July 4, 2009

Important!

Request for Information on Veterinary Vaccine Utilization in Sub-Saharan Africa

By Thomas P. Monath, MD

We need help from the veterinary community in solving a critical problem for human vaccines. This is a major opportunity for One Health.

A novel vaccine for protection of infants against malaria, the greatest killer in Africa, is in clinical development by a U.S. biotechnology company, Sanaria Inc. and is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This new vaccine is composed of attenuated malaria parasites (sporozoites) and requires storage at ultra low temperature (in vaporized liquid nitrogen). 

If the new vaccine meets expectations and provides high-grade protection against malaria it could save millions of lives. However, the method of storage and distribution represent a challenge. Current childhood vaccines delivered to infants in Africa require a cold chain (using mechanical freezers and refrigerators).. A significant change to the cold chain system to accommodate vapor-phase liquid nitrogen would be required to implement the new malaria vaccine in the Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI).

On the other hand, some veterinary vaccines are distributed in this way in Africa. We are seeking detailed information from our veterinary colleagues on their experience in storing, transporting and delivering vaccines for livestock and poultry in Africa utilizing vapor-phase liquid nitrogen. This experience could inform the medical community on the potential distribution of the attenuated sporozoite vaccine.

Information that would be useful includes:

1) Which vaccines are distributed in vapor-phase liquid N2

2) Level of organization of vaccine distribution within countries and standardization of methods across Africa

3) Availability of liquid N2 and transport boxes

4) Anecdotal information and specific studies on the economics and practicality of vapor-phase liquid N2

5) Comparative advantages and disadvantages of liquid N2 over other methods.

6) If veterinary vaccines are so unstable as to require liquid N2 storage, what are the requirements for use after thawing these products?

 ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­______________________________________

 Please address comments as soon as possible to:

 Bruce Kaplan, DVM

bkapdvm@verizon.net

Thank you…

Vermont (USA) Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Resolution Endorses One Health

July 2, 2009 – Provided to One Health Initiative website by:

                                        John Trumper, MD

                                        P.O. Box 7, Brattleboro

                                        Vermont 05302

Passed July 1, 2009 - RESOLVED:     That the Vermont Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics continue its programs, already begun, of furthering communication with Veterinarians by endorsing the efforts of the One Health Initiative, which operates globally and nationally, and by working locally with Veterinarians to share presentations of interest to both professions at meetings, websites, and by encouraging individual contact.

New ProMED “One Health” Initiative Launched Targeting Physicians, Veterinarians and other public health workers in Anglophone Africa – June 30, 2009

I am pleased to announce this new enterprise targeting physicians and veterinarians in Anglophone Africa, complementing ProMED-FRA which does the same for francophone Africa.  These are not duplicates from the English ProMED lists, but have a specific regional focus.

ProMED-EAFR is collaboration between ProMED and the East Africa Integrated Disease Surveillance Network (EAIDSNet), which is a joint effort of the Ministries of Health of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda as well as national health research and academic institutions. The objective of this initiative between the International Society for Infectious Disease (ISID) and EAIDSNet is to facilitate access to outbreak information on the part of physicians, veterinarians and other public health workers throughout English-speaking Africa. Subscription to ProMED-EAFR is free of charge.

See http://eafr.promedmail.org

Provided by:

One Health Initiative Website ProMED Contents Manager

John (Jack) Woodall, MA, PhD, Director (retd.)
Nucleus for the Investigation of Emerging Infectious Diseases

Institute of Medical Biochemistry

Center for Health Sciences

Federal University

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Vermont (USA) Pediatrician Describes Activist One Health Collaborative Educational Efforts

June 26, 2009

John Trumper, MD, a retired Vermont pediatrician, updated the One Health Initiative website regarding physician efforts to expand and utilize One Health principles by educating fellow practicing physicians and veterinarians statewide.  This hopefully represents a significant and efficacious blueprint [in brief] to help guide others in the U.S. and abroad.

