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'{{primary sources|date=April 2021}} '''Michael Coulthart''' is a Canadian [[microbiologist]] and sometime pathologist who is employed as the head of the Canadian [[Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease]] (CJD) Surveillance System within the [[Public Health Agency of Canada]] (PHAC), which terms CJD a [[zoonotic]] and [[infectious]] disease.<ref name="goc411">{{cite news |title=Michael Coulthart |url=http://www.goc411.ca/en/113574/Michael-Coulthart |access-date=3 April 2021 |publisher=goc411.ca}}</ref> In 2006, a working group named "classic CJD" as well as [[Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease]] as two [[notifiable diseases]].<ref name="jdccd06">{{cite journal |last1=Doherty |first1=JA |title=Final report and recommendations from the National Notifiable Diseases Working Group. |journal=Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada |date=1 October 2006 |volume=32 |issue=19 |pages=211-25 |pmid=17076030}}</ref> It is unknown whether PHAC tracks other [[transmissible spongiform encephalopathies]] (TSE), but Coulthart is on the Advisory Committee of the [[Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy]] for [[Chronic Wasting Disease]] of [[cervidae]].<ref name="cidrap">{{cite news |title=Michael Coulthart, Ph.D. |url=https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cwd/advisory-committee/michael-coulthart-phd |access-date=3 April 2021 |publisher=Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy}}</ref> ==Early life== Little is known of Coulthart's early life. ==Career== In 1983, Coulthart worked at [[McMaster University]].<ref name="coulthart84">{{cite journal |last1=Coulthart |first1=Michael B. |last2=Rhomberg |first2=Lorenz R. |last3=Singh |first3=Rama S. |title=THE NATURE OF GENETIC VARIATION FOR SPECIES FORMATION |journal=Evolution |date=May 1984 |volume=38 |issue=3 |pages=689–692 |doi=10.1111/j.1558-5646.1984.tb00336.x}}</ref> He appears to have been affiliated with the [[University of Quebec]] around the turn of the millenium while he was researching [[influenza B viruses]].<ref name="coulthart01">{{cite journal |last1=Hardy |first1=Isabelle |last2=Li |first2=Yan |last3=Coulthart |first3=Michael B |last4=Goyette |first4=Nathalie |last5=Boivin |first5=Guy |title=Molecular evolution of influenza A/H3N2 viruses in the province of Québec (Canada) during the 1997–2000 period |journal=Virus Research |date=August 2001 |volume=77 |issue=1 |pages=89–96 |doi=10.1016/s0168-1702(01)00269-6}}</ref><ref name="coulthart03a">{{cite journal |last1=Abed |first1=Yacine |last2=Coulthart |first2=Michael B. |last3=Li |first3=Yan |last4=Boivin |first4=Guy |title=[No title found] |journal=Virus Genes |date=2003 |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=125–135 |doi=10.1023/a:1025768308631}}</ref> In 2002, he co-authored a study on human [[pathogenic]] [[Vibrio]] species (a [[genus]] of [[Gram-negative bacteria]] that cause [[foodborne infection]], usually associated with eating [[undercooked seafood]]) on which the first author was at the [[University of British Columbia]].<ref name="coulthart02">{{cite journal |last1=Kwok |first1=Anita Y. C. |last2=Wilson |first2=Jason T. |last3=Coulthart |first3=Michael |last4=Ng |first4=Lai-King |last5=Mutharia |first5=Lucy |last6=Chow |first6=Anthony W. |title=Phylogenetic study and identification of human pathogenic Vibrio species based on partial hsp60 gene sequences |journal=Canadian Journal of Microbiology |date=10 February 2011 |doi=10.1139/w02-089}}</ref> In 2001, Coulthart teamed up with [[Neil Cashman]] to write a paper on "Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: A summary of current scientific knowledge in relation to public health".<ref name="coulthart01">{{cite journal |pmid=11468957}}</ref> As early as December 2003, Coulthart worked at the [[National Microbiology Laboratory]] (NML) in [[Winnipeg]], where he reported that "In May 2003, Canada became the 22nd country outside of the [[United Kingdom]] to report a case of [[bovine spongiform encephalopathy]] (BSE) in an animal not known to be imported from a country with cattle previously affected by this fatal, transmissible [[prion]] disease."<ref name="coulthart03b">{{cite journal |last1=Coulthart |first1=Michael B |last2=Mogk |first2=Rhonda |last3=Rancourt |first3=Jason M |last4=Godal |first4=Deborah L |last5=Czub |first5=Stefanie |title=Prion protein gene sequence of Canada's first non-imported case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) |journal=Genome |date=1 December 2003 |volume=46 |issue=6 |pages=1005–1009 |doi=10.1139/g03-124}}</ref> In November 2004, Coulthart was co-author of a study on [[scrapie]] of [[mice]]. At the time he worked in the Division of Host Genetics and Prion Diseases of the NML.