Megin Nichols, DVM, MPH, DACVPM

Lead , Enteric Zoonoses Activity
Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)

Megin Nichols, DVM, MPH, DACVPM serves as the Enteric Zoonoses Activity Lead at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this role, she works on multistate outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli resulting from exposure to animals and pet products. Dr. Nichols has focused her work on investigating multistate outbreaks of human illness linked to petting zoos, small turtles, livestock with strains of multidrug-resistant Salmonella, and pet food products. In 2016, Dr. Nichols led the investigation of nine multistate outbreaks linked to live poultry in backyard flocks. Almost 900 people became ill in these outbreaks, the largest number of illnesses CDC has recorded linked to live poultry. Prior to joining CDC, Dr. Nichols worked as the Principal Investigator of the Active Bacterial Core Surveillance Program at the New Mexico Department of Health for 5 years. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from New Mexico State University, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University and a Master of Public Health in Food Safety and Biosecurity from the University of Minnesota. She was an Epidemiologic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer from 2008–2010 with the New Mexico Department of Health. Prior to obtaining a D.V.M., she spent several years as a clinical veterinary assistant. Her areas of interest include zoonotic
disease, food safety, and pediatric health.