Princeton University (USA) – Program of Science and Global Security

The Biosecurity Seminar Series – Spring 2009

All seminars were held at the Carl Icahn building in Princeton, New Jersey (USA)

Any questions, please contact Laura Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP at lkahn@princeton.edu or 609-258-6763.

http://www.princeton.edu/sgs/seminars/biosecurity/

Notable Example:

March 27, 2009�-�Smallpox Eradication:� What it Taught Us or Did It?"

Speaker:� D.A. Henderson, MD, MPH, Professor, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine; Resident Scholar at the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; former Dean of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health from 1977 to 1990; Directed WHO global smallpox eradication program 1966-1977

link to view videotape of 3/27/09 seminar

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) provides link to One Health Initiative website: 

http://cstsp.aaas.org/content.html?contentid=22

Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine links with One Health Initiative website

 Centers and Institutes: http://vetmed.iastate.edu/centers-and-institutes
International Programs: http://vetmed.iastate.edu/outreach/international-programs

Vermont (USA) Pediatrician Provides Model for Advancing One Health Principles

On March 8, 2010 an e-mail message to Dean Joan Hendricks, prominent One Health supporter/advocate at the University of Pennsylvania school of veterinary medicine in Philadelpia, Pennsylvania (USA) from John Trumper, MD, a longstanding valued One Health supporter in the state of Vermont modestly advised Dr. Hendricks of his remarkable One Health activities this past year.

Dr. Trumper told Dr. Hendricks:

“It's been a year since you helped us launch our One Health Initiative up here, and I promised then to give you some follow up.

We have been concentrating on communicating at the practitioner level of physicians and [veterinarians].  At the state society level, there was a brief One Health Initiative (OHI) presentation at the State Medical Society meeting last fall. I attended the State Veterinary Society meeting, and we now include a veterinarian presenter at the Academy of Pediatrics spring meeting and [veterinarians] are invited to all our membership meetings.

To help at the local community level, we formed a joint committee that meets every 2 months or so and has developed a power point presentation on OHI that [veterinarians] can use at local hospital presentations to physicians. There have been just two talks by [veterinarians] at local hospitals so far, with two more scheduled in April.  Subjects have included: "Animal Bites from the Perpetrators Point of View", "People, Pets, & Parasites," and The Raw Milk Sale Debate. We have a request for a speaker on The Ididerad, and on pet obesity and childhood obesity; a connection?

The local veterinarians are invited to all these local hospital presentations and so far attendance by both groups has been gratifying. So, we have a long way to go, but our modest plans of starting at the local level, thanks to your help, are underway.”

Note: The One Health team of Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP, Bruce Kaplan, DVM, Thomas P. Monath, MD and Jack Woodall, PhD strongly endorses Dr. Trumper’s model activities and hope that other visionary physicians nationally and internationally will consider following suit.

The following News items were initially published on this One Health Initiative website in June and July of 2009:

University of Florida (USA) offers Unique Online Master of Public Health Degree to Busy Professionals

--e.g., physicians, veterinarians, nurses, researchers, pharmacists, dentists, health department employees and others--

The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges has identified a need for veterinarians to be trained in public health.

Now practicing veterinarians can earn a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Florida without having to give up your practice or come to the UF campus. 

The University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions has been delivering online public health programs since 2006 to veterinarians, physicians, nurses, researchers, pharmacists, dentists, health department employees, as well as many other professionals in a variety of fields.  In this program you will learn valuable public health skills, interact with UF faculty and meet other professional learners. Click here for students’ comments about our online courses. (www.online.mph.ufl.edu/testimonials)

The program can be completed in as little as two years or may be completed on a part-time basis to fit your work and personal schedule.  The beauty of our MPH online program is that the course material is available for you to explore 24 hours a day with minimal real-time sessions.  Also, tuition is the same for in-state and out-of-state students, so no matter where you are you can be part of the Gator Nation at in-state rates!

Please review our Web site at www.online.mph.ufl.edu to learn about the exciting features of our program, including:

• Two options for program length, depending on prior degrees
• A curriculum designed to provide competence in essential public health service areas
• A range of contemporary courses in epidemiology, environmental health, health management, health policy, biostatistics, and the social and behavioral sciences, with a focus on applications to public health practice
• The most up-to-date and user-friendly software
• Detailed online handbooks to guide academic and technical applications
• Ongoing opportunities to interact with course faculty and technical support staff
• Integrative internship experiences tailored to individual goals
• Optional opportunities to visit the UF campus and interact with other MPH students and faculty

For more information about how the online UF MPH program works and how to apply, check out our website at www.online.mph.ufl.edu.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Susan White at 352-273-5367 or swhite@ufl.edu.

Wildlife Diseases News Digest

(One of the essential elements of One Health)

 Spreads One Health Message using One Health Initiative website

Please see: http://wdin.blogspot.com/2010/03/in-spotlight-one-health-initative.html

Famous veterinarian Walter Plowright, CMG, FRS, FRCVS is dead (February 19, 2010): developed vaccine against rinderpest …a ‘One Health in Action’ example of where veterinary medicine has contributed significantly to human well-being

Dr. Walter Plowright, a renowned veterinary medical scientist, was recognized with the 1999 World Food Prize for his development of tissue culture rinderpest vaccine (TCRV).  This is considered the key element in the quest to eliminate rinderpest, or cattle plague, from farms and herds worldwide.  An announcement is expected shortly this year stating the eradication of rinderpest, the first animal disease to be eliminated worldwide; human smallpox was the first to be eradicated in 1979.

Rinderpest is a disease of cattle, buffaloes, some pigs, and numerous species of wild ungulates. Historically, the virus was repeatedly responsible for causing tremendous havoc among livestock from at least the time of the decline of the Roman Empire.   Losses frequently amounted to millions of animals annually. The resulting famines, social and political unrest, [sometimes war] were all too common until the acceptance of strict controls in Europe in the late 18th century.

Please see http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article7039788.ece

Princeton Community Television  -  Princeton, New Jersey (USA)

http://vimeo.com/9712129 - Online audio-video, 24 minutes duration

Insightful Book Interview with: One Health Leader Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP

Author of “Who's In Charge? Leadership during Epidemics, Bioterror Attacks, and Other Public Health Crises”

http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/C9485.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/Whos-Charge-Leadership-Epidemics-International/dp/0275994856/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259598191&sr=8-1 

Produce Safety Project

http://www.producesafetyproject.org/

Cost of Foodborne Illness

Food-borne illnesses cost USA $152 billion

http://www.producesafetyproject.org/fact_sheets?id=0001

PDF version

In addition to sickness, discomfort, and death, foodborne illnesses carry with them significant economic and social costs that extend far beyond the immediate victim.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that foodborne diseases cause approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year.¹
• For every foodborne illness case that is reported, as many as 40 more illnesses are not reported or lab-confirmed.² 
• More than 30 million people in the United States are likely to be particularly susceptible to foodborne disease.  Very young, elderly, and immune-compromised persons experience the most serious foodborne illnesses.³
• It is estimated that chronic, secondary complications resulting from foodborne illness occur in 2-3 percent of cases.⁴
• The Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the annual costs of medical care, productivity losses, and premature deaths due to foodborne illnesses caused by the five major pathogens to be $6.9 billion.⁵  

¹HHS, CDC, Food Safety Office, available here.
²This multiplier reflects the estimates developed by a number of different sources. See Andrew C. Voetsch et al., "FoodNet Estimate of the Burden of Illness Caused by Nontyphoidal Salmonella Infections in the United States." Clinical Infectious Diseases 38, no. Suppl 3 (2004): S127-S134, available here; P Mead et al., Food-related illness and death in the United States, Emerg Infect Dis 1999; 5607-25 (multiplier of 38); and RB Chalker and MJ Blaser. A review of human salmonellosis. III. Magnitude of Salmonella Infection in the United States. Rev Infect Dis 1988;10:111-24. 
³Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. “Foodborne Pathogens: Risks and Consequences.” Task Force Report No. 122, (1994).
⁴Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, (1994).
⁵S.R. Crutchfield, T. Roberts, “Food Safety Efforts Accelerate in the 1990s.” 23 FoodReview 44: 49 (2000

The American College of Veterinary Pathologists recently approved the following resolution that adopts the One Health Initiative concept:

  “The American College of Veterinary Pathologists, recognizes and endorses the One Health Initiative dedication to improving the lives of all animal species, and to improving environmental health through the integration of human and veterinary medicine and pathology.”

Provided by:

Wendy J. Coe
Executive Director
American College of Veterinary Pathologists
2810 Crossroads Drive, Suite 3800
Madison, WI 53718-7961
Website: www.acvp.org

Veterinary Practice News

Researcher Combines Computers, Biology to Track Flu

Posted: Thursday, February 25, 2010, 6:15 p.m. EST

An assistant professor in systems biology at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has combined computers and biology to track animal flu viruses.

During graduate studies in China, Henry Wan, DVM, MS, Ph.D., became the first scientist to isolate the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus, according to MSU. Shortly after, highly pathogenic H5N1 outbreaks occurred in poultry in Asia, Europe and Africa …

SEE http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-breaking-news/2010/02/25/researcher-combines-computers-biology-to-track-flu.aspx

NOTICE (March 1, 2010):

The One Health Initiative Website Welcomes …

Worldwide One Health Submissions for Posting on:

·                         One Health News page

·                         Publications page

·                         Upcoming Events page

 Comments and suggestions also appreciated...

