Objectives. Backyard poultry ownership is increasingly common in U.S. cities and is regulated at the local level. Human contact with live poultry is a wellknown risk for infection with zoonotic pathogens, notably Salmonella, yet the ability of local jurisdictions to reduce the risk of infectious disease transmission from poultry to humans is unstudied. We reviewed urban poultry ordinances in the United States and reported Salmonella outbreaks from backyard poultry to identify regulatory gaps in preventing zoonotic pathogen transmission. Based on this analysis, we propose regulatory guidelines for U.S. cities to reduce infectious disease risk from backyard poultry ownership.Methods. We assessed local ordinances in the 150 most populous U.S. jurisdictions for content related to noncommercial poultry ownership using online resources and communications with government officials. We also performed a literature review using publicly available data sources to identify human infectious disease outbreaks caused by contact with backyard poultry.Results. Of the cities reviewed, 93% (n139) permit poultry in some capacity. Most urban poultry ordinances share common characteristics focused on reducing nuisance to neighbors. Ordinances do not address many pathways of transmission relevant to poultry-to-human transmission of pathogens, such as manure management.Conclusions. To reduce the risk of pathogen exposure from backyard poultry, urban ordinances should incorporate the following seven components: limited flock size, composting of manure in sealed containers, prohibition of slaughter, required veterinary care to sick birds, appropriate disposal of dead birds, annual permits linked to consumer education, and a registry of poultry owners.

This project aims to compare knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes regarding generic medicines in an effort to illuminate the reasons for widely discrepant rates of generic utilization in different countries. While the United States has high rates of generic uptake (around 86%), and generic medicine utilization has saved the US healthcare system over $1 trillion in the past decade (2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014), similar figures are not seen in many other countries despite the opportunities for substantial cost savings. Therefore, it is in the interest of global policy makers and public health professionals to be aware of public perception of generic medicines. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, our study illuminated five major themes among Boston University students of various nationalities: origin, knowledge, important decision-making factors, perceptions of self/ others, and information sources. The key finding of our study was that only 24% of participants reported accurate knowledge of generic medicines. This figure is alarming given the high rates of use in the United States and carries implications for generic promotion and uptake rates.