• -US EPA The third Candidate Contaminate List (CCL) Microbial Expert Focused Workshop, Invited panelist. Washington DC 6/6-8/06
• -American Academy of Microbiology Colloquium – Clean Water: What is Acceptable Microbial Risk, Invited panelist. Tucson AZ, 10/6-8/06
• -US EPA Total Coliform Rule / Distribution System Technical Workshop, Invited panelist. Washington DC 1/30/07-2/1/07
• -US EPA The third Candidate Contaminate List (CCL) Microbial Expert Review, Invited panelist. Washington DC 3/20-21/07
• -American Water Works Association: Developing an Estimate of Waterborne Disease – A Path Forward. Invited panelist. Tucson AZ, 05/8-10/07
• -AWWA The third Candidate Contaminate List (CCL) Microbial Response, Invited panelist. Washington DC 4/1/08
• -JHU Knowledge for the World tour Invited panelist. Denver, CO 4/3-4/08
• -American Academy of Microbiology. Global Antibiotic Resistance: New Approaches to an Old Problem. Invited panelist. Annecy, France 10/11-14/08

Research Projects
An Assessment of Water Quality in Lima’s Peri-Urban Neighborhoods
Center for Water and Health researchers are collaborating with International Health colleagues to evaluate water quality in peri-urban slums on the outskirts of Lima. The work focuses on the use of molecular detection methods to identify enteric viruses in the water supply. Initial water sampling...

Efficiency of Secondary Sewage Treatment Systems
Center for Water and Health researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of wastewater treatment facilities in Western Ireland to remove Cryptosporidium and other human enteric pathogens.

Identification and Enumeration of Pathogens in Drinking Water
CWH researchers are using polymerase chain reaction and mass spectrometry technologies to develop a microbial isolation and detection protocol for quantitative and qualitative identification of waterborne pathogens such as E.coli, Norovirus and Cryptosporidium.

Point-of-Use Evaluation
Center for Water and Health researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of two low-technology water treatment methods for home use in removing disease-causing pathogens. The point of use treatments—a ceramic water filter and slow sand filters—are used in isolated, rural communities but have not...

Ram Pump Irrigation in KwaZulu-Natal
Two Center for Water and Health-affiliated doctoral students are assessing the public health and community benefits of the installation of irrigation systems in two rural villages in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The students helped to build the water systems as part of a project...

Ram Pump Irrigation Systems in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa: Impacts on Food Security, Health and Subsistence Agriculture
During June 2006, our JHU Engineers without Borders (EWB-JHU) team conducted health indicator and exposure assessments of households in two rural communities in the South African Province, KwaZulu Natal (KZN). The assessment was a pilot study conducted in conjunction with the installation of...

Safe Water Initiative
Center for Water and Health researchers are assessing drinking water access in developing countries and conducting economic studies to determine the countries’ capabilities with respect to the provision of safe drinking water. For more information visit http://www.jhsph.edu/water_health/



