Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty Member

Marianna Ofner PhD, MHSc, BScN, RN

Education & Training History

Doctor of Philosophy-PhD, University of Toronto 2012

University of Toronto, Continuing Education Program 1999

Certificate in French Language Studies

French Language Training School-Federal Government 1998

Bilingual status obtained in reading, writing and verbal french -BBB

Field Epidemiology Training Program Graduate 1995

Bureau of Communicable Diseases, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control

Health Protection Branch, Health Canada

Masters in Health Sciences, MHSc 1991

Department of Preventative Medicine & Biostatistics

Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing, BScN, RN 1989

Faculty of Nursing Sciences, University of Windsor

Representative Publications

Muscedere J, Ofner M, Kumar A, Long J, Lamontagne F, Cook D, McGeer A, Chant C, Marshall J, Jouvet P, and Fowler R for the ICU-FLU Group and the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. The Occurrence and Impact of Bacterial and Fungal organisms Complicating Critical Care Illness Associated with Influenza A (H1N1) infection. CHEST 2013 Feb 7 doi 10.1378/chest.12-1861

Local Phylogenetic Analysis Identifies Distinct Trends in Transmitted HIV Drug Resistance: Implications for Public Health Intervention. Brooks J, Ofner M et al. AIDS (in press)

Golding GR, Levett PN, McDonald RR, Irvine J, Quinn B, Nsungu M, Woods S, Khan M, Ofner-Agostini M, Mulvey MR; Northern Antibiotic Resistance Partnership. High rates of Staphylococcus aureus USA400 infection, Northern Canada. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Apr;17(4):722-5.

G.R. Golding, P.N. Levett, R.R. McDonald, J. Irvine, M. Nsungu, S. Woods, A.Horbal, C.G. Siemens, M. Khan, M. Ofner-Agostini, M. R. Mulvey and the Northern Antibiotic Resistance Partnership (NARP). A comparison of risk factors associated with community- associated methicillin-resistant and –susceptible Staphylococcus aureus infections in remote communities. Epidemiol. Infect. (2010), 138, 730–737.

Ragonnet-Cronin M, Ofner-Agostini M, Merk H, Pilon R, Rekart M, Archibald CP, Sandstorm PA, and Brooks JJ. Longitudinal Phylogenetic Surveillance Identifies Distinct Patterns of Cluster Dynamics. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Vol. 55, Number 1, September 1, 2010.

Raboud J, Shigayeva A, McGeer A, Bontovics E, Chapman M, Gravel D, Henry B, Lapinsky S, Loeb M, McDonald LC, Ofner M, Paton S, Reynolds D, Scales D, Shen S, Simor A, Stewart T, Vearncombe M, Zoutman D, Green K. Risk factors for SARS transmission from patients requiring intubation: a multicentre investigation in Toronto, Canada. PLoS One. 2010 May 19; 5(5):e10717.

Marianna Ofner-Agostini, Andrew Simor MD, Michael Mulvey PhD, Alison McGeer MD, Zahir Hirji MHSc, Melissa McCracken MSc, Denise Gravel MSc, David Boyd MSc, Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP), Elizabeth Bryce MD. Risk Factors for and Outcomes Associated with Clinical Isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. Resistant to Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporins. CJIDMM, Vol.- 20, No.3 2009.

Agnes Tong, Anne Biringer, Marianna Ofner-Agostini, Ross Upshur, Allison McGeer A Cross-Sectional Study of Maternity Care Providers’ and Women’s Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours Towards Influenza Vaccination During Pregnancy. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2008 May; 30 (5):404-10.

M. Ofner-Agostini, T. Wallington, B. Henry, D. Low, L.C. McDonald, L. Berger, B. Mederski, the SARS Investigative Team and T. Wong. Investigation of the second wave (Phase 2) of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Toronto, Canada. What happened? CCDR 2008, (32)2; 1-11.

Marianna Ofner-Agostini, MHSc; B. Lynn Johnston, MD; Andrew E. Simor, MD; John Embil, MD; Anne Matlow, MD; Michael Mulvey, PhD; Debbie Ormiston, CIC; John Conly, MD; for the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program. Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in Canada: Results from the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, 1999-2005. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2008; 29: 271–274.