“The joint meeting and visit (please see News item to follow) from Joan Hendricks, VMD, PhD (Dean of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine) was simply an inauguration of our Vermont efforts to alert practicing physicians in the state to the One Health concept, of which the Veterinarians are already well aware. We have begun with the pediatricians, as we believe that our specialty has the most in common with veterinarians
     Taking seriously your statements about the priority for the development of the OHI concept among practicing primary care physicians and veterinarians, we have a committee from both disciplines working on presentations by veterinarians at community hospital medical staff meetings and Continuing Medical Education sessions. This seems to be the most effective way to reach the silent majority of busy practitioners who don't attend state and national meetings. Our goal is to have local veterinarians do these talks to encourage future relationships between our disciplines at the community level. Our thinking is that offering an outline and/or power-point to the presenter would encourage more DVMs and/or VMDs to do it.
     I attended the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association meeting last week (the lone physician there).  I found it to be very interesting & informative and hope that we can include subjects of mutual interest in future state meetings of both groups. The annual meeting of the Vermont Medical Society in October will also include a short introduction of the One Health concept by a local veterinarian.
     So these are the steps we've taken and are planning; all aimed at our practitioners.”

John Trumper, MD, P.O. Box 7, Brattleboro, Vermont 05302

Footnote: Dr. Trumper has continued numerous activist participations in worthwhile causes related to health care including the One Health movement.

________________________________________

Vermont Physicians and Veterinarians Talk ‘One Health’ while attending Joint Spring Meeting

The Vermont Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Vermont Chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians invited Vermont Veterinary Medical Association members to attend their joint spring meeting in Rutland, VT on April 30, 2009. 

Joan Hendricks, VMD, PhD, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania’s school of veterinary medicine was invited to give the keynote presentation on the One Health Initiative from the veterinary medical perspective. In addition, Dr. Hendricks had been invited to present her description of the One Health concept at Pediatric Grand Rounds to students, residents, and staff at the University of Vermont medical school the day before.  Drs. Hendricks, Charles D. Newton, DVM, MS and Arthur Ribenstein, MBBCh (MD) recently published a comprehensive article in the Veterinaria Italiana One Health monograph entitled ‘One Medicine-One Health’ at the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania – the first 125 years http://www.izs.it/vet_italiana/2009/45_1/183.htm.

The University of Pennsylvania’s school of veterinary medicine was started 125 years ago by the physician faculty of their medical school. In 1807 Benjamin Rush, MD postulated that "By extending our knowledge of the causes of the diseases of domestic animals, we may add greatly to the certainty and usefulness of the profession of medicine, as far as it relates to the human species".  From 1884 until the 1960's, students at Penn studying human and animal medicine took the basic science courses (e.g., physiology, pathology, microbiology, etc.) together…further evidence that One Health really does have a long and rich history at Penn.

Dr Hendricks discussed One Health in the context of how the veterinary and human medical professionals collaborate in biomedical research, food safety, environmental health issues, and emergency medical response for the benefit of both human and animal health.  The Human-Animal Bond phenomenon was mentioned using companion animals (pets) and horses in therapy, learning, and helping "at risk" humans at every level.  The use of household pets as sentinels for domestic abuse and prognostication of that possibility in the future was discussed.

A bright future was painted for One Health: developing closer "in the trenches" communication between local physicians/veterinarians/nurses and other health care personnel; increasing numbers of physicians, veterinarians and nurses adding a PhD to their resume;  encouraging state boards to recognize continuing education credits when licensees attend courses advanced by either medical or veterinary medical organizations.

Joann M. Lindenmayer, DVM, MPH, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Population Health at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and a prominent One Health supporter, presented a short synopsis of Tufts innovative programs involving human and animal medicine. Tufts veterinary medical program was founded 30 years ago on "One Health" principles promoted by University President Jean Mayer, a human nutritionist. Early on, Tufts veterinary medical students attended pre-clinical classes side-by-side with Tufts medical students. Dr. Lindenmayer joined Dr. Hendricks for an informative question, answer and comment session.

Provided by:

J. Clyde Johnson, VMD, Past President,

American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP)

313 N. Shore Rd.

Spofford, NH  03462-3907

Date: June 26. 2009

Location: EL SALVADORE

The mission in El Salvador is much the same as in previous countries, that is, vaccinating and deworming cattle. We also vaccinate other animals as the people bring them to us. One observation of interest in this country, as compared to the other countries we´ve visited, is the fact that domestic animals run loose and species mix indiscriminately. We see horses untethered by the side of the road, cattle walking down the highway, pigs on the beach, packs of dogs roaming free, and of course chickens and turkeys everywhere. Surprisingly, though, I have seen very few stray or free roaming cats here. 

 http://twitter.com/RabiesControl (July 2, 2009)

As reported June 15, 2009 by Robin Hughes, DVM:

 

Please also see:

 

http://www.rabiescontrol.net/EN/Programs/Projects-Overview/USNS_Comfort.html

 

The following is a blog entry composed by both myself and Dr. Cynthia Hoobler, who is here with me on this leg of the deployment.