Please send to kkm@onehealthinitiative.com

“One Health is the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally to attain optimal health for people, animals, plants and our environment.”

Important REMINDER: Groundbreaking ‘One Health’ book now available: 

 Human-Animal Medicine - Clinical Approaches to Zoonoses and Other Shared Health Risks

By Peter M. Rabinowitz, MD, MPH and Lisa A. Conti, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, CEHP

http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/product.jsp?isbn=9781416068372

http://www.amazon.com/Human-Animal-Medicine-Clinical-Approaches-Toxicants/dp/1416068376/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261391962&sr=1-1  

Back to Humanitarian Resource Institute

Copyright © 1994-2010 Humanitarian Resource Institute.  All rights reserved

Kansas State University receives $12M for zoonotic and animal disease research

Friday, February 19, 2010  |  Modified: Monday, February 22, 2010

Kansas City Business Journal

http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2010/02/15/daily52.html

Study Demonstrates Evolutionary Link between Plants and Humans

Crop Biotech Update – February 19, 2010

http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=5467

“By demonstrating that a human protein important in cancer development can revive dying plants, researchers at Purdue University have shown an evolutionary link between plants and humans. The aminopeptidase M1 protein, or APM1, is critical for root development in plants. Arabidopsis plants lacking the protein will die, but can be rescued if the protein is restored. The Purdue researchers found that inserting a similar protein found in humans, called insulin responsive aminopeptidase, or IRAP, also rescued the plants.

"APM1 and IRAP are in the same group," said Wendy Peer, leader of the study. "M1 aminopeptidase activity is such a fundamental process that it's been conserved evolutionarily. This protein has changed very little over time." Peer noted that the finding could advance the understanding of this class of proteins because it might make it possible to conduct studies with plants instead of animals, offering researchers more control and options. Humans with altered function of the equivalent proteins often have leukemia or other cancers.”

The paper published by Plant Physiology is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1104/pp.109.148742 Read http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2010/100215PeerProtein.html for more information.

Science Now 

Dolphin "Diabetes" Could Be Important Model for Humans

by Erik Stokstad on February 18, 2010 8:21 PM

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/02/dolphin-diabetes-could-be-import.html

European Commission (EC) wants update on Q fever increase in humans

"European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) asked by EC to provide urgent scientific advice to inform possible European Union (EU) risk management measures with regards to human Q fever cases."

//15 Feb 2010

Vetsweb.com News item

 http://www.vetsweb.com/news/ec-wants-update-on-q-fever-increase-in-humans-892.html

“ONE HEALTH in Action” - First Flexible Coil Balloon Expandable Intracoronary Stent Development for Humans

The One Health initiative website has been advised by Peter G. Anderson, DVM, PhD, Professor & Director of Pathology Undergraduate Education and Pre-Clerkship Curriculum Coordinator at the Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine, that the “One Health Initiative” web link has been added to the front page of PEIR (http://peir.net).

Moreover, it should be noted that Dr. Peter G. Anderson, a veterinarian, represents a prime and significant historic example of “ONE HEALTH in Action”.  Dr. Anderson was part of the team that developed the first flexible coil balloon expandable intracoronary stent approved by the FDA for human use. This monumental development occurred in the early 1990’s and now – almost 100% of patients who undergo the balloon angioplasty procedure also get a stent. These stents can be coated with drugs to help the blood vessel heal after the balloon procedure to prevent scar tissue from forming leading to restenosis.  Today the drug coated stents that Dr. Anderson helped develop and holds a patent for are being used extensively to decrease morbidity and mortality in patients worldwide.

Gary Roubin, DVM, MD, PhD, an internationally renowned interventional cardiologist (currently at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, where he has been the Chairman of the Department of Interventional Cardiology and Director of the Cardiovascular Interventional Suites since 2004), worked to develop the first “balloon expandable intracoronary stent” used in the USA. Dr. Roubin came to the University of Alabama in 1989 where Dr. Anderson was the pathologist who participated in the animal studies using pigs. This animal data was sent to the FDA and eventually the stent was approved for human use.  Dr. Anderson says, “While we [i.e., Drs. Roubin and Anderson] were waiting for approval for the FDA – we did get a “provisional” approval to use the stents in people if it was a life threatening situation.  So, here at UAB we deployed many of the stents before they were formally approved by the FDA.” “And, I did the autopsies on the people who died after stent implantation”, said Dr. Anderson. “So, with Gary Roubin as corresponding author, we published the first paper describing the pathology of these balloon expandable flexible coil stents in people.”

Dr. Anderson went on to say, “Gary is the cardiologist who was the innovator in developing the stents and has continued to be an internationally recognized leader in interventional cardiology.  An interesting side note – Gary Roubin was originally from Australia. He started out as a veterinarian – then he went back to school to be a physician, received a PhD degree in physiology, trained in cardiology and then he came to the U.S.  So, Gary Roubin started out as a veterinarian and then went on to be an internationally renowned interventional cardiologist.”

:: PLEASE TAKE OUR [Short] ONLINE SURVEY ::  SEE OPENING PAGE OF One Health Initiative website.

Thank you!

Canary Database website links to One Health Initiative website - February 5, 2010

The Canary Database website has notified the One Health Initiative (OHI) website that they have now linked with our website on their front page making it the 35^th major website to link with OHI website.  See  http://canarydatabase.org/

“Animals as Sentinels of Human Environmental Health Hazards”

Ohio State University’s (USA) College of Veterinary Medicine Links with One Health Initiative website

 *The One Health Initiative website was notified that effective today, February 5, 2010, the Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has linked the One Health Initiative website on their website’s front page http://vet.osu.edu:

UNDER News Stories

• "One Health" at the College of Veterinary Medicine 2010.02.05 Efforts to address the links between animal health, human health, and our environment

"One Health" at the College of Veterinary Medicine

“At Ohio State, the concept of one health allows us to address a triple threat to health in an integrated way. We recognize the importance of addressing issues in animal health, human health and environmental health and are expanding several programs to meet the challenges in all three areas.  

The  One Health Initiative is a national effort that is bringing together "collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally to attain optimal health for people, animals, plants and our environment."

Notably, the current Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Lonnie J. King, DVM, MS, MPA, is a renowned champion and preeminent leader of the One Health movement in the United States and internationally.  Among many top administrative positions, Dr. King has served as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS), Dean of the Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and most recently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) first Director of the *former National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (NCZVED).

The One Health Initiative website promotes One Health and endeavors to post all pertinent national and international One Health News, Publications, and Upcoming events items in a timely fashion.   There are now 34 websites, worldwide, linked to this autonomous pro bono website. 

*Provided by:

Melissa L. Weber, Director

Communications and Marketing

College of Veterinary Medicine

127D Veterinary Medicine Academic Building (VMAB)

1900 Coffey Road

Columbus, Ohio 43210

*Effective January 4th, 2010, two former Centers, including NCZVED and the former National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases (NCPDCID) have been merged into one new Center, the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases (NCEZID) proposed.  Thomas Hearn, PhD has been named the Acting director for NCEZID (proposed), and RADM Ali Khan, MD, MPH is serving as Acting Deputy Director.

National Institute of Animal Agriculture (NIAA) 2010 Annual Meeting – March 15 -17, 2010

http://www.animalagriculture.org/Solutions/Annual%20Meeting/2010/Home.html

ONE HEALTH: Implications for Animal Agriculture

Learn more about the One Health Initiative...

“The One Health concept is a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans and animals:  but what will it mean for animal agriculture?

The 2010 NIAA Annual Meeting will focus on the One Health Initiative and, through its general session and committee meetings, will explore how the initiative may impact the various species and segments within production animal agriculture and animal health management.”

European Wildlife Disease Association (EWDA) Links with One Health Initiative website

The One Health Initiative website has been notified that the European Wildlife Disease Association (EWDA) has linked our website on their links page http://www.ewda-2010.nl/Pages/Links.aspx.  There are now 33 websites, worldwide, linked to this One Health Initiative website. 

Information provided by:

 Merel Langelaar, DVM, PhD  
 Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology (LZO)  
 National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)
 Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands
 P.O. Box 1 (postbak 63)
 3720 BA Bilthoven
 The Netherlands

Princeton University to Offer ‘First Ever’ Undergraduate One Health Course Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP will begin teaching the first known undergraduate course in “One Health” offered at any major university in the United States (or elsewhere in the world) beginning February 2, 2010.  The course website includes extensive links to reference websites, pertinent publications, reading assignments, and much else:

http://www.princeton.edu/~lkahn/When_Cows_Go_Crazy.html

Dr. Kahn is a recognized internationally known expert on the One Health concept having published numerous articles on the subject in several professional journals and newspapers.  She recently co-authored the introductory chapter to a groundbreaking One Health textbook entitled “Human-Animal Medicine - Clinical Approaches to Zoonoses and Other Shared Health Risks.” In addition, Dr. Kahn is a sought after speaker and has given many public speaking presentations on the subject.

Dr. Kahn is currently a Research Scholar in the Program on Science and Global Security at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey (USA).  She is a member of the One Health team that manages the autonomous pro bono One Health Initiative website http://www.onehealthinitiative.com.