Caring for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients in acute care institutions in the greater Toronto area. Nicolle LE, Perkins P, Gravel D, Paton S, Christian M, Ofner M, Henry B, McGeer A, Vearncombe M, Simor A, Barry C, Mederski B. Can Commun Dis Rep. 2008 Dec; 34(12):1-17.

Stuart TL, Mulvey M, Simor AE, Tien HC, Battad A, Taylor G, Vayalumkal JV, Weir C, Ofner M, Gravel D, Paton S. Acinetobacter baumannii in casualties returning from Afghanistan. Can J Infect Control. 2007 Fall; 22(3):152-4.

Gravel D, Taylor G, Ofner M, Johnston L, Loeb M, Roth VR, Stegenga J, Bryce E; Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, Matlow A. Point prevalence survey for healthcare-associated infections within Canadian adult acute-care hospitals. J Hosp Infect. 2007 Jul;66(3):243-8. Epub 2007 Jun 18.

Denise Gravel, Anne Matlow, Marianna Ofner-Agostini, Mark Loeb, Lynn Johnston, Elizabeth Bryce, Mary Lu Sample, Virginia R. Roth, Carol Goldman, Geoff Taylor. A point prevalence survey of health care–Associated infections in pediatric populations in major Canadian acute care hospitals, Volume 35, issue 3, p. 157-162 (April 2007).

Andrew E. Simor Tammy L. Stuart, Lisa Louie, Christine Watt, Marianna Ofner-Agostini, Denise Gravel, Michael Mulvey, Mark Loeb, Allison McGeer, Elizabeth Bryce,Anne Matlow and the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program. Mupirocin-Resistant, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains in Canadian Hospitals. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Nov. 2007, p. 3880–3886 Vol. 51, No. 11.

Dobryan M. Tracz, David A. Boyd, Romeo Hizon, Elizabeth Bryce, Allison McGeer, Marianna Ofner-Agostini, Andrew E. Simor, Shirley Paton, Michael R. Mulvey, the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (2007). AmpC gene expression in promoter mutants of cefoxitin-resistant Escherichia coli clinical isolates. FEMS Microbiology Letters 270 (2), 265–271. doi:10.1111/j.1574-6968.2007.00672.x

Barton M, Hawkes M, Moore D, Conly J, Nicolle L, Allen U, Boyd N, Embree J, Van Horne L, LeSaux N, Richardson S, Moore Aideen , Tran D, Waters V, Vearncombe M, Katz K, Weese S, Embil J, Ofner-Agostini M, Ford-Jones L. Guidelines for the prevention and management of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: A perspective for Canadian health care practitioners. Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol Vol 17, Suppl C, September/October 2006.

Marianna Ofner-Agostini, Monali Varia, Lynn Johnston, Karen Green, Andrew Simor, Barbara Amihod, Elizabeth Bryce, Elizabeth Henderson, Frederic Bergeron, the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, AND Denise Gravel. Infection control and antimicrobial restriction practices for antimicrobial resistant organisms (AROs) In Canadian tertiary care hospitals. AJIC 2007, November Vol 35(9): pp 563-568.

Marianna Ofner-Agostini, Denise Gravel, L. Clifford McDonald, Marcus Lem, Shelley Sarwal, Allison McGeer, Karen Green, Mary Vearncombe, Virginia Roth, Shirley Paton, Mark Loeb, and Andrew Simor. Cluster of Cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Among Toronto Healthcare Workers After Implementation of Infection Control Precautions: A Case Series. ICHE: Volume 27(2006); p473-478.

Ofner-Agostini M. Simor AE. Mulvey M. Bryce E. Loeb M. McGeer A. Kiss A. Paton S. The Canadian Nosocomial Surveillance Program. Methicillin-Resistant Stapylococcus aureus in Canadian Aboriginal People. ICHE, Feb 2006, Vol.27, No.2.

Simor AE, Ofner-Agostini M, Paton S, McGeer A, Loeb M, Bryce E, Mulvey M, Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP). Clinical and Epidemiologic Features of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Elderly Hospitalized Patients. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2005; 26(10):838-841.