 

Summary of our mission in Tumaco, Colombia

 

Tumaco is an area where many factors favoring the transmission of rabies to humans occurs.  One factor is large numbers of stray (and unaltered) dogs come in contact with children.  Most of these dogs are not vaccinated for rabies; of approximately one hundred dogs we saw, only two had a current rabies vaccine.  Children carry the local dogs by grabbing the front legs or both the front and back legs, and haul them bodily to the desired location.  This positions the dog's head at the level of the child's face, making it easy for a bite to occur.

 

Additionally, the country of Colombia is in a state of "civil war" due to well-organized and well funded narcoterrorism.  This constant unrest causes disruption in the villages, so that local people leave their homes and animals while seeking safety.  We observed local villagers that had fled from their homes following a clash between the Colombian military and the FARC, a terrorist organization.  These clashes are common. 

 

Without adequate stray dog control and vaccination, rabies will remain a problem for the population in rural Colombia.

 

Robin Hughes, DVM

Cynthia Hoobler, DVM, MPH, DACVPM

_________________________________________________________

 

 

As reported June 10, 2009 by Robin Hughes, DVM:

 

Please see:

 

http://www.rabiescontrol.net/EN/Programs/Projects-Overview/USNS_Comfort.html

 

Date: June 10. 2009

Location: Tumaco, COLOMBIA

“We are staying ashore in Tumaco, Colombia. The thrust of the mission here is vaccination of the small and large animals. We are handing out a lot of the rabies brochures as well, and the people seem grateful for the information. Cynthia Hoobler, a Public Health veterinarian from Texas, U.S. has joined us, and we are happy to have her perspective on things. I won´t be able to send any photos until I get back on the ship, which will be another week.”  

 

Footnote:  Dr. Cynthia Hoobler, now on board with Dr. Hughes is a prominent One Health supporter who has worked closely with the doyen of veterinary public health, James H. Steele, DVM, MPH. 

 

Cynthia Hoobler, DVM, MPH

1901 Valero

Friendswood, TX   77546

281.482.4927

cynthia.hoobler@yahoo.com

 

EDUCATION            DVM Texas A&M University 1979 magna cum laude

                                    Licensed in Texas

MPH (Master of Public Health) UT School of Public Health 1982

Diplomat American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine

Continuing Education Emphasis - Public Health

                                    BS Animal Science Texas A&M University

      1976 summa cum laude

 

EXPERIENCE          Currently Professor San Jacinto College and

                                    Clinical Relief Veterinarian for Banfield The Pet Hospital

                                         Small animals, exotics, avians, public health consultant

                                         Spokesperson on Zoonotic Diseases

                                    Houston SPCA, large and small animals, surgery

                                    Chief Editor for General Biology I and II Lab

                                                Manual McGraw Hill 1^st, 2nd, and 3^rd Edition

                                    Royalties donated for Biology Scholarships

LCDR United States Public Health Service- Veterinary Services      Inactive Reserve

NVRT National Veterinary Resource Team

NAHER National Animal Health Emergency Response USDA   APHIS Veterinary Services

TXSART Texas State Animal Resource Team- charter member

 

                                    Veterinary Clinical Associate- Texas A&M University; taught

                                                Senior veterinary students

                                    Adjunct Professor University of Houston at Clear Lake

                                                Taught Human Anatomy and Physiology

                                    Adjunct Professor College of the Mainland: Texas City

                                                Taught General Biology I and II, Human Anatomy and

                                                            Physiology I and II

                                    Assistant Director of Public Health Pasadena Health 1983-1984

                                    Department- responsible for Epidemiology of Disease and

                                    Food borne illness, Animal Control, Environmental Health,

                                    Restaurant Inspection, Disease Surveillance, Public Education

                                    Supervise Registered Sanitarians          

 

                                   

                                    Internship World Health Organization - Copenhagen, Denmark

Summer 1983

Disease Investigation, Research for Publication, Animal Husbandry, Meat Inspection, Foreign Animal Diseases

 

Oral Rabies Vaccination Program - Fox 1 year and Coyote 1 year               

World Rabies Day 2007 and 2008 Coordinated Rabies Vaccination Clinics at San Jacinto College, Houston, Texas

Veterinarian Sponsor for SCAVMA Student Chapter American Veterinary Medical Association World Rabies Day Clinic at

Texas A&M University

 

Department of State Health Services Texas Basic Disaster Course

Smallpox Clinical and Vaccination Course

Member for Texas Disaster Force

 

HONORS                   Who’s Who College Professors 2005

Who’s Who Among Executive and Professional Women in Veterinary Care 2005/2006

 

PUBLICATIONS       Brucella canis Transmission from Canine to Human, Texas Preventable Diseases

                                    Presentation US Public Health Service – Globalization of

                                                Veterinary Public Health

Veterinary Public Health: Past Successes: Italiana Veterinary Journal, Co-author 2008.