Reprinted from One Health Newsletter Winter Issue, January 2010

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Environment/medicine/One_Health/OHNLWinter2010.pdf

ProMED-mail and ONE HEALTH

 By Jack Woodall, PhD, Lawrence C. Madoff, MD, Alison Bodenheimer, MPH*, Peter Cowen, DVM, MPVM, PhD, Dipl. AVES (Hon), Thanis Damrongwatanapokin, DVM, PhD, Fabian Ekue, DVM, MSc, PhD, Tam Garland, DVM, PhD, D.ABVT, Martin Hugh-Jones, VetMB, MPH, PhD, FACE, MRCVS, Arnon Shimshony, DVM, Tom Yuill, PhD

“ProMED-mail since its inception, has espoused the “One Health” concept.”

    ProMED’s beginnings date back to 1993, when, due to the spread of HIV and a renewed threat of biological warfare, many were beginning to recognize the growing role emerging infectious diseases play in global health. At the same time, the internet was enjoying increased interest and attention, finally being shared by the general public rather than exclusively a research tool among scientists. From these fortuitous trends was born ProMED, the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases. ProMED was founded by Dr. Stephen Morse, then of Rockefeller University, Dr. Barbara Rosenberg of the State University of New York at Purchase, and Dr. Jack Woodall, then of the New York State Department of Health. Since its inception, ProMED has covered the emergence of infectious diseases and acute exposure to toxins in humans, domestic, wild and captive animals, and crop plants. Thus, ProMED-mail adopted a “One Health” focus well before the recent widespread acceptance of the concept by the wider biomedical community.   ProMED’s founding focus on the emergence of new diseases anywhere in the world and in any species made the choice of an integrated “One Health” approach covering humans, animals and plants an obvious one.  After all, a “One Health” methodology is the only way to accurately report what is happening in the world of emerging disease and to alert people to the spread of new diseases that may affect them directly or put human or animal food crop supplies at risk. 

            ProMED-mail is a web- and e-mail-based reporting system dedicated to rapid global dissemination of information on outbreaks of infectious diseases and acute exposures to toxins that affect human health, including those in animals and in plants grown for food or animal feed. Electronic communications enable ProMED-mail to provide up-to-date and reliable news about threats to human, animal, and food plant health around the world, seven days a week. By providing early warning of outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging diseases, public health precautions at all levels can be taken in a timely manner to mitigate epidemic transmission and to save lives.

            ProMED is open to all sources and free of political constraints. Sources of information include media reports, official reports, online summaries, local observers, and others. Reports are often contributed by ProMED subscribers. A team of expert human, plant, and animal disease moderators screen, review, investigate the reports and add explanatory notes, evaluations and background information before posting them to the network. Reports are distributed by email to direct subscribers and posted immediately on the ProMED website. ProMED-mail currently reaches over 55,000 subscribers in at least 185 countries.

           A central purpose of ProMED is to promote communication amongst the international infectious disease community, including scientists, physicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists, public health professionals, and others interested in infectious diseases on a global scale. ProMED encourages subscribers to participate in discussions on infectious disease concerns, to respond to requests for information, and to collaborate together in outbreak investigations and prevention efforts. ProMED also welcomes the participation of interested persons outside of the health and biomedical professions. 

            ProMED has several regional networks in multiple languages, including Portuguese (ProMED-PORT) and Spanish (ProMED-ESP). Both of these lists cover disease news and topics relevant to Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America and elsewhere. ProMED-RUS offers Russian-language reports relevant to Russia and the independent states of the former Soviet Union. PRO/MBDS posts reports in English on six countries in Southeast Asia bordering the Mekong River. Under a recent grant from Google.org, ProMED is working to enlarge our networks in Francophone Africa (ProMED-FRA) posted in French, and East Africa (ProMED-EAFR) posted in English, as well as to improve the multilingual capacity of PRO/MBDS. ProMED is partnering with HealthMap on this project. This collaboration has already resulted in some exciting new visuals for ProMED, including our shared interactive map which plots ProMED disease reports on HealthMap, and a more user-friendly design for the youngest ProMED regional network, ProMED-EAFR based in East Africa.

Since October 1999, ProMED has operated as an official program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID), a nonprofit professional organization with 20,000 members worldwide. ISID fully espouses the One Health concept and promotes a synergistic approach to health in its conference programs and its International Journal of Infectious Diseases. ISID’s next International Congress on Infectious Diseases (ICID, March 9-12, 2010 in Miami) and International Meeting on Emerging Diseases (IMED, February 4-7, 2011 in Vienna) will continue to provide fora for discussing new research findings and global trends in animal, human, and food plant health.

            Following the launch of ProMED-EAFR in June of 2009, ProMED and HealthMap held a workshop highlighting the importance of informal sources in disease surveillance in conjunction with the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions NETwork (TEPHINET) and The African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) conference held in Mombasa, Kenya in August of 2009.

            ProMED's focus on human, animal and food plant health fit well with the One Health theme of the conference, and attendees were very interested in the use of informal information sources such as ProMED and HealthMap as adjuncts to disease surveillance in Africa. Existing partnerships with public health, infectious disease and veterinary organizations in the region were strengthened, new connections were forged, and over 150 health professionals subscribed to the ProMED-FRA and ProMED-EAFR email lists.

ProMED’s commitment to one-health principles is manifest in a number of ways.  ProMED’s current staff of around 30 individuals in 16 countries includes 7 veterinarians and veterinary medical health specialists (one in Thailand, one in Cameroon, one in Israel, 4 in the USA).  We know that ProMED is widely read in the veterinary medical and veterinary public health world; nearly 20% of our 57,000 subscribers belong to the AHEAD (Animal Health and Emerging Animal Diseases) mailing list.  We recently reviewed ProMED postings from 1996 to 2004 (Cowen P, et al. Evaluation of ProMED-mail as an electronic early warning system for emerging animal diseases: 1996 to 2004. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2006; 229(7): 1090-9) and found that over 10,000 reports on animal disease were posted during that interval.  Approximately 30% covered zoonotic diseases; the remainder related to animal diseases in both domestic animals and wildlife, both free and captive.

ProMED-mail is a part of the team that has recently been awarded the PREDICT grant from the USAID Avian and Pandemic Influenza and Zoonotic Disease Program. The team is headed by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and includes such influential members as the Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Trust, Global Viral Forecasting Inc., Smithsonian Institute, HealthMap, Google and Veratect. Together, these highly experienced and active groups will develop global capacity to anticipate and prevent emerging infections of the future.  In addition, ProMED will participate in the USAID RESPOND initiative along with Tufts University’s Cumming’s Veterinary School, the University of Minnesota and DAI to help veterinary field epidemiologists learn to better use informal sources of emerging disease information.

ProMED-mail website: http://www.promedmail.org

Publications and Presentations by ProMED Authors
http://www.isid.org/publications/promed_mail_publications.shtml  

ProMED in the News
http://www.isid.org/publications/promed_mail_inthenews.shtml

Jack Woodall is a co-founder and Associate Editor of ProMED-mail, a viral epidemiologist and retired Director of the Nucleus for the Investigation of Emerging Infectious diseases, Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Center for Health Sciences at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
 
Lawrence C. Madoff ist he Editor of ProMED-mail.  He is an infectious disease physician and is Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and director of the Division of Epidemiology and Immunization for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Alison Bodenheimer is Project Manager of ProMED-mail and prior to joining the ProMED team worked as a Consultant for UNICEF’s Operational Research Unit.

Peter Cowen is Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University and ProMED-mail Assistant Animal Disease Moderator.  

Thanis Damrongwatanapokin is based in Bangkok, Thailand and joined the ProMED-mail team in February 2009 as Veterinary Moderator for the PRO/MBDS network.

Fabian Ekue is the Veterinary Moderator for ProMED-FRA, the francophone Africa network. He is Research Professor in Veterinary Medicine in the specialty of veterinary virology and has worked for the past 30 years in the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), Cameroon.

Tam Garland, a veterinary toxicologist, is an Animal Disease and Zoonoses Moderator for ProMED-mail.

Martin Hugh-Jones is Emeritus Professor, Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine; Emeritus Professor, Environmental Sciences, School of the Coast & Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Coordinator, WHO Anthrax Working Group; ProMED Anthrax Moderator.

Arnon Shimshony is Animal Disease and Zoonoses Moderator for ProMED-mail and was formerly Chief Veterinary Officer of Israel  and Associate Professor at the  Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University.

Thomas Yuill is an Emeritus Professor of Pathobiological Sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine and is Emeritus Director and Professor of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

**One Health - At the Crossroads

Ted Cohn, DVM

Dr. Ted Cohn represents the District IX—(Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah) as an Executive Board member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).  Dr. Cohn practices small animal and exotics veterinary medicine at University Hills Animal Hospital at 4040 E. Warren Avenue, Denver, CO  80222; Cell - 720.838.5710; Office - 303.757.5638; E-mail: tcdvm@comcast.net

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the AVMA and/or the AVMA Executive Board.

I first became aware of the concept of One Health during my first year as a veterinary student at the then, Tuskegee Institute. I was attending a class on the history of veterinary medicine and our instructor asked the class what the term “One Medicine” meant. He went on to describe, what is today the accepted definition of the principles of One Health, “One Health is the collaborative effort of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally, to address critical challenges and attain optimal health for people, domestic animals, wildlife, and our environment”.