Wong T. Wallington T. McDonald LC. Abbas Z. Christian M. Low DE. Gravel D. Ofner M. Mederski B. Berger L. Hansen L. Harrison C. King A. Yaffe B. Tam T. Late recognition of SARS in nosocomial outbreak, Toronto. [Journal Article] Emerging Infectious Diseases. 11(2):322-5, 2005 Feb.

Mulvey MR, Bryce E, Boyd DA, Ofner-Agostini M, Land AM, Simor AE, Paton S, Canadian Hospital Epidemiology Committee (CHEC), Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP). Molecular Characterization of Cefoxitin-Resistant Escherichia coli from Canadian Hospitals. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2005; 49(1):358-365.

Christian MD, Loutfy M, McDonald LC, Martinez KF, Ofner M, Wong T, Wallington T, Gold WL, Mederski B, Green K, Low DE; SARS Investigation Team. Possible SARS coronavirus transmission during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Emerg Infect Dis. 2004 Feb;10(2):287-93.

Loeb M, McGeer A, Henry B, Ofner M, Rose D, Hlywka T, Levie J, McQueen J, Smith S, Moss L, Smith A, Green K, Walter SD. SARS among critical care nurses, Toronto. Emerg Infect Dis. 2004 Feb;10(2):251-5.

Wallington T, Berger L, Henry B, Shahin R, Yaffe B, Mederski B, Berall G, Christian M, McGeer A, Low D, Wong T, Tam T, Ofner M, Hansen L, Gravel D, King A; SARS Investigation Team. Update: severe acute respiratory syndrome–Toronto, 2003.

McDonald LC. Simor AE. Su IJ. Maloney S. Ofner M. Chen KT. Lando JF. McGeer A. Lee ML. Jernigan DB. SARS in healthcare facilities, Toronto and Taiwan. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 10(5):777-81, 2004 May.

Loutfy MR. Wallington T. Rutledge T. Mederski B. Rose K. Kwolek S. McRitchie D. Ali A. Wolff B. White D. Glassman E. Ofner M. Low DE. Berger L. McGeer A. Wong T. Baron D. Berall G. Hospital preparedness and SARS. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 10(5):771-6, 2004 May.

Simor AE, Ofner-Agostini M, Gravel D, Varia M, Paton S, McGeer A, Bryce E, Loeb M, Mulvey M, the Canadian Hospital Epidemiology Committee and the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, Public Health Agency of Canada, Surveillance for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Canadian Hospitals – A Report Update from the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program. CCDR 2005; 31-3.

Simor AE, Ofner-Agostini M, Bryce E, McGeer A, Paton S, Mulvey MR, the Canadian Hospital Epidemiology Committee and the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, Health Canada. Laboratory characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Canadian hospital. Results of 5 years of national surveillance, 1995-1999. J Infect Dis 2002; 186652- 660.

Miller MA, Hyland M, Ofner-Agostini M, Gourdeau M, Ishak M, the Canadian Hospital Epidemiology Committee and the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, Health Canada. Morbidity, mortality, and health-care burden of nosocomial Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in Canadian hospitals. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2002; 23(3)137-40.

Simor AE, Ofner-Agostini ME, Bryce E, Green K, McGeer A, Mulvey M, Paton S, and the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program. The evolution of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in Canadian Hospitals: The results of five years of national surveillance. Can Med Assoc J 2001; 165(1):21-26.

Van Caeseele P, Giercke S, Wylie J, Surendra A, Ofner-Agostini M, Boyd D, Mulvey M. Identification of the first Enterococcus faecalis harbouring vanE in Canada. CCDR, Vol. 26-112, 15 June 2001.

Hyland M, Ofner-Agostini M, Miller M, Paton S, Gourdeau M, Ishak M, Canadian Hospital Epidemiology Committee, and the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, Health Canada. Nosocomial Clostridium difficile -associated diarrhea (N-CDAD) in Canada: The results of the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program 1997 N-CDAD prevalence surveillance project. Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vol.12. No.2, March-April 2001.

Conly JM, Ofner-Agostini M, Paton S, Johnston L, Mulvey M, Kureishi A, Nicolle L, Matlow A, Canadian Hospital Epidemiology Committee (CHEC), Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP). The Emerging Epidemiology of VRE in Canada: Results of the CNISP Passive Reporting Network 1994 to 1998. Can J Infect Dis 2001; 12(6):364-370.