Selected Publications

• Nappier SN, Graczyk TK, Tamang,L, Schwab KJ. Co-localized Crassostrea virginica and Crassostera ariakensis oysters differ in bioaccumulation, retention and depuration of microbial indicators and human enteropathogens. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 20 July, (Epub ahead of print) 2009.
• Opryszko M, Huang H, Soderlund K, Schwab KJ. Data gaps in evidence-based research on small water enterprises in developing countries. Journal of Water and Health. 7(4); p 609-622. 2009.
• Yori PP, Schwab KJ, Gilman RH, Nappier S, Portocarrero DV, Black RE, Olortegui MP, Hall, ER, Moe C, Leon J, Cama V and Kosek M. Norovirus highly prevalent cause of endemic acute diarrhea in children in the Peruvian Amazon. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 28(9): p844-847. 2009
• Huang H, Schwab KJ, Jacangelo JG. Pretreatment for low pressure membranes in water treatment: A review. Environmental Science and Technology. 43 (9), 3011-3019. 2009.
• Rule A, Kesvean J, Schwab KJ, Buckley T. Assessment of bioaerosol generation and sampling efficiency based on Pantoea agglomerans. Aerosol Science and Technology, 43:620-628. 2009.
• Nappier SN, Graczyk TK, Schwab KJ. Bioaccumulation, retention and depuration of enteric viruses by Crassostrea virginica and Crassostera ariakensis oysters. Appl and Environ. Microbiol. 74(22):p 6825-6831. 2008.
• Young TA, Heidler J, Matos-Perez, CR, Sapkota A, Toler T, Gibson KE, Schwab KJ, Halden RU. Ab initio and in situ comparison of caffeine, triclosan and triclocarban as indicators of sewage-derived microbes in surface waters. Environmental Science and Technology. 42(9); 3335-3340. 2008.
• Bae J, Schwab KJ. Evaluation of murine norovirus, feline calicivirus, poliovirus and MS2 as surrogates for human norovirus in a model of viral persistence in surface water and groundwater. Appl and Environ. Microbiol. 74 (2): 2008
• Graczyk TJ, Majewska AC, Schwab KJ. The role of aquatic birds in dissemination of human waterborne enteropathogens. Trends in Parasitology. 24(2):2008
• Nappier SP, Lawrence RS, Schwab KJ. Dangerous waters. Natural History 116 (9); 46-49. 2007
• Graczyk TK, Sunderland D, Rule AM, da Silva AJ, Moura INS, Tamang L, Girouard AS, Schwab KJ, Breysse PN. Urban feral pigeons (Columbia livia) as a source for air-and-waterborne contamination with Enterocytozoon bieneusi spores. Appl and Environ. Microbiol. 73(13): 4357-4358. 2007.
• Sapkota AR, Curriero FC, Gibson KE, Schwab KJ. Antibiotic-resistant Enterococci and fecal indicators in surface water and groundwater impacted by a concentrated swine feeding operation. Environmental Health Perspectives. 115(7): 1040-1045. 2007.
• McDevitt JJ, Lees PSJ, Merz WM, Schwab KJ. Inhibition of Quantitative PCR Analysis of Fungal Conidia Associated with Indoor Air Particulate Matter. Aerobiologia. 23:35-45. 2007.
• Rule A, Kesvean J, Schwab KJ, Buckley T. Application of Flow Cytometry for the Assessment of Preservation and Recovery Efficiency of Bioaerosol Samplers Spiked with Pantoea Agglomerans. Environmental Science and Technology. 41(7); 2467-2472. 2007.
• Schwab KJ, Gibson KE, Williams D, Kulbicki KM, Lo CP, Mihalic JN, Breysse PN, Curriero FC, Geyh AS. Microbial and chemical assessment of regions within New Orleans, LA impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Environmental Science and Technology. 41(7); 2401-2406. 2007.
• Schwab KJ. Are existing bacterial indicators adequate for determining recreational water illness in waters impacted by non-point pollution? Epidemiology. 18 V1:21-22. 2007.
• Sapkota A, Ojo KK, Roberts MC, Schwab KJ. Antibiotic resistance genes in multidrug-resistant Enterococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. recovered from the indoor air of a large-scale swine-feeding operation. Letters in Applied Microbiol. 43:534-540. 2006.
• Graczyk TK, Girouard AS, Tamang L, Nappier S, Schwab KJ. Recovery, bioaccumulation, and inactivation of human waterborne pathogens by the Chesapeake Bay non-native oyster, Crassostrea ariakensis. Appl and Environ. Microbiol. 72:3390-3395. 2006.
• Colquhoun DR, Schwab KJ, Cole RN, Halden RU. Detection of Norovirus capsid protein in authentic standards and in stool extract by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and nanospray mass spectrometry. Appl and Environ. Microbiol. 72:3069-3071. 2006.
• Sapkota AR, Price LB, Silbergeld EK, Schwab KJ. Arsenic resistance in Campylobacter spp. isolated from retail poultry products. Appl and Environ. Microbiol. 72:2749-2755. 2006.
• Jacangelo JJ, Askenaizer DJ, Schwab KJ. Research needs in drinking water: a basis for regulations in the United States. Journal of Water and Health. 04:1-9. 2006.
• Rule A, Chapin A, McCarthy A, Gibson K, Schwab KJ, Buckley T. Assessment of an Aerosol treatment to Improve Air Quality in a Swine CAFO. Environmental Science and Technology. 39:9649-9655. 2005.
• McDevitt JJ, Lees PSJ, Merz WM, Schwab KJ. Use of green fluorescent protein-expressing Aspergillus fumigatus spores to validate quantitative PCR analysis of air samples collected on filters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. 2:633-640. 2005
• Wu HM, Fornek M, Schwab KJ, Chapin AR, Gibson K, Schwab E, Spencer C, Henning K. A Norovirus Outbreak at a Long-Term-Care Facility: the Role of Environmental Surface Contamination. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. 26:802-810. 2005.
• Le E, Schwab KJ. Deficiencies in drinking water distribution systems in developing countries. Journal of Water and Health. 03:109-127. 2005