Since that first introduction, I have believed that every practicing veterinarian could and should play an important role in supporting this concept. Practioners must be cognizant that they are responsible to help to protect the health of not only our patients, but their owners as well. As a small animal and exotics practioner, I feel my exam room sits at the cross roads between animal and human health. I constantly remind myself that the cute new puppy in my exam room, may be a vector for Toxocara; the urban chicken flock I visit could harbor avian influenza; the pampered cat that “never goes outside, except when he escapes”, toxoplasmosis; and the pot-bellied pig, H1N1 influenza. It is my duty to not only diagnose and treat my animal patients, but also to inform their owners of the potential threat of zoonotic disease, their pets represent. Further, if I diagnose a reportable disease, then I have the responsibility to inform my state veterinarian and/or public health authorities, so that appropriate follow up actions can be carried out.

Our patients and their owner’s often share similar health concerns. Daily, we see pets and pet owners that are a part of the obesity epidemic affecting such a large percent of our population. We directly address the pet’s weight problem but through our communications efforts, we can also influence the pet owner to take action regarding their own disease. A public health physician owns one of my favorite patients, we have often lamented that the veterinary profession has not been more active in the fight to get people to stop smoking. If veterinarians would emphasize the negative effect that second hand smoke can have on their pets, we may help persuade people to stop smoking, an obvious health benefit for themselves as well as their animal.

Why have I shared these experiences? Well, not only do I see my exam room as a One Health cross roads, but also I believe the concept of One Health itself is at a critical junction. For this most worthy of efforts to succeed, it will take broad based, long-term support. It will require high-levels of co-ordination, co-operation and commitment, by both the veterinary and the human medical professions. It is imperative that we as a profession (especially at the level of organized veterinary medicine) communicate zealously with our human health care counterparts (i.e. physicians) to let them know the cooperative roles we can each play. A successful amalgamation of efforts as envisioned by One Health will enhance the quality of care for all of our patients. For the sake of our animal patients, as well as the global human population it is essential that this initiative succeed.

**This article by Dr. Cohn has also been published in the Winter issue of the One Health Newsletter January 2010 and is reprinted therefrom.     http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Environment/medicine/One_Health/OHNLWinter2010.pdf

                  Ted Cohn, DVM

One Health Newsletter…Winter Issue Posted Today - January 20, 2010

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Environment/medicine/One_Health/OHNLWinter2010.pdf

Another outstanding Florida (USA) Department of Health Division of Environmental Health quarterly “One Health Newsletter”, the quarterly January 2010 Winter issue is now posted.  Per usual, it will also be referenced shortly in full on the One Health Initiative website http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/newsletter.php, which works in tandem with the Newsletter and devotes an entire section to this significant One Health publication. 

The following distinguished One Health authors & co-authors have provided featured articles:

·                          Thomas P. Monath, MD – “Concurrent Development of Novel West Nile Vaccines for Humans and Equids:Application of One Health Principles”

Dr. Monath is a prominent physician medical virologist; International One Health leader; One Health Initiative website team member and leader; and special contributor/advisor to the One Health Newsletter 

·                          Jack Woodall, PhD, Larry Madoff, MD et. al. -  “ProMED-mail and ONE HEALTH”

Dr. Woodall, a Co-Founder of ProMED-mail, is a One Health leader, renowned scientist and virologist, and is contents manager of the ProMED-mail section of the One Health Initiative website.   Dr. Madoff is the noted physician Editor of ProMED-mail and a longtime valued One Health advocate/supporter— “ProMED-mail since its inception, has espoused the “One Health” concept.”

·                          Ted Cohn, DVM  -  “One Health - At the Crossroads”  [also previously published on the One Health Initiative website November 18, 2009].

Dr. Cohn, an outstanding One Health supporter, is an AVMA Executive Board member and a small animal medicine/surgery private practitioner.

·                          S. K. Lam, PhD – “An Utopian Dream or a Reality?”

Dr. Lam is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a valued One Health supporter and has been one of the most influential figures in medical virology in Southeast Asia.

·                          --and there are several other important One Health contributions by outstanding authors and co-authors!

NEW Fogarty Funding Opportunities: Upcoming Deadlines

·         NEW International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA) (K01) - Deadline March 1, 2010

     http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-10-066.html

Purpose:  This program supports U.S. postdoctoral biomedical, epidemiological, clinical, social and behavioral scientists in the formative stages of their careers to conduct research in developing countries.  These awards will support three- to five-years of “protected time” for  mentored research and career development experiences, leading to an independent research career focused on global health. 

Mechanism of Support: This FOA will utilize the K01 award mechanism.

·         NEW Independent Scientist in Global Health Award (ISGHA) (K02) - Deadline March 1, 2010

              http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-10-065.html

Purpose:  The purpose of the Independent Scientist Award in Global Health (K02) is to foster the development of outstanding scientists and enable them to expand their potential to make significant contributions to their field of research in global health.  The K02 award provides three, four, or five years of research and salary support, and “protected time” for newly independent scientists who can demonstrate the need for a period of intensive research focus as a means of enhancing their research careers. Each independent scientist career award program must be tailored to meet the individual needs of the candidate. 

Below is the recently released research agenda/policy of the new NIH Director, Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD that includes this portion:

Focusing More on Global Health

Much of recent global health research has justifiably been focused on AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria (11). It is also critical to go beyond the focus on the "big three" diseases to neglected tropical diseases of low-income countries that contribute to staggering levels of morbidity and mortality. In collaboration with other sources of support such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, NIH can play a major role in ramping up the discovery of novel targets in both pathogen and host and work to facilitate advances in prevention, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Helping to build capacity and training opportunities in the developing world will be a critical component of such progress. Additional resources will also be needed to respond to the growing challenge of chronic non-communicable diseases and injuries.

Provided by:

E. Ann Davis, DVM MPH MT(ASCP)

Scientific Review Officer

(On Detail from Fogarty International Center)
Population Sciences and Epidemiology (PSE) Integrated Review Group
Center for Scientific Review, NIH
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 3137, MSC 7770
Bethesda, MD  20892-7770 (20817 for Fed Ex/delivery)
ph:  301-435-1251
fax:  301-480-1056

Email: davisann2@mail.nih.gov

Florida Department of Health (USA) Director of Environmental Health Division Presented One Health Paper at Doha, Qatar Scientific Program December 16, 2009 (view PowerPoint Slides on Publication page http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/publications.php):

Lisa Conti, DVM, MPH, Director of the Florida Department of Health’s (USA) Environmental Health Division and One Health Newsletter editorial board member, presented a talk entitled “Thé intersection between Human and Animal Health - Zoonotic Diseases” http://www.q-medec.com/brochures/Congress%20Booklet.pdf  Wednesday, December 16 as an invited speaker at the Qatar International Medical Exhibition & Congress 2009 http://www.medical-events.com/congress/q-medec-qatar-international-medical-exhibition-congress-2009 in Doha, Qatar. 

The Qatar Health Conference 2009 http://www.q-medec.com/, the first of its kind for the State of Qatar, was held in the Doha Exhibition Center, December 12-16.  Dr. Conti’s presentation was one of 12 in the "Development and Implementation of Disaster Reduction Strategies in the Middle East" Disaster Track. 

Dr. Conti focused her One Health talk on zoonoses which may be used as bioterrorist agents using slides from both Iowa State University's ‘train the trainer’ preparedness tools as well as colleagues' presentations. She also mentioned toxicological environmental and occupational health issues.  As with most other presenters in this track, the audience did not ask questions or appear to contact the speakers after the talks. The organizers established the objectives of the conference and exhibition to promote awareness of medical research, service, products and equipment and to boost the country's healthcare market.

Dr. Conti, a noted American public health veterinarian, and prominent American public health physician at Yale Medical School, Dr. Peter Rabinowitz, published a groundbreaking ‘first of its kind’ One Health book December 18, 2009 entitled Human-Animal Medicine – Clinical Approaches to Zoonoses and other Shared Health Risks http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/product.jsp?isbn=9781416068372. 

International Society of Infectious Diseases (IDSD)/ProMED-Mail Wins Chase Community Giving Award – Round 1 ($25,000 Grant) - December 16, 2009

IDSD/ProMED-mail was notified that they have been awarded a $25,000 grant from the ‘Chase Community Giving program – Round 1’ http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/.  This resulted from a vote of Facebook users who recognized the significant contribution and service that IDSD/ProMED-mail has performed by distributing important worldwide infectious disease information in their free e-mail posts online http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1000.

ProMED-mail monitors emerging diseases and is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases.

Beginning January 15, 2010, Facebook users will have the opportunity to cast up to 5 votes for the charities of their choice, but only one vote per charity.  The eligible organization receiving the most votes and meeting program requirements will earn a $1 million grant from Chase.  Five additional charities will each receive a $100,000 grant towards their cause.

The autonomous, pro bono One Health Initiative website, managed by Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP, Thomas P. Monath, MD, Jack Woodall, PhD and Bruce Kaplan, DVM, supports and appreciates ProMED-mail (See website http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/promed.php) and ProMED-mail personnel support and appreciate the “One Health” concept.   We urge One Health supporters worldwide to consider voting for ProMED on the Chase Community website http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/ on January 15, 2010.

Thank you!