<ref name="coulthart04a">{{cite journal |last1=Booth |first1=Stephanie |last2=Bowman |first2=Christopher |last3=Baumgartner |first3=Richard |last4=Sorensen |first4=Garrett |last5=Robertson |first5=Catherine |last6=Coulthart |first6=Michael |last7=Phillipson |first7=Clark |last8=Somorjai |first8=Rajmund L. |title=Identification of central nervous system genes involved in the host response to the scrapie agent during preclinical and clinical infection |journal=Journal of General Virology |date=1 November 2004 |volume=85 |issue=11 |pages=3459–3471 |doi=10.1099/vir.0.80110-0}}</ref><ref name="coulthart04b">{{cite journal |last1=Booth |first1=Stephanie |last2=Bowman |first2=Christopher |last3=Baumgartner |first3=Richard |last4=Dolenko |first4=Brion |last5=Sorensen |first5=Garrett |last6=Robertson |first6=Catherine |last7=Coulthart |first7=Michael |last8=Phillipson |first8=Clark |last9=Somorjai |first9=Rajmund |title=Molecular classification of scrapie strains in mice using gene expression profiling |journal=Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications |date=December 2004 |volume=325 |issue=4 |pages=1339–1345 |doi=10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.10.150}}</ref> In 2006, Coulthart participated in research on [[Cellular prion protein]] in human [[platelets]].<ref name="coulthart06">{{cite journal |last1=Robertson |first1=Catherine |last2=Booth |first2=Stephanie A. |last3=Beniac |first3=Daniel R. |last4=Coulthart |first4=Michael B. |last5=Booth |first5=Timothy F. |last6=McNicol |first6=Archibald |title=Cellular prion protein is released on exosomes from activated platelets |journal=Blood |date=15 May 2006 |volume=107 |issue=10 |pages=3907–3911 |doi=10.1182/blood-2005-02-0802}}</ref> In 2007, Coulthart participated in research on [[chronic wasting disease]], the term for TSE in [[deer]], [[elk]], and [[moose]], along with collaborator Cashman.<ref name="coulthart07">{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Li |last2=Coulthart |first2=Michael B. |last3=Balachandran |first3=Aru |last4=Chakrabartty |first4=Avi |last5=Cashman |first5=Neil R. |title=Species barriers for chronic wasting disease by in vitro conversion of prion protein |journal=Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications |date=December 2007 |volume=364 |issue=4 |pages=796–800 |doi=10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.10.087}}</ref> In 2011, Coulthart, Cashman et al studied "the value of [[cerebrospinal fluid]] (CSF) [[proteins]] as [[diagnostic markers]] in a clinical population of subacute [[encephalopathy]] patients with relatively low prevalence of [[sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease]] (sCJD)."<ref name="coulthart11">{{cite journal |last1=Coulthart |first1=Michael B |last2=Jansen |first2=Gerard H |last3=Olsen |first3=Elina |last4=Godal |first4=Deborah L |last5=Connolly |first5=Tim |last6=Choi |first6=Bernard CK |last7=Wang |first7=Zheng |last8=Cashman |first8=Neil R |title=Diagnostic accuracy of cerebrospinal fluid protein markers for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Canada: a 6-year prospective study |journal=BMC Neurology |date=December 2011 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=133 |doi=10.1186/1471-2377-11-133}}</ref> In 2013, Coulthart Cashman et al described at an academic conference '''Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease reporting in Canada'''.<ref name="coulthart13">{{cite journal |doi=doi.org/10.4161/pri.24865}}</ref> In 2014, Coulthart et al studied the [[RT-QuIC]] assay, which is "able to detect low levels of the disease-inducing [[isoform]] of the prion protein (PrP(d)) in [[brain tissue biopsies]] and (CSF)," and "has great potential to become a method for diagnosing prion disease [[ante mortem]]."