LISA SHUBITZ 

Associate research professor
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University, 1991

Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology
University of Arizona 
Tucson, AZ 85721

Phone (520) 621-xxxx 
Fax (520) 621-6366
E-Mail lfshubit@u.arizona.edu

Research interests

In 1996, I became involved in a vaccine development project for the local fungal disease, Valley Fever (coccidioidomycosis). This fungal infection, which can range from a mild to a fatal disease, affects both dogs and humans and seemed a very good niche for my interests in both human and animal health and biomedical research. I also became interested very early on in the dog as a model for human disease, both in terms of the spectrum of disease and the environment from which it is contracted.

While working on a vaccine for Valley Fever, I completed a study of epidemiology in the dog, collaborated on articles about the vaccine research and about Valley Fever in dogs, and organized website information for dog owners seeking information about Valley Fever in dogs.

With Dr. Michael Matz, I worked on a small study examining the use of a drug called Abelcet (amphotericin B lipid complex) to treat severe cases of Valley Fever in dogs. The dogs entered into the study either were very ill and required hospitalization or had failed oral medication to treat the disease. Though study results have not been published, about 50% of the dogs had a positive response to the medication. As a result, we have increased use of this drug for severe cases and given otherwise failing animals another chance at recovery.

In 1998 Joe Tabor drew me into a project mapping the location of cases of canine Valley Fever and the relationship to soil and plants in the environment. From this initial interest, a grant was obtained to determine the prevalence of Valley Fever in canines and humans in Pima County households, to isolate and characterize the fungus from the soil, and to determine if the location of soil isolates bears relationship to the proximity in which people or dogs were suspected to become ill. What has been determined so far from this ambitious and difficult project is that Valley Fever fungus is very difficult to isolate from the soil even though it is ubiquitous in our environment. From our results, it is also suspected that it can remain at sites for many years. One sample was re-isolated from a previously positive spot from the early 1960's (a site where dogs became infected), and another from a location where, many years ago, 2 children became ill after digging in the dirt. This research, though difficult, is very interesting and we hope to pursue additional funding for it.

In 2004, a large collaborative grant ($5 million over 5 years), of which I am a participant, was obtained to study the interactions of the host (animal or human) with the Valley Fever fungus. This research draws expertise from molecular biology, immunology, clinical medicine, and pathology to better understand how the host overcomes (or is overcome by) Valley Fever, and how we can develop more potent vaccines to prevent the disease or drugs to better treat it.

I often givea 1-hour talk about Valley Fever in dogs to general audiences. To arrange a talk for your dog club or other interested group of dog owners, please e-mail me.

Shubitz, LF, CD Butkiewicz, SM Dial, CP Lindan. Incidence of Coccidioides infection in dogs in a region in which the fungus is endemic. J Am Vet Med Assoc, publication pending

Butkiewicz, CD, LF Shubitz, SM Dial. Risk factors associated with Coccidioides infection in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc, publication pending.

Shubitz, LF and SM Dial. Coccidioidomycosis: a diagnostic challenge. Clin Tech Sm Anim Pract, publication pending.

Peng, T, L Shubitz, J Simons, R Perrill, KI Orsborn, JN Galgiani. Localization within a proline-rich antigen (Ag2/PRA) of protective antigenicity against infection with Coccidioides immitis in mice. 2002 Infection & Immunity, Vol 70(7):3330-5.

Shubitz, L, T Peng, R Perrill, J Simons, K Orsborn, JN Galgiani. Protection of mice against Coccidioides immitis intranasal infection by vaccination with recombinant antigen 2/PRA. 2002 Infection & Immunity, Vol 70(6):3287-9.

Shubitz, LF, ME Matz, TH Noon, GA Bradley, CC Reggiardo. Constrictive pericarditis secondary to Coccidioides immitis infection in a dog. 2001 J Am Vet Med Assoc, Vol 218(4):537-540.

Abuodeh, RO, LF Shubitz, E Siegel, S Snyder, T Peng K Orsborn, E Brummer, D Stevens, JN Galgiani. Resistance to Coccidioides immitis in mice after immunization with recombinant protein or a DNA vaccine of a proline-rich antigen. 1999. Infection and Immunity, Vol 67(6): 2935-2940.