Florida Department of Health (USA) Director of Environmental Health Division to Present One Health Paper at Doha, Qatar Scientific Program December 16 (this Wednesday):

Lisa Conti, DVM, MPH, Director of the Florida Department of Health’s (USA) Environmental Health Division and One Health Newsletter editorial board member, is scheduled to present a talk entitled “Thé intersection between Human and Animal Health - Zoonotic Diseases” http://www.q-medec.com/brochures/Congress%20Booklet.pdf  this coming Wednesday, December 16 as an invited speaker at the Qatar International Medical Exhibition & Congress 2009 http://www.medical-events.com/congress/q-medec-qatar-international-medical-exhibition-congress-2009 in Doha, Qatar.  

Dr. Conti, a noted American public health veterinarian, and prominent American public health physician at Yale Medical School, Dr. Peter Rabinowitz, expect to publish a groundbreaking ‘first of its kind’ One Health book this month (December 2009) entitled Human-Animal Medicine – Clinical Approaches to Zoonoses and other Shared Health Risks http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/product.jsp?isbn=9781416068372. 

Rinderpest: first eradicated animal disease

vetsweb.com – December 7, 2009

http://www.vetsweb.com/news/rinderpest-first-eradicated-animal-disease-720.html

Rinderpest, one of the most devastating animal diseases known to man, will officially be declared extinct some time in the next eighteen months.

The Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated “It will be the first time in history that humankind has succeeded in killing off an animal disease and only the second time a disease has been consigned to the dustbin as a result of human efforts. The first was smallpox, in 1980.” 

The successful eradication was achieved after an intense decades-long campaign to isolate rinderpest, also known as cattle plague. Worldwide, millions of ruminants died from this devastating viral disease, which mortality rate exceeds 90 percent. The virus spreads by direct contact and through contaminated materials.

History

The disease has a long history going back to outbreaks described by the Romans in AD 376-386, and may have played a role in decline and collapse of the Roman Empire. In the eighteenth century, up to 90 percent of all cattle died in Africa south of the Sahara, causing widespread famine. The latest large outbreak occurred in northern Pakistan in 1994, killing fifty thousand cattle.

Eradication program

Vaccination was started in the sixties, and although successful at first, campaigns were often called off too soon and dramatic outbreaks reoccurred. In 1994 the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme was started. Activities included: training farmers in recognizing and reporting rinderpest, establishing emergency response plans, biosecurity protocols, and national programs for monitoring and control, and training veterinarians in the design and implementation of blood survey campaigns followed by clinical surveillance and the setup of laboratories.

Outcome

Between 1994 and 2009, around 170 countries and territories succeeded in eliminating rinderpest and acquired OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) certification. The last-ever outbreak of the disease occurred in Kenya, in 2001. The last control activities need to be completed next year to reach the full global certification of rinderpest eradication.

A global “Yes, we can”

"When you think about it, it's quite remarkable that we are where we are today," Juan Lubroth, FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer says. "This is a disease that has been an absolute scourge in agriculture for millennia."

"But if you look at it another way, the solution was simple. We had the know-how. We had the vaccine. What was missing was, in the first place, adequate and targeted investment, and, secondly, a cohesive global coordinating mechanism. Once we had those, solving the problem was just a matter of time. The very substantial investments of many development partners in this Programme, first among them the European Commission, and the strong commitment of national governments and of mandated regional organizations have been instrumental in this success story."

Source: FAO

December 3, 2009

International Society for Disease Surveillance – 2009 Eight Annual Conference

http://www.syndromic.org/  and http://www.syndromic.org/conference/2009/agenda.pdf

In 2005 the International Society for Disease Surveillance was launched.

Mission Statement
The mission of the International Society for Disease Surveillance is to improve population health by advancing the field of disease surveillance. In support of this mission, the Society provides an educational and scientific forum where epidemiologists, informaticists, public health practitioners, health care providers, statisticians, and others can work together to explore and address population health monitoring across institutional and professional boundaries.

Institute of Medicine - One Health Study Potential Highly Significant:

For National and Global One Health Implementation and Institutionalization

Prepared by Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP, Bruce Kaplan, DVM, Thomas P. Monath, MD and Jack Woodall, PhD - November 30, 2009

   One Health Initiative http://www.onehealthinitiative.com Website Team

The National Academy of Sciences’  Board on Global Health of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research of the National Research Council (NRC) have announced their intention to conduct  a study of the One Health Initiative in early 2010 pending acquiring needed funding estimated at approximately $1.3 million.  On November 17, 2009, the newly formed One Health Commission (OHC), a national U.S. incorporated, non-profit organization of supportive entities—including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and others—provided a ‘summit’ meeting where the IOM announced its intent to conduct a study that will evaluate the efficacy of implementing and institutionalizing the One Health concept in the United States and hopefully worldwide.

According to the OHC press release, “the Institute of Medicine study will examine the interdependencies of human, animal and ecosystem health and assess the potential value to be gained through a collaborative approach towards improved health worldwide. The results of the study will be utilized to develop a strategic roadmap for public and private policies and initiatives that will be instrumental in shaping the implementation of the One Health vision [concept].”

The Institute of Medicine http://www.iom.edu/en/About-IOM.aspx is an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public.

The IOM is the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and was established in 1970.   NAS was chartered under President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. Nearly 150 years later, the NAS expanded into what is collectively known as the National Academies, now comprises the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Research Council, and the IOM.

The mission of IOM is to serve as adviser to the nation to improve health. The IOM asks and answers the nation’s most pressing questions about health and health care.  Its goal is to help those in government and the private sector make informed health decisions by providing evidence upon which they can rely. Each year, more than 2,000 individuals, members, and nonmembers volunteer their time, knowledge, and expertise to advance the nation’s health through the work of the IOM.

Many of the studies that the IOM undertakes begin as specific mandates from Congress; still others are requested by federal agencies and independent organizations.  Expert, consensus committees are vital to the IOM advisory role.  They also convene a series of forums, roundtables, and standing committees, as well as other activities, to facilitate discussion, discovery, and critical, cross-disciplinary thinking.

Harvey V. Fineberg, MD, PhD, is President of the Institute of Medicine (IOM). He served as Provost of Harvard University from 1997 to 2001, following thirteen years as Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health. He has devoted most of his academic career to the fields of health policy and medical decision making. His past research has focused on the process of policy development and implementation, assessment of medical technology, evaluation and use of vaccines, and dissemination of medical innovations.

Dr. Fineberg helped found and served as president of the Society for Medical Decision Making and also served as consultant to the World Health Organization. At the Institute of Medicine, he has chaired and served on a number of panels dealing with health policy issues, ranging from AIDS to new medical technology. He also served as a member of the Public Health Council of Massachusetts (1976-1979), as chairman of the Health Care Technology Study Section of the National Center for Health Services Research (1982-1985), and as president of the Association of Schools of Public Health (1995-1996).

Dr. Fineberg is co-author of the books Clinical Decision Analysis, Innovators in Physician Education, and The Swine Flu Affair, an analysis of the controversial federal immunization program against swine flu in 1976. He has co-edited several books on such diverse topics as AIDS prevention, vaccine safety, and understanding risk in society. He has also authored numerous articles published in professional journals. Dr. Fineberg is the recipient of several honorary degrees and the Joseph W. Mountin Prize from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. He earned his bachelor's and doctoral degrees from Harvard University.

Patrick Kelley, MD, DrPH, joined the IOM in July 2003 as Director Board on Global Health and was later appointed the Director of the Board of African Science Academy Development.  Dr. Kelly has published 60 scholarly papers, monographs, book chapters.

Dr. Kelley served in the U.S. Army for more than 23 years as a physician, residency director, epidemiologist, and program manager. In his last position with the Department of Defense, he founded and directed the presidentially-mandated Department of Defense Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System.

In this role, he managed approximately $42 million dollars of emerging infections surveillance, response, training, and capacity-building activities in partnership with numerous elements of the federal government and with health ministries in over 45 developing countries.

Dr. Kelley obtained his MD from the University of Virginia and his DrPH from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.

The IOM's Board on Global Health is concerned with advancing the health of populations worldwide. This involves addressing developing country health issues, enhancing the United States role in global health, and addressing health issues that have implications for U.S. health policy. In 2009, the IOM's Board is scheduled to release a report that will press for a deeper commitment to global health by the U.S. and communicate specific conclusions and recommendations that would pertain to not only the government, but also to the private sector, academia, the public health and scientific research communities, the diplomatic and national security communities, foundations, and the media.

The National Research Council (NRC) http://sites.nationalacademies.org/NRC/index.htm  functions under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The NAS, NAE, IOM, and NRC are part of a private, nonprofit institution that provides science, technology and health policy advice under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln that was originally granted to the NAS in 1863. Under this charter, the NRC was established in 1916, the NAE in 1964, and the IOM in 1970. The four organizations are collectively referred to as the National Academies.

The mission of the NRC is to improve government decision making and public policy, increase public education and understanding, and promote the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in matters involving science, engineering, technology, and health. The institution takes this charge seriously and works to inform policies and actions that have the power to improve the lives of people in the U.S. and around the world.