Archibald CP, Ofner M, Strathdee SA, Patrick DM, Sutherland D, Rekart ML, Schecter MT, O’Shaughnessy MV. Factors associated with frequent needle exchange program attendance among injection drug users in Vancouver, Canada. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Human Retrovirol 1998;17: 160-6.

Harvey E, Strathdee SA, Patrick DM, Ofner M, Archibald CP, Eades G, O’Shaughnessy MV. A qualitative investigation into an HIV outbreak among injection drug users in Vancouver, British Columbia. AIDS Care. 1998 Jun;10(3):313-21.

Ofner-Agostini M, Conly J, Paton S, Kureishi A, Nicolle L, Mulvey M, Johnson W, Johnston L, and the Canadian Hospital Epidemiology Committee. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in Canada-Results of the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program 1996 VRE point prevalence surveillance project. Can J Infect Dis, Vol.8, No.2, March/April 1997.

Strathdee SA, Patrick DM, Archibald CP, Ofner M, Cornelisse PGA, Rekart ML, Schechter MT, O’Shaughnessy MV. Social determinants predict needle sharing behaviour among injection drug users in Vancouver, Canada. Addiction 1997;92:1339.

Patrick DM, Strathdee SA, Archibald CP, Ofner M, Cornelisse PGA, Rekart ML, Schechter MT, O’Shaughnessy MV. Determinants of HIV Seroconversion in injection drug users during a period of rising prevalence in Vancouver. Int J STD AIDS 1997;8: 427-35.

Simor A., Ofner-Agostini M., Paton S. The Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program: Results of the First 18 Months of Surveillance for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in Canadian Hospitals. Canadian Communicable Disease Report, Vol. 23-6, March 15, 1997

Strathdee S., Patrick D., Archibald C., Ofner M., Cornelisse P., Rekart M., Schecter M., O=Shaughnessy M. Social determinants predict needle-sharing behaviour among injection drug users in Vancouver, Canada. Addiction (1997) 92(10), 1339-1347.

Ofner, M., Naus, M., Martin,E., & Stolk,B. Community Surveillance for Wild Poliovirus in Ontario, 1993. Can Med Assoc J. June 15, 1995:152(12).

Ofner, M., Carlson, J., McGeer, A. & Low., D. Severe Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections in Ontario, 1990-1994. Can Commun Dis Rep. 1994 Jun 15; 20 (11): 92-94. Erratum in: Can Commun Dis Resp 1994 Jul 30;20(14): 120.

Ofner M, Naus M, Martin E, Stolk B. Community surveillance for wild poliovirus in Ontario, 1993. Can Commun Dis Rep. 1994 Dec 30;20(24):214-5.

Guidelines for contacts of Severe Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections. Ontario Ministry of Health, Public Health Branch, 1994.

Ofner, M. ,& Naus, M. Summary Report of the 1993-1994 Ontario Influenza Season. Public Health and Epidemiology Report for Ontario (PHERO) 1994; 5:8.

Ofner, M., & Naus, M. Ontario Influenza Bulletin. 1993-94 Influenza Season, Public Health and Epidemiology Report Ontario (PHERO).

Ofner, M. Tuberculosis and AIDS in Ontario – A Record Linkage. Public Health and Epidemiology Report for Ontario (PHERO) 1993; 4:11.

Ofner, M., & Naus, M. Ontario Influenza Bulletin. 1993-94 Influenza Season, biweekly Public Health and Epidemiology Report for Ontario (PHERO) 1994.

Ofner, M. & Naus, M. Ontario Influenza Report. Public Health and Epidemiology Report for Ontario (PHERO)1992; 3:30.

Annual Summary Report of Communicable Diseases (1991, 1992 and 1993). Ontario Ministry of Health, Public Health Branch.

RDIS-Guidelines and Procedures Manual. Ontario Ministry of Health Publication. 1992.

Ofner, M., & Naus, M. Ontario Influenza Bulletin. 1993-94 Influenza Season, biweekly Public Health and Epidemiology Report for Ontario report (PHERO).