<ref name="coulthart14">{{cite journal |last1=Cheng |first1=Keding |last2=Sloan |first2=Angela |last3=Avery |first3=Kristen M. |last4=Coulthart |first4=Michael |last5=Carpenter |first5=Michael |last6=Knox |first6=J. David |title=Exploring Physical and Chemical Factors Influencing the Properties of Recombinant Prion Protein and the Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) Assay |journal=PLoS ONE |date=3 January 2014 |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=e84812 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0084812}}</ref> In 2019, Coulthart was concerned with a girl from Ontario who died of sCJD "with initially rapid neurocognitive decline followed by a prolonged (∼10 years) clinical course. Neuropathological findings at [[autopsy]] included generalized [[cerebrum|cerebral]] and [[cerebellar]] [[atrophy]] with relative sparing of the [[hippocampus|hippocampi]], cerebral and cerebellar [[white matter]] and [[gray matter]] involvement, minimal spongiform change, PrP deposits in the [[neocortex]], [[striatum]] and cerebellum by [[immunohistochemistry]], and [[protease-resistant PrP]] by [[Western immunoblot]]. With its longer disease duration and atypical manifestations of white matter loss, CJD-LS can be clinically mistaken for other [[neurodegenerative diseases]], or in the [[pediatric]] setting for [[metabolic]] or [[genetics|genetic]] conditions. This case clearly demonstrates that with rapid-onset encephalopathy, [[prion disease]] should be carefully considered, even in younger patients with slower disease progression."<ref name="coulthart19">{{cite journal |last1=D’Arcy |first1=Colleen E |last2=Bitnun |first2=Ari |last3=Coulthart |first3=Michael B |last4=D’Amour |first4=Rolande |last5=Friedman |first5=Jeremy |last6=Knox |first6=J David |last7=Rapoport |first7=Adam |last8=Carter |first8=Snead |last9=Widjaja |first9=Elysa |last10=Hazrati |first10=Lili-Naz |last11=Jansen |first11=Gerard H |title=Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in a Young Girl With Unusually Long Survival |journal=Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology |date=1 April 2019 |volume=78 |issue=4 |pages=373–378 |doi=10.1093/jnen/nlz013}}</ref> In June 2019, Coulthart was the lead interviewee who was called to answer the question: "Why did deer meat from an infected herd end up in Canada's food chain?" when "scientists, indigenous leaders and wildlife advocates signed a letter to Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] urging immediate action to stop the spread" of CWD in Canada, and "to recognize the dire nature of this [[epidemic]]." Amongst the signatories of this letter was Coulthart's colleague Cashman. The instigator of this foofaraw was the plague of CWD that [[Chronic_wasting_disease#Quebec_farm_outbreak|was discovered on or around certain deer farms in southern Quebec]].<ref name="kccbc">{{cite news |last1=Crowe |first1=Kelly |title=Why did deer meat from an infected herd end up in Canada's food chain? |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/cwd-mad-cow-disease-prion-bse-cfia-deer-chronic-wasting-disease-cjd-1.5185795 |publisher=CBC |date=22 June 2019}}</ref> Coulthart had on 15 March 2019 made a presentation to the [[Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters]] (who are an intimately concerned party because they eat the meat from the deer which they kill) about the problem of CWD.<ref name="ofah">{{cite news |title=Dr. Michael Coulthart speaks about the potential connections between #cwd 🦌 and human health #fightcwd |url=https://twitter.com/ofah/status/1106565054512709632 |agency=Twitter |publisher=Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters |date=15 March 2019}}</ref> In March 2021 an interviewer favored the CWD hypothesis about the [[New Brunswick neurological disease]] cluster, which was revealed only when a practitioner whistleblew the news to ''[[Radio-Canada]]'', although Coulthart admitted in the same interview that he had been aware of the cluster since 2019.<ref name="jbcbc">{{cite news |last1=Brewer |first1=Jonna |title=The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with the province to find the source of a deadly neurological disease in NB |url=https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-26-information-morning-moncton/clip/15833203-the-public-health-agency-canada-working-province-find |agency=Information Morning - Moncton with Jonna Brewer |publisher=CBC Listen |date=24 March 2021}}</ref> In March 2021, Coulthart favored a chemical origin for the cluster.<ref name="kbcp">{{cite news |last1=Bissett |first1=Kevin |title=Researcher says brain disorder in N.B. may be linked to environmental exposure |url=https://ca.news.yahoo.com/researcher-says-brain-disorder-n-170149695.html |agency=The Canadian Press |publisher=Verizon Media (yahoo.ca) |date=26 March 2021}}</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Coulthart, Michael}} [[Category:Canadian microbiologists]] [[Category:Canadian public health doctors]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Canadian health officials]]'