The NRC is committed to providing elected leaders, policy makers, and the public with expert advice based on sound scientific evidence. The NRC does not receive direct federal appropriations for its work. Individual projects are funded by federal agencies, foundations, other governmental and private sources, and the institution’s endowment. The work is made possible by 6,000 of the world’s top scientists, engineers, and other professionals who volunteer their time without compensation to serve on committees and participate in activities.  The NRC is administered jointly by the NAS, NAE, and the IOM through the NRC Governing Board.

The core services involve collecting, analyzing, and sharing information and knowledge. The independence of the institution, combined with its unique ability to convene experts, allows it to be responsive to a host of requests.

The Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) http://www.national-academies.org/ilar, founded in 1952, is a component of the National Research Council's Division on Earth and Life Studies. It serves as a coordinating agency and a national and international resource for compiling and disseminating information on laboratory animals, promoting education, planning and conducting conferences and symposia, surveying existing and required facilities and resources, upgrading laboratory animal resources, and promoting high-quality, humane care of laboratory animals. ILAR is guided by a 15-member Council, made up of experts in laboratory animal medicine, zoology, genetics, and related biomedical sciences.

The Kahn-Kaplan-Monath-Woodall One Health team strongly supports and endorses prospects for an IOM-NRC “One Health” study.

NEW Online Food Safety Course Offered by Institute of Food Technologists

The Institute of Food Technologists is offering a new online food safety course to help participants learn more about incorporating food safety throughout the entire product development process. Explore the key issues concerning food safety, identify food safety hazards and control measures, and deepen their understanding about HACCP considerations, quality management systems, and other food safety practices.
 
This course that will help you to identify food safety issues within the product development process, discover ways to apply sound science in key aspects of product development, understand food safety regulations throughout the product development process, learn to apply lessons learned from past food safety issues and cases, and recognize the importance of consumer concerns about food safety. More information about this course can be found at: www.ift.org/learnonline.

 From National Meat Association’s Weekly Newsletter – ‘Lean Trimmings and Herd On The Hill’  November 23, 2009 http://nmaonline.org/index.php

*Happy Thanksgiving to ALL from One Health Initiative website’s One Health team!

One Health Supporter Stephen S. Morse Named Director of USAID Early Warning Project

Initiative will monitor diseases that move between animals and people to prevent next pandemic

http://www.mailman.columbia.edu/news/stephen-s-morse-named-director-usaid-early-warning-project

November 9, 2009 -- A new project -- PREDICT -- has been created with up to $75 million in funds over five years from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Emerging Pandemic Threats Program to develop a global warning system for newly emerging diseases and to anticipate and prevent emerging infectious diseases that move between animals and people in order to prevent the next global pandemic. Stephen S. Morse, Ph.D., professor of clinical Epidemiology and former director of the Center for Public Health Preparedness at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, was named director of the PREDICT program.

PREDICT is being funded by USAID to help prepare the world for infectious diseases like H1N1 flu, avian flu, SARS and Ebola. The program is a major component of USAID’s overall Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) program, which builds on the successes of USAID’s long-standing efforts in developing global health capacity and disease surveillance, training, and outbreak response, particularly those addressing avian and pandemic influenza.

The PREDICT program that Dr. Morse will direct includes a consortium of organizations led by the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of California Davis. The other organizations in the PREDICT consortium include the Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Trust, Global Viral Forecasting, Inc., and the Smithsonian Institution. The concept of ‘One Health’ -- that human, animal, and environmental health are inextricably linked and should be considered holistically -- is a core principle of the PREDICT effort.

The current H1N1 influenza pandemic, which is thought to have originated in swine, is a reminder that controlling pandemics and other emerging infections requires understanding of their origins and ecology in nature. “Historically, pandemics occurred perhaps every 30 to 40 years,” noted Dr. Morse. “But in our modern world, the chances of novel diseases or even a new pandemic emerging are greater than ever because of how we live and the extent to which we travel. Our human settlements and roadways push deeper into forests and wild areas where we now raise livestock and poultry; and we transport ourselves, our animals, and our food farther and faster around the globe.”

“Predicting where new diseases may emerge from wild animals and detecting viruses and other pathogens before they spread among people give us the best chance to prevent new pandemics,” said scientist Jonna Mazet, who is leading the PREDICT project at UC Davis and the director of UC Davis’ new One Health Institute in the School of Veterinary Medicine.

The PREDICT team will be active in global hotspots where important wildlife host species have significant interaction with domestic animals and high-density human populations. They include South America's Amazon Basin, Africa’s Congo Basin and neighboring Rift Valley, South Asia's Gangetic Plain, and Southeast Asia. Those conditions enable the spread of microbes, especially viruses and bacteria, from animals to humans.

Among the 1,461 pathogens recognized to cause diseases in humans, at least 60 percent are of animal origin. Notable outbreaks of these animal-to-human diseases, or zoonoses, include:

• The 1918 influenza pandemic, which was probably caused by a virus that jumped from birds, killed over 50 million people globally;
• The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which moved from chimpanzees to people, and now infects more than 33 million individuals;
• Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which emerged in 2003 from southern China "wet markets" where live wild animals are sold for food; and
• The recent outbreaks of avian influenza H5N1, or "bird flu," as well as the current H1N1 influenza pandemic.

Dr. Stephen S. Morse previously served as program manager for Biodefense at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Department of Defense, where he co-directed the Pathogen Countermeasures program, and in the laboratory as a professor in virology at The Rockefeller University. Dr. Morse originated the term and concept of emerging viruses/infections; and currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Microbial Threats, and served on the original National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Emerging Microbial Threats to Health (and chaired its Task Force on Viruses). He was the founding chair of ProMED (the nonprofit international Program to Monitor Emerging Diseases) and an originator of ProMED-mail, an international network inaugurated by ProMED in 1994 for outbreak reporting and disease monitoring using the Internet. Most recently, he has been working on predictive models for influenza and the 1918 pandemic. His book, Emerging Viruses (Oxford University Press) was selected by "American Scientist" for its list of "100 Top Science Books of the 20th Century.

About the Mailman School of Public Health
The only accredited school of public health in New York City and among the first in the nation, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting millions of people locally and globally. The Mailman School is the recipient of some of the largest government and private grants in Columbia University’s history. Its more than 1000 graduate students pursue master’s and doctoral degrees, and the School’s 300 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as infectious and chronic diseases, health promotion and disease prevention, environmental health, maternal and child health, health over the life course, health policy, and public health preparedness. More information: http://www.mailman.columbia.edu

About the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
As a top veterinary school internationally, and the leading one in preventive medicine and wildlife health, UC Davis has an extensive research and training track record in the fields of epidemiology, surveillance, zoonotic diseases, comparative medicine, diagnostics, wildlife pathogens and conservation, food safety, disease prevention, and outbreak response. The school has trained more than 800 international veterinarians from 75 countries, including hotspots in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Its One Health Institute and Wildlife Health Center manage One Health programs for people and animals ranging from the Pacific Northwest to Africa's Congo Basin and Rift Valley. More information: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ohi/predict/index.cfm

About USAID
USAID is the lead U.S. Government Agency providing foreign development and humanitarian assistance. The agency's Global Development Alliance (GDA) links U.S. foreign assistance with the resources, expertise and creativity of the private sector as well as nongovernmental organizations. Since its launch in 2001, the Global Development Alliance has changed the way many U.S. international development projects are financed and implemented. USAID has cultivated more than 900 public-private alliances with over 1,700 individual partners to benefit development programming. More information: http://www.usaid.gov.

An Important New Book by Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP

          *NOW AVAILABLE… 

http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/C9485.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/Whos-Charge-Leadership-Epidemics-International/dp/0275994856/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259598191&sr=8-1 

Who's In Charge?
Leadership during Epidemics, Bioterror Attacks, and Other Public Health Crises
Series: Praeger Security International
Laura H. Kahn

0-275-99485-6/978-0-275-99485-3

Laura H. Kahn

ISBN: 0-275-99485-6

ISBN-13: 978-0-275-99485-3

236 pages

Praeger Publishers

*Publication: 9/30/2009

List Price: $49.95 (UK Sterling Price: £34.95)

*Availability: Not yet published. (Estimated publication date, 9/30/2009)

Media Type: Hardcover

Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4

Series Title: Praeger Security International

Description

An imminent threat to the public health, such as the swine flu outbreak, is no time for a muddled chain of command and contradictory decision making. Who's In Charge? Leadership during Epidemics, Bioterror Attacks, and Other Public Health Crises explores the crucial relationships between political leaders, public health officials, journalists, and others to see why leadership confusion develops.

About the Author

Laura H. Kahn is a physician and research scholar in the Program on Science and Global Security at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.

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Who's In Charge? begins by looking at the overarching issues of leadership, public health administration, and the threats of bioterrorism. It then examines five recent emergencies—the 2001 anthrax attacks and 1993 cryptosporidium outbreak in the United States, the 2003 SARS outbreak in Toronto, the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease crisis, and the decade-long battle against Mad Cow Disease in the U.K. A perfect text for schools in public health, or as a reference for elected officials at every level of government, the book shows how each event developed step-by-step to pinpoint specific leadership issues. Engaging and absorbing, the work presents official reports, medical literature, first-person accounts from officials and journalists, and discussions of the role of law enforcement and the military during health care emergencies.

