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After hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the Virgin
Islands in 2017, health officials saw a spike in
reported cases of leptospirosis. Massive flooding
contributed to the growth of the potentially fatal
disease which is spread by the urine of infected
animals and contaminated water. In March 2019,
Gaub and her colleagues traveled to the U.S.
Virgin Islands to conduct door-to-door surveys,
educate residents, and draw blood samples to verify
exposure.

“The ability to impact the health of communities
really excites me” Gaub said. “I think we are doing
some very important work here; I really like that
about my job.”

Gaub also managing a surveillance project
examining the frequency of lead testing in commu-
nities more prone to lead exposure. Long-term lead
exposure can cause serious health problems, but
especially in young children. Her work is helping
her agency better allocate resources so local health
departments and healthcare providers can identify,
monitor, and test the people most susceptible to
lead poisoning.

Once Gaub completes the EIS fellowship, she
hopes to keep building on what she has learned
and continue helping to identify and thwart public
health problems.