Poverty, Population and Plagues.  Presented at the World Veterinary Congress in Canada 2008.

Assistant Editor: One Man, One Medicine, The James H. Steele Story.  To be published summer 2009 –

 

Dr. Steele’s principal biographer is another valued One Health supporter/advocate:

Craig N. Carter, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl ACVPM

Director and Professor, Epidemiology
Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center
College of Agriculture

College of Public Health
University of Kentucky
1490 Bull Lea Road
P.O. Box 14125
Lexington, KY  40512-4125

 

 

 

June 1, 2006 -  Update:  Reported by Dr. Hughes and Rabies Alliance from Panama City, Panama

http://www.rabiescontrol.net/EN/Programs/Projects-Overview/USNS_Comfort.html

As reported May 26, 2009 by Robin Hughes, DVM:

 

Please see:

 

http://www.rabiescontrol.net/EN/Programs/Projects-Overview/USNS_Comfort.html 

 

 

……“We are in Colon, Panama.  This morning, we visited the Ministry of Agriculture to determine what their needs are for our mission.  Their main concerns are bot flies, screw worm, and rabies.  The Ministry, in conjunction with the USDA, carries out the screw worm eradication program, whereby adult male flies are irradiated and released, thereby insuring their sterility.  In this particular area of Panama, the screw worm is present, and we are checking the cattle, goats, and other livestock for this parasite when we process them for vaccines and deworming.    We are vaccinating all the livestock and small animals for rabies, which is present in this area.  Vampire bats are an important vector here.  The Ministry practices night-time capture of bats and testing for rabies.” ………

One Health advocate, Robin Hughes, DVM is on board the USNS Comfort representing the Alliance for Rabies Control…Dr. Hughes will be writing a blog and transmitting photos of her activities.  These will be published on the link below which will be periodically included on this News page of the One Health Initiative website as they are transmitted.

Please see website link:

http://www.rabiescontrol.net/EN/Programs/Projects-Overview/USNS_Comfort.html

USNS Comfort

In partnership with the U.S. Navy, the Alliance for Rabies Control has joined the United States Naval Ship (USNS) Comfort in providing humanitarian aid throughout Central America.

Over three months time, the Alliance will sail to Colombia, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama to provide much needed information and resources on various zoonotic diseases with special emphasis on rabies.

This effort would not be possible without the help of numerous partners and the Alliance would like to thank the American Veterinary Medical Association, Ministry of Health of Chile and the One Health Initiative for their support.      

Click here to view the USNS Comfort Scheme of Maneuver.

Arrival date May 16. 2009

“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.”

One Health Initiative Website NEWS:

http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/

The One Health Initiative website has been operational since October 1, 2008.  Since then the website has received over 31,000 visits from 117 countries including the U.S. and Canada.  Numerous inquiries and comments have been received from several nations via physicians, veterinarians, allied health professionals, medical and veterinary medical scientists and others.  As of June 18, there are 443 listed One Health supporters from 39 countries, including: United States, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malta, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Switzerland, Sweden and Grenada, West Indies.

This One Health Initiative website is currently linked with the following 17 known websites:

 Federation of Asian Veterinarians  http://www.asianvet.org/   

 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Regioni Lazio e Toscana  http://www.izslt.it/izs/        

 CABI Abtracts   http://cabiblog.typepad.com/hand_picked/2008/10/the-first-europ.html

  Tracker News  http://www.trackernews.net/

 SuperCourse Website  http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/assist/index.htm

 World Veterinary Association  http://www.worldvet.org/

 ProMED-Mail  http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1000:  

 World Alliance for Rabies Control      http://www.worldrabiesday.org/EN/Our_Partners/Our_Partners.html

 American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene http://www.astmh.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/RelatedWebSites/default.htm

 Society for Tropical Veterinary Medicine   http://www.soctropvetmed.org/BioLinks.cfm