Title Features:

• First-person accounts from leaders involved in the actual crises, as well as leading experts, scientists, and others
• Primary documents including excerpts from official reports and the medical literature
• Chronologies of five recent public health emergencies
• A comprehensive index organized by disease and by individuals involved in emergency response

One Health Liaison Website Links with University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine

                                            November 4, 2009

“The University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine is emerging as a leader in interdisciplinary research into new treatments that will benefit human and animal health — the One Health/One Medicine concept.” …read more, see link below:

http://www.cvm.missouri.edu/news/onehealthinitiative.htm

Newly Formed One Health Commission Holds Groundbreaking Summit at National Academy of Sciences on One Health: Improving Health in an Interconnected World

Institute of Medicine announces study on One Health

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The newly formed One Health Commission, in partnership with the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, today held a groundbreaking summit at the National Academy of Sciences convening leading health science experts across the human, animal and ecosystem disciplines. The One Health Commission Summit aimed to raise awareness of the importance of transcending institutional and disciplinary boundaries to improve health outcomes for all species. During the Summit, the Institute of Medicine formally announced its intent to conduct a study that will shape the One Health vision.

Doug O'Brien, J.D., Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, delivered the keynote address, calling for integrated solutions and collaborative leadership to address the significant challenges of a changing environment populated by interconnected animal, human and ecosystem interactions.

"As we combat global pandemics, such as H1N1 influenza, it is imperative that health science professions, academia, government agencies and non-governmental organizations act in unison across the human, animal and ecosystem sciences," said Mr. O'Brien.

Leading experts from such disparate organizations as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and College of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University also expressed the critical need for a One Health approach through the purview of their diverse fields.

The Institute of Medicine study will examine the interdependencies of human, animal and ecosystem health and assess the potential value to be gained through a collaborative approach towards improved health worldwide. The results of the study will be utilized to develop a strategic roadmap for public and private policies and initiatives that will be instrumental in shaping the implementation of the One Health vision. The Institute of Medicine study is scheduled to launch in early 2010, pending the acquirement of sufficient funding.

Dr. Roger Mahr, DVM, Chief Executive Officer of the One Health Commission, indicated, "The Institute of Medicine study will afford the opportunity to develop an evidence-based rationale for One Health and offer recommendations to guide the implementation of One Health, both domestically and internationally."

An audio webcast of the event is available at www.national-academies.org. A comprehensive agenda and additional information about the One Health Commission Summit can be accessed at www.onehealthcommission.org.

The One Health Commission Summit set the stage for the work of the Commission, which was created to establish closer professional collaborations and educational opportunities across the health science professions and their related disciplines. By bringing together policy makers and leaders from the private, public and academic sectors, the One Health Commission hopes to develop and sustain an integrated strategy for improved public health based on the principles of One Health. The Commission's goals also include raising awareness of the value of One Health and developing an interdisciplinary research agenda for the One Health movement.

About the One Health Commission

The One Health Commission represents a call for greater cooperation across multiple disciplines at the local, national and global level to achieve optimal health for people, domestic animals, wildlife and the environment. The Commission incorporated as a nonprofit organization on June 29, 2009. Initial funding for the creation of the One Health Commission includes a grant provided by The Rockefeller Foundation. For more information, visit www.onehealthcommission.org.

SOURCE One Health Commission

 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/newly-formed-one-health-commission-holds-groundbreaking-summit-at-national-academy-of-sciences-on-one-health-improving-health-in-an-interconnected-world-70291322.html

U vet school gets $55M to study deadly pandemics

The University of Minnesota's School of Veterinary Medicine has been awarded a $55 million federal grant, one of the largest in the university's history, to help stop future pandemic diseases around the globe….

By JOSEPHINE MARCOTTY, Star Tribune

Last update: October 30, 2009 - 10:39 PM

SEE full article: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/67833552.html?page=1&c=y

“ONE HEALTH in Action”!

      ---ProMED-Mail---

Early on, editor Dr. Larry Madoff, several of the associate editors and other participants of ProMED-mail (see listed below) expressed strong support for the One Health concept to the One Health team founders of the One Health Intiative website.  Their important global action contributions have been and are a significant example of “One Health”! 

“ProMED-mail - the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases - is an Internet-based reporting system dedicated to rapid global dissemination of information on outbreaks of infectious diseases and acute exposures to toxins that affect human health, including those in animals and in plants grown for food or animal feed. Electronic communications enable ProMED-mail to provide up-to-date and reliable news about threats to human, animal, and food plant health around the world, seven days a week.

By providing early warning of outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging diseases, public health precautions at all levels can be taken in a timely manner to prevent epidemic transmission and to save lives.

ProMED-mail is open to all sources and free of political constraints. Sources of information include media reports, official reports, online summaries, local observers, and others. Reports are often contributed by ProMED-mail subscribers. A team of expert human, plant, and animal disease moderators screen, review, and investigate reports before posting to the network. Reports are distributed by email to direct subscribers and posted immediately on the ProMED-mail web site. ProMED-mail currently reaches over 40,000 subscribers in at least 185 countries.

A central purpose of ProMED-mail is to promote communication amongst the international infectious disease community, including scientists, physicians, epidemiologists, public health professionals, and others interested in infectious diseases on a global scale. ProMED-mail encourages subscribers to participate in discussions on infectious disease concerns, to respond to requests for information, and to collaborate together in outbreak investigations and prevention efforts. ProMED-mail also welcomes the participation of interested persons outside of the health and biomedical professions.

ProMED-mail was established in 1994 with the support of the Federation of American Scientists and SatelLife. Since October 1999, ProMED-mail has operated as an official program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, a nonprofit professional organization with 20,000 members worldwide.

ProMED-mail is also available in Portuguese, ProMED-PORT, and in Spanish, ProMED-ESP. Both of these lists cover disease news and topics relevant to Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, respectively. ProMED-RUS offers Russian-language reports relevant to the independent states of the former Soviet Union. PRO/MBDS offers reports in English on countries in Southeast Asia bordering the Mekong river. Under a recent grant from Google.org, ProMED-mail is working to enlarge our networks in West Africa (ProMED-FRA) posted in French, and East Africa (ProMED-EAFR) posted in English.

ProMED-mail and ISID are grateful to Google.org, the Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Oracle Corporation, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, and many individual donors for financial support. Please consider a donation by clicking on the Donations link on the left.

Web services for ProMED-mail are provided as a public service by the Oracle Corporation. E-mail services are provided by the Harvard School of Public Health.”

Publications and Presentations by ProMED Authors
http://www.isid.org/publications/promed_mail_publications.shtml

ProMED in the News
http://www.isid.org/publications/promed_mail_inthenews.shtml

ONE HEALTH SUPPORTER…

New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine (NZCCM) – Auckland

           Officially opened on August 10, 2007

http://www.aucklandzoo.com/Homepage/Explore-The-Zoo/Conservation-Medicine-Centre/

The One Health Initiative website was notified October 16, 2009 that the NZCCM is a One Health supporter.

Provided by:

Richard Jakob-Hoff, BVMS, MACVSc (Wildlife Medicine)

Senior Veterinarian – Conservation & Research

New Zealand Centre For Conservation Medicine

Auckland Zoological Park

Private Bag, Grey Lynn, Auckland

New Zealand

The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV) http://www.nasphv.org/  helps direct and develop uniform public health procedures involving zoonotic disease in the United States and its territories.

The NASPHV, a longstanding One Health supporter, now offers a link to the One Health Initiative website: http://www.nasphv.org/links.html

Ultrasound Discovery of the 20^th Century – Unheralded as One Health Example

http://www.ob-ultrasound.net/jjwild.html    [1982 Press Release]

John J. Wild, MD (physician) and William Reid, PhD (Electrical Engineer): working as an interdisciplinary team, Drs. Wild and Reid discovered and built the ultrasound instrument used commonly today to diagnose cancer in humans [and animals].

Dr. Wild died September 18, 2009 according to a New York Times (USA) obituary today, October 7, 2009:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/health/07wild.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries

_________________________________

Today - a similar 21^st Century One Health Model

The One Health Initiative website has previously reported Orthopedic Surgeons (a veterinarian and physician) Research Creative Hip and Knee Replacements for Dogs and Humans Together - Wednesday, June 03, 2009:  “Veterinarian James "Jimi" Cook, DVM, PhD, a University of Missouri- Columbia college of veterinary medicine professor of orthopedic surgery and physician B. Sonny Bal, MD, JD, MBA, Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery college of medicine have collaborated for over seven years on efforts to create hip and knee replacements without using commonplace biomechanical metal and plastic materials.  The technique being developed by Dr. Cook for dogs initially, involves use of laboratory grown tissue (cartilage) that can be molded into replicas of joints that require replacement.  Drs. Bal and Cook are concomitantly developing a process whereby a similar process can be adapted for humans.”

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/06/02/mu-research-may-lead-treatment-lou-gehrigs-disease/

  Florida State Department of Health

                       Environmental Health Press Release – April 13, 2009

A Unique One Health Perspective

Individuals holding degrees in veterinary medicine (DVM/VMD) and human medicine (MD)

See comments below by Leonard C. Marcus, VMD, MD,  Larry R. Anderson, DVM, MD, Carey L. Renken, MD, (DVM Candidate), Steven W. Atwood, VMD, MD, MRCVS, MPH (Candidate) and Stephen F. Badylak, DVM, PhD, MD.