• Weiss WJ, Bouwer EJ, Aboytes R, LeChevallier MW, O’Melia CR, Le BT, Schwab KJ. Riverbank filtration for control of microorganisms: results from field monitoring. Water Research. 39:1990-2001. 2005
• Chapin AR, Carpenter CM, Dudley WC, Gibson LC, Pratdesaba R, Torres O, Sanchez D, Belkind-Gerson J, Nyquist I, Kärnell A, Gustafsson B, Halpern JL, Bourgeois AL, Schwab KJ. Prevalence of Norovirus among visitors from the United States to Mexico and Guatemala who experience traveler's diarrhea. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 43:1112-1117. 2005
• Chapin A, Rule A, Gibson K, Buckley T, Schwab KJ. Airborne multi-drug resistant bacteria isolated from a concentrated swine feeding operation. Environmental Health Perspectives. 113:137-142. 2005
• McDevitt JJ, Lees PSJ, Merz WM, Schwab KJ. Detection and quantification of Aspergillus fumigatus conidia by a real-time PCR method for environmental air sampling. Mycopathologia. 158: 325-335. 2004
• Duizer E, Schwab KJ, Neill FH, Atmar RL, Koopmans MPG, Estes MK. Laboratory efforts to cultivate noroviruses. Journal of General Virology. 85:79-87 2004.
• Schwab KJ, McDevitt JJ. Development of a rapid PCR-EIA detection method for Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69:5819-5825. 2003.
• Anderson AD, Garrett VD, Sobel J, Monroe SS, Fankhauser RL, Schwab KJ, Bresee JS, Mead PS, Higgins C, Campana J, Glass RI, and the Outbreak Investigation Team. Multistate outbreak of Norwalk-like virus gastroenteritis associated with a common caterer. Am. J. Epidemiol. 154:1013-1019, 2001.
• Schwab KJ, Neill FH, Le Guyader F, Estes MK, Atmar RL. Development of an RT-PCR-direct enzyme immunoassay for the detection of Norwalk-Like viruses in shellfish. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67:742-749, 2001
• Graczyk, TK, Schwab KJ. Foodborne infections vectored by molluscan shellfish. Current Gastroenterology Reports. 2:305-309, 2000.
• Gilpatrick SG, Schwab KJ, Estes MK, Atmar RL. Development of an immunomagnetic capture reverse transcription-PCR assay for the detection of Norwalk virus. J. Virological Methods. 90:69-78, 2000.
• Daniels NA, Bergmire-Sweat DA, Schwab KJ, Hendricks KA, Reddy S, Rowe SM, Fankhauser RL, Monroe SS, Atmar RL, Glass RI, Mead P. A Foodborne outbreak of gastroenteritis associated with Norwalk-like viruses: first molecular traceback to deli sandwiches contaminated during preparation. J. Infect. Dis. 181:1467-1470, 2000.
• Schwab KJ, Neill FH, Fankhauser RL, Daniels NA, Monroe SS, Bergmire-Sweat DA, Estes MK, Atmar RL. Development of methods to detect "Norwalk-like viruses" (NLVs) and hepatitis A virus in deli foods: application to an NLV foodborne outbreak. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66:213-218, 2000.
• Schwab KJ, Estes MK, Atmar RL. Norwalk and other human caliciviruses: molecular characterization, epidemiology, and pathogenesis. In, Cary JW, Linz JE, Bhatnagar D (eds): Microbial foodborne diseases: mechanisms of pathogenicity and toxin -synthesis. Technomic Publishing Co., Inc., Lancaster, PA, 2000, pp. 460-493.
• Schwab KJ. Small round structured viruses (Human Caliciviruses). In: J Clancy, M. Marshall, M Abbaszadegan (eds). Waterborne pathogens. American Water Works Association, Denver, CO. 1999, pp. 257-261.
• Schwab KJ, Neill FH, Estes MK, Atmar RL. Improvements in the RT-PCR detection of enteric viruses in environmental samples. Wat. Sci. Tech. 38:83-86, 1998.
• Schwab KJ, Neill FH, Estes MK, Metcalf TG, Atmar RL. Distribution of Norwalk virus within shellfish following bioaccumulation and subsequent depuration by detection using RT-PCR. J. Food Protect. 61:1674-1680, 1998.
• Brinker JP, Blacklow NR, Estes MK, Moe CL, Schwab KJ, Herrmann JE. Detection of Norwalk virus infections by use of a monoclonal antibody, recombinant antigen-based IgM-capture enzyme immunoassay. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36:1064-1069, 1998.
• Schwab KJ, Estes MK, Neill FH, Atmar RL. Use of heat release and an internal RNA standard control in reverse transcription-PCR detection of Norwalk virus from stool samples. J. Clin. Microbiol. 35:511-514, 1997.
• Schwab KJ, De Leon R, Sobsey MD. Immunoaffinity concentration and purification of waterborne enteric viruses for detection by reverse transcriptase-PCR. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 62:2086-2084, 1996.
• Schwab KJ. Concentration and purification of water sample filter eluates for detection of enteric viruses by RT-PCR. J F Burke (ed.). In: PCR Essential techniques. John Wiley and Sons New York, New York. 1996. pp. 144-146.
• Schwab KJ, De Leon R, Sobsey MD. Concentration and purification of beef extract mock eluates from water samples for the detection of enteroviruses, hepatitis A virus and Norwalk virus by reverse transcription-PCR. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 61:531-537, 1995.
• Schwab KJ, De Leon R., Sobsey MD. Development of PCR methods for enteric virus detection in water. Wat. Sci. Tech. 27:211-218, 1993.
• Sobsey MD, Schwab KJ, Handzel TR. A simple membrane filter method to concentrate and enumerate male-specific RNA coliphages. J. Amer. Wat. Works Asso. 82:52-59, 1990.
• Rosenthal GJ, Stranahan RP, Thompson M, Blair P, Germolec DR, Comment CE, Schwab KJ, Luster MI. Organ-specific hematopoietic changes induced by a recombinant human interferon-alpha in mice. Fund. and Appl. Tox. 14:666-675, 1990.

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