American Association of Medical Colleges  http://www.aamc.org/research/partnerships.htm

Kansas State University  http://www.k-state.edu/mphealth/

Wildlife Society  http://joomla.wildlife.org/WildlifeDiseases/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=186&Itemid=304, ,

One Health One Medicine Foundation  http://www.onehealthonemedicine.org/

Avian Influenza Toolkit  http://www.aitoolkit.org/Home/Contributors1.aspx

PROSAIA (Argentina) http://www.prosaia.org/links/links.html

Featured on the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/dec08/081201i.asp 

The Pandemic Network (previously mentioned)  http://www.pandemicnetwork.com/promed.htm

University of Guelph, Ontario Veterinary College, Centre for Public Health & Zoonoses  http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/cphaz/other/

The website welcomes and encourages supporters and advocates from all nations to participate by providing us with pertinent ‘One Health’ NEWS, UPCOMING EVENTS, and PUBLICATIONS.   Please contact us at: kkm@onehealthinitiative.com.

 A newly established ProMED-mail feature page with One Health related articles was added in February.  Comments regarding the One Health Movement and this website are also appreciated.  Thank you!

June 17, 2009

Death of Former CDC Employee and noted Rabies Expert - George M. Baer, DVM, MPH

Dr. George Martin Baer, a former CDC employee in the Division of Viral & Rickettsial Diseases, died on June 2, 2009, in Mexico City, Mexico, at the age of 73. He was an eminent virologist, veterinarian, and public health scientist. Dr. Baer was born during 1936 in London, England. He grew up in New Rochelle, New York, where he became an accomplished equestrian, and began a lifelong love of animals. He attended Cornell University, where he obtained an undergraduate degree in agricultural sciences in 1954, and a degree in veterinary medicine in 1959. He earned a Master´s degree in Public Health from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor during 1961. Thereafter, Dr. Baer started his career in public health with CDC via the EIS, and was assigned to the New York State Health Department in Albany, where he focused upon brucellosis, psittacosis, and rabies. In 1964, he worked at CDC’s Southwest Rabies Investigations Laboratory in Las Cruces New Mexico on bat rabies. During 1966 to 1969, he was a consultant to the Pan American Health Organization in Mexico. Based upon his efforts, he helped to lay the groundwork for Mexico’s public health programs against rabies, an effort he continued throughout the rest of his professional life. In 1969, he returned to Atlanta, and became head of the CDC Rabies Laboratory. With his team of researchers, he developed a method for the immunization of wildlife, for which he was credited as the “Father of Oral Rabies Vaccination”. His considerable expertise made him one of the foremost international experts in this arena. Of his more than 100 publications, his 1991 book, The Natural History of Rabies, remains a definitive reference in the field. After retirement from CDC, he founded a diagnostic laboratory in Mexico City, and was a member of the Mexican International Steering Committee for the Rabies in the Americas Conference. At the time of his death, he was working on a new vaccine for influenza, a timely project given the recent outbreak of the H1N1 virus. Clearly, Dr. Baer acted from a deeply held belief in the power of preventive medicine, within the ‘one health’ concept to combat disease both in humans and other animals. He is survived by his wife, Maria Olga Baer, three daughters, Katherine Baer, of Washington, D.C., Alexandra Baer, of New Paltz, New York, and Isabella Baer, of Mexico City, and four granddaughters. Funeral services were held in Mexico City at the Iglesia de Santa Rosa de Lima on June 4, 2009.

The preceding was provided by Peter Costa, MPH, CHES, Global Communications Coordinator, Global Alliance for Rabies Control http://www.rabiescontrol.net/ :

“We were all deeply saddened to hear of the death of Dr. George Baer on June 2, 2009.  We include the announcement about Dr. Baer’s death that was released from CDC [above].”

Centre for Public Health, Zoonoses Launched at University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College

May 04, 2009 - News Release

http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2009/05/centre_for_publ.html

As stated in the News Release (please see entire notice in link above) and repeated in full on this One Health Initiative’s website Publication page …A one-of-a-kind centre aimed at preventing and controlling emerging animal-related diseases that threaten public health has officially opened at the University of Guelph.

The Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses brings together scientists in a variety of fields to address new or re-emerging zoonotic diseases (those that can jump between animals and humans) such as the H1N1 flu virus, bird flu, E. coli 0157:H7 and West Nile virus…

Please see Centre For Public Health & Zoonoses  website for further information.

University of Guelph
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1

http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/cphaz/

One Health in ACTION! 

Orthopedic Surgeons (a veterinarian and physician) Research Creative Hip and Knee Replacements for Dogs and Humans Together

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.  

The two One Health supporters were recognized for their important biomedical research in the MISSOURIAN Newspaper, Tuesday, June 2, 2009.  This is another significant example of why “One Health” needs to be implemented into the scheme of health and health care as a paradigm shift.  Humans and animals will obviously benefit immensely in fields of biomedical research and public health.

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

“Jimi Cook [DVM, PhD] and I have worked alongside a team of specialists from medicine, veterinary medicine, and engineering for seven years now. Our current focus is to develop replacement joints that mimic the natural process of cartilage and bone formation as they grow and develop. This kind of collaboration is essential to the creation of better options for the replacement of failing hips and other joints. By working with specialists in the veterinary field, we are able to evaluate our technology more rapidly, and that means that we will be able to develop these alternatives for humans sooner than if we worked alone.”

Sonny Bal [MD, JD, MBA]

 MU builds ties between veterinary and human researchers

Tuesday, June 2, 2009 | 12:01 a.m. CDT

(Permission to publish granted June 3, 2009)

*Please visit website link above to see accompanying Photo of Drs. Cook and Bal along with descriptive caption. You may also view the complete article with photo and caption on this website's Publication page.

BY Tim Lloyd

COLUMBIA — Jimi Cook’s grandfather was one of the first patients in the U.S. to have artificial knee replacement surgery. 

“From the time I was 8 years old, I have always wanted to find a better way to treat arthritis after watching him go through six knee replacements,” Cook said. He is an associate professor of small animal surgery and director of the Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory at the MU School of Veterinary Medicine. 

Nearly three decades after his grandfather's surgeries, Cook is developing new technology that might make repeat surgeries things of the past. But his discovery didn’t only come from studying the human skeletal system.

“Dogs are the closest replicas of humans for us when it comes to studying clinical problems in knees and hips,” he said.

Cook's new technique involves growing cartilage in a lab that can be molded into permanent joint replacements. It’s just one in a growing number of human medical advancements made by researchers studying their canine companions.

Growing knees, hips and shoulders

In the sterile petri dishes of a walk-in-closet sized lab, cells divide and multiply into living cartilage that Cook plans to mold into new knees and hips for dogs.    

“The goal is to make replacement parts,” said Sonny Bal, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at the MU School of Medicine. Bal is working with Cook on the human application of his technique.  

The collaboration between Cook and Bal is welcome news to Bob Reeves, a retired Columbia resident who in the last four years has had both of his knees replaced with metal transplants. The surgeries are the most recent in a series of medical procedures that are likely the result of injuries he suffered in a construction accident almost 50 years ago, Reeves said.  

“I was working to pay my way through college when a scaffold broke and I fell 35 feet,” Reeves said. “I’m sort of like 'The Six Million Dollar Man,' but my wife says I’m more like $49.95.”

Reeves said that even though he has worked hard to regain strength and motion in his body, the metal replacement parts have limited the improvements.

“My body has healed around the metal parts, but metal won’t improve with the rest of my body,” Reeves said. 

Cook’s technique replaces damaged joints with living tissue, meaning patients like Reeves could get a new set of knees that would heal with the rest of their bodies. 

“That would be extremely helpful for people who need transplants,” said Robert Kimble, a 78-year-old who has had three knee transplants in the last eight years. “That would be a heck of an improvement.”

The technique being developed by Cook mimics the natural process of cartilage and bone formation during growth and development of the joints. Molds of joints are then made and filled with lab-grown cartilage, forming exact replicas of joints in need of replacement.  

Because conditions like arthritis progress month to years faster in dogs, Cook is able to more rapidly test the effectiveness of his technique.  

“In dogs with arthritis, everything happens much faster,” Cook said. “This allows us to see the results of our research sooner than if we were working on humans.”

The Food and Drug Administration recognizes physical similarities between dogs and humans, and if a new treatment is proved effective for dogs, it can more quickly be tested in humans. 

“We’ve been working on this for seven years,” Cook said. “It would have taken 15 to 20 years if we were working on humans.”

This summer, Cook will begin testing his technology on dogs in need of new hip joints. If effective, the tests will continue into long-term studies. Human testing is the final phase.

New horizons

Cook and Bal are widening the scope of previous collaborations to include engineers from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and researchers at Columbia University in New York City.

The multidisciplinary approach puts MU in line with a worldwide effort to strengthen ties between veterinary medical and human medical research, said Bruce Kaplan, a Florida veterinarian and co-founder of the Web site Onehealthinitiative.com.

The site promotes the One Health movement, which advocates collaboration between veterinary and human research. The concept has received endorsements from the American Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

“The campuses that have veterinarians and physicians working together are where a good deal of biomedical research is done,” Kaplan said. “Dr. Cook has become a giant in the field.”

Recently discovered neurological similarities between dogs and humans could lead to treatments for degenerative brain diseases.

Veterinary neurologist Joan Coates is part of a research team that found a genetic link between hereditary degenerative myelopathy (DM) in dogs and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

“There is a potential that this discovery may assist with finding new treatments that will slow the progress of some forms of hereditary ALS,” Coates said. 

She is quick to point out that years of study are needed before a treatment for humans can be developed.

“We still have a lot of work to develop markers of disease in dogs in order to evaluate disease progression and response to potential treatments,” Coates said.

Working with dogs could shorten the time frame.

“ALS takes two to five years to progress in humans; it takes six months to a year in dogs,” Coates said. “We may be able to test and see more results more quickly when evaluating potential therapies in dogs.”

Kaplan said Cook and Coates' advances could just be the beginning of new advances in the field of veterinary and human medicine. 

“If you combine the brains and minds of different medicines, you will come up with things that would have not come about otherwise,” Kaplan said. “It could be miraculous.” 

AVIAN Influenza Toolkit  -  May 25, 2009

http://www.aitoolkit.org/Default.aspx

The Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Forestry (DAFF) has conducted a project aimed at assisting APEC member economies to enhance their social, political and institutional arrangements to better prepare for and respond to the threat of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and other emerging infectious diseases (EIDs).

The initiative was an outcome of the June 2007 APEC ATCWG workshop, ‘Sharing experiences with the management of the avian influenza H5N1 threat’, held in Bangkok in which participants identified the need for a practical policy implementation toolkit that captured the knowledge and experience of animal health professionals working in the SE Asian region . 

Consequently the Avian Influenza Toolkit was developed as a web-based resource that contains management guidelines, information resources, case studies and examples of practical tools to assist countries to implement strengthened animal disease preparedness and response measures.  The Toolkit will include practical experiences of countries and experts on emergency animal disease prevention, preparedness, response, control, and management, combining their experience, guidance and tools into an accessible resource.  The Toolkit will evolve with international policy developments and technical advances, and will be continuously updated as new ‘best practice’ case studies emerge. 

Toolkit elements

The Toolkit is constructed in modules based upon key elements critical to effective animal (zoonotic) disease prevention, preparedness, control and response.  These elements have been developed from the United Nations System Influenza Coordination (UNSIC) six Success Factors  which summarise effective preparedness and control strategies that determine a country’s success or otherwise in dealing with emergency animal diseases and the New Delhi Roadmap - a 21-point vision and roadmap for dealing with avian and pandemic influenza adopted at the New Delhi Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza in December 2007. 

Examples of Toolkit content include: guidelines on the development of compensation schemes, practical advice and case studies on the implementation of vaccination strategies, biosecurity and operating standards for live bird markets, examples of animal health legislation, examples of effective models for private-public sector partnerships.  

Project activities

A Steering Group comprising representatives from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia and the United Nations System Influenza Coordinator (UNSIC), provides overarching guidance and direction to the Toolkit development and administration. 

An initial workshop was held in June 2008 (attended by APEC member economies, South East Asian countries and international agencies), to consider user requirements, information needs, best-practice implementation strategies and issues for inclusion in Toolkit. 

A second workshop in September 2008 evaluated and reviewed the Toolkit in preparation for the launch at the 6^th International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt in October 2008. A focus of the Ministerial conference was the management of zoonotic disease risks at the animal–human interface.

Throughout the Toolkit’s development, a significant body of work emerged as it became apparent that the true value of the Toolkit would be found in the sharing of country experiences.  To date however, very little of this information has been documented and shared.  APEC member economies agreed that ongoing work was necessary and should be commissioned to continue capturing and documenting country experiences and case studies for inclusion in the website.  Australia will continue this work in conjunction with APEC member economies and others who wish to share their experiences with the management of avian influenza.

The website is a global resource that complements existing information sources and technical agency websites and has been compiled with the assistance and cooperation of the APEC economies and international agencies which have provided material for the Elements. We invite you to use the toolkit and to consider the website as a forum for the promotion and dissemination of new material relating to AI and other emerging infectious diseases.

Provided by:

Dr. Rhyll Vallis

Strategic Policy & Projects

Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer

Product Integrity & Animal and Plant Health

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Ph: 6272 3148

M.2.118

The SAPUVETNET III Project Contributing to the Millennium Development Goals through the One Health Concept

 (http://www.sapuvetnet.org/), funded by the European Union (DCI-LA/2008/75), aims to contribute to the discussion of various aspects of Public Health that require a multidisciplinary approach.

Rabies is a serious problem in many African and Latin American countries.

Although it has been successfully controlled in many European countries, there are still cases of rabies registered every year in animals and it is currently classified as a neglected disease by the WHO.

This e-conference (1 to 7 June) aims to stimulate debate and contribute to the development of a frame embracing the socio-economic, ecological and epidemiological factors that determine the disease pattern worldwide, and that could help the development of more effective strategies for disease control in the field. Different questions will be explored:

1. What is the real dimension of rabies in different eco-geographical scenarios?

2. Which human behaviours and beliefs contribute to the failure of vaccination campaigns?

3. How to promote responsible pet ownership? Are there any differences between urban and rural context?

4. What are the economic aspects that challenge the success of the animal vaccination campaigns?

5. What organizational aspects have to be put in place? How to communicate effectively with pet owners?

6. How to adapt the different experiences to different local realities?

If you have constructive ideas on one or more aspect of this important disease and would like to share them with us, please participate in this e-conference http://projectos.moodle.uevora.pt/course/category.php?id=3 .

1 to 7 June

The results will be valuable contributions to the World Rabies Day that will be promoted throughout the world in September.

(http://www.worldrabiesday.org/ ).

Instructions to participate in the e-conference.

1. Enter the website http://projectos.moodle.uevora.pt/ (if your browser inquires you on the safety of the certificates do not worry, it is a safe website).
2. Search "PROJECTS" and enter.
3. Access "Preparing the RABIES WORLD DAY 2009".
4. Choose the language in the upper right corner (ES, EN, PT).
5. On the next page you can choose between the following:

Ø                Access with user name and password for users already registered.

Ø                 Create a new user account: All who are accessing Moodle for the first time should register as new user and START CREATING A NEW ACCOUNT. Complete the register form and select Create My New Account.

FOR NEW USERS:
You should see the following instructions after having submitted your form:
"We have sent an email to XXXXX@XXXX.XXX (your email)
There are simple instructions to complete the process.
If you have any difficulty, contact your system administrator. “
Please follow the instructions sent to your email to activate your new account! 

  NECESSARY FOR ALL USERS (new and already registered):

To sign up for: "Preparing the RABIES WORLD DAY 2009":
Search: Management and select ENROLL ME IN THIS COURSE
Enter a enrollment key for access to the discipline: sapuvetnet3

After accessing the content of "Preparing the RABIES WORLD DAY 2009" you can edit what is in blue. Under each "diagram of subjects" you can see sub themes identified as "Discussion Forum", "Chat Room", etc… Selecting these links you may create a new topic of discussion, comment on a previously created, add a topic to chat ...
Selecting the "links" in blue appear different options to add, for example, file attachments on "Attach file". Explore the different options for more flexibility!

An Important Newsweek Letter-to-the Editor from:

 Laura H. Kahn, MD – May 16, 2009  (Scroll down to third letter)

http://www.newsweek.com/id/197887?tid=relatedcl

In response to the following:

The Path of a Pandemic

How one virus spread from pigs and birds to humans around the globe. And why microbes like the H1N1 flu have become a growing threat.

By Laurie Garrett | NEWSWEEK

Published May 2, 2009

From the magazine issue dated May 18, 2009

http://www.newsweek.com/id/195692

Press Release January, 2009

Book Signing Announced for Jim Steele Biography

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Meeting, Seattle, 2009

Dr. Craig N. Carter, author of One Man, One Medicine, One Health—the James H. Steele Story and Dr. Cynthia Hoobler, editorial assistant, hereby announce a book-signing to be hosted by the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (ACVPM) at the AVMA meeting in Seattle this July.  Dr. Steele will meet and greet attendees at the ACVPM booth in the exhibit hall and will personally sign any book that is purchased.   All proceeds of book sales will benefit the Steele Endowed Lecture Series and the James H. Steele Professorship of Epidemiology at the University of Texas, School of Public