Quoted from an ‘introduction to One Health’ speech presented January 11, 2008 to a group of retired and semi-retired physicians at the Sarasota(Florida, USA) Friendship Center (by Bruce Kaplan, DVM):  “John McFadyean’s first love was veterinary medicine, receiving his veterinary medical diploma from Edinburgh veterinary school in 1876. He graduated from medical school in 1882 and received his science degree in 1883.  McFadyean wanted degrees in Medicine and Science to prepare himself for an academic career in pathology and microbiology, grounded in the work of Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur. Although enthralled with the genius and  discoveries of Koch, e.g. the famous Koch’s postulates … McFadayean respectfully challenged Koch’s erroneous  assertion that Bovine TB was of little, if any concern, in its transmission to humans via milk and milk products.  Over a ten year span, Dr. McFadyean was proved correct and he was subsequently knighted in 1905 for his service  to veterinary science and agriculture and for his brilliant work on the royal commission on TB.  He devoted his life to teaching pathology and anatomy, developing the field of veterinary research and administering the London veterinary school. To this day, laboratory diagnosis of Anthrax can be confirmed by demonstrating the organism in blood, lesions or discharges using McFadyean’s methylene blue stain for the bacillus capsule.”  Slide by Thomas P. Monath, MD 1.        Pattison, I. John Mcfadyean, Founder of Modern Veterinary Research. J.A. Allen 1981. 2.        Dunlop, R.H. & Williams, D.J. 1996.  Veterinary Medicine: an illustrated history.             Mosby, New York. Pp. 399-401. Comments from modern day professional descendents of Dr. McFadyean… Dr. Leonard C. Marcus on September 18, 2009:  “One medicine” [now referred to as One Health] is a valuable theoretical concept. Its value and practical limitations are outlined in a presentation I gave at the North American Veterinary Conference in 2004 and published under the title, Physician-Veterinarian Interaction: Why Do We Need It, How Can We Do It? in Bayer Zoonosis Symposium, supplement to Compendium on Continuing Education for the Practicing Veterinarian, vol. 26, No. 5a, 2004, pages 8-11. This article reflects my current thoughts and feelings about this issue. I initially became a veterinarian as a way to combine my interest in biology and medicine. I became increasingly interested in specific aspects of comparative medicine, including evolution of pathogens and host response to them. I also developed an interest in parasitology and zoonoses and ultimately decided I wanted to care for human patients in these areas.  My veterinary medical background gave me unique insights and was invaluable in my professional work.   Leonard C. Marcus, VMD, MD 1555 Commonwealth Av Newton, MA 02465-2800

______________________________________________

Dr. Larry R. Anderson on September 22, 2009:

“I fully support One Health because it is the RIGHT THING TO DO!  Resources are limited and only by fulfilling the One Health Mission of collaborative efforts will we, as a society, be able to feed a growing world population and also help protect the health of people, animals, and the environment.

As a young boy I had a love of farm life.  My farm animals-exposure to exceptional veterinarian role models and a family tradition at Kansas State University shifted my career choice from considering human medicine to veterinary medicine.  As the only veterinarian (D.V.M.) at a U. S. Air Force base, my work with 26 physician colleagues caused me to again re-consider a career in human medicine.  Since obtaining my medical degree (M.D.), I have greatly enjoyed the rural general/family practice of medicine.  Training in veterinary medicine provided a useful knowledge base and stepping stone toward my pursuits in becoming a family practice physician taking care of people.”

Larry R. Anderson, DVM, MD  

Sumner County Family Care Center, PA

1323 North A

Wellington, KS 67152

________________________________________________

Dr. Carey L. Renken on September 23, 2009:

I was a die-hard student, resident and pediatric practitioner (pediatrician).  I had no concept of “rest” or identity outside of medicine.  However, I experienced a severe depression in the early 2000’s and, encountered serious emotional difficulties that anyone suffering from that illness can certainly understand as do physicians who treat depression patients.

During this trying period, I had a unique experience with my 1 year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Sophiel.  She seemed to sense not only my distress, but appeared to know when and what to do to “intervene.”  For instance, if my energy level was low enough not to get out of bed, Sophie would stand on my chest, put her face directly into mine and stare me in the face until I smiled or got up.  If I ignored her she would tap my arm until I either smiled or got up.  She never needed anything except to get me moving and smiling.  For a “science-minded” professional it took me a long time to believe she could perceive such human complexities but I now have no doubt she saved my life. 

After I recovered I decided to pursue veterinary medicine as a career.  In particular, I began investigating the human-animal bond and was amazed at the growing number of people and organizations focusing on the H.A.B.  The correlation between child/domestic abuse and animal abuse is compelling.  I have also seen the use of amazing animal-assisted therapy with children and have great hope that this modality may be highly useful in treating disorders such as attachment disorders in adopted children and bonding for children with autism. Out of this knowledge I was also drawn to the issues of zoonoses and common toxicology issues-especially in light of the long standing and growing public opinion that pets are members of the family leading to closer physical contact between people and companion animals. 

After reviewing the One Health Initiative website with its plethora of pertinent News and Publications items, I am now convinced that “One Health” represents the best hope for the future of health and health care for our society (worldwide)!

Carey L. Renken, MD (DVM Candidate)

1423 Roosevelt Avenue

Ames, IA 50010

Note: Dr. Renken earned her medical degree (MD) at the University of Nebraska, College of Medicine in 1994.  She is currently a 3^rd year student pursuing her DVM degree in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University.

 ______________________________________________________

Dr. Steven W. Atwood on September 28, 2009:

The development and implementation of the One Health concept provides a formal outlet for the interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and information that was long overdue.  Educational publications and launching of a One Health Initiative website by Drs. Tom Monath, Bruce Kaplan, and Laura Kahn are to be applauded.

In these times of contracting global resources, collaborative ventures that bridge disciplines that have been historically separated, seems a logical way to increase progress toward answering many of health cares most vexing questions.

From a young age I had always had an interest in both veterinary and human medicine having been exposed early on to relatives practicing in each field as well as to our own family veterinarian and family general practitioner, both of whom I admired greatly. So it was no surprise that after college I began studies at the University of Pennsylvania—a place where the One Medicine [now commonly referred to as One Health] philosophy was well developed, encouraged and promoted between the Schools of Veterinary Medicine, Medicine, Dental Medicine and Nursing.

In my case, the synergy of comparative medicine concepts were made real to me during the time, as a veterinary medical student, I was lucky enough to spend in the clinics and operating rooms of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in the School of Medicine. Pursuing degrees in veterinary medicine, medicine and now public health, has been my attempt to come as close as I could to completing a broad medical education that would allow me, in an interdisciplinary way, the option to explore various interests as they develop, here in the U.S. and/or elsewhere.

Steven W. Atwood, VMD, MD, MRCVS, MPH (Candidate)

Animal Health Care Associates, Ltd.

Martha's Vineyard Airport

Post Office Box 681

West Tisbury, Martha’s Vineyard,

Massachusetts, 02575

_______________________________________

Dr. Stephen F. Badylak on September 29, 2009

One Health is more than a collection of individuals, an organized approach to medicine, or a therapeutic strategy.  One Health is a way of thinking about development, disease, diagnosis, and therapy.  The better we understand evolution, mechanisms involved in the transmission of infectious disease, and biologic responses to pathogens and traumatic injury, the better we will be able to recognize the similarities in these fundamental concepts across species lines.  One Health provides a forum for identifying and capitalizing upon these common features. 

 
Stephen F. Badylak, DVM, PhD, MD
McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
450 Technology Drive, Suite 300
Pittsburgh, PA  15219

_______________________________________

One Health Principles in Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

September 9^th 2009

By Nigel Brown, BVSc, MSc, MACVSc, MRCVS, Zolzaya Baljinnyam, BVM, MIPH , and Enkhtur Byakharjav, BVM, MSc

Please see original submission to One Health Initiative website in full on Publication page…

From:

Dr. Nigel Brown

Long Term Veterinary Expert

EU-Mongolia Animal Health and Livestock Marketing Project

Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry

Peace Avenue -16a

Bayanzurkh 210349

Ulaanbaatar,

Mongolia

mobile:    +976 9529 1003

e-mail:      nigel@tateam.net; drnigel.brown@gmail.com

skype:     doctornigel

Brucellosis, Anthrax, Rabies and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza are four of major zoonoses in Mongolia, a country with a population of nearly three million people and 40 million livestock. Nomadic pastoralism is the mainstay of livestock farming (30% GDP is produced by agriculture, 87% by livestock^[1]) but the extreme climate, 20^oC to -30^oC, poses severe health problems which complicate the epidemiology and control of all diseases.

The EU-Mongolia Animal Health and Livestock Marketing Project has ‘improvement of collaboration between donor projects’ as a core philosophy, aiming to maximise the productivity from all projects through synergy. This precept of the One Health Initiative is now being adopted in Mongolia to control these and other limitations to productivity.

The EU Project and The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Livestock Project, two collaborative ventures within the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, are working together to improve the national strategy for brucellosis control coordinating their efforts with the support of Professor Felix Roth^[2] who will be visiting Mongolia again from Switzerland in September.

^[1] OIE (2007) Performance, Vision and Strategy Report on Mongolia

^[2] Felix Roth, (2003). Human health benefits from livestock vaccination for brucellosis: case study, Bulleting of the World Health Organisation, 81 (12) 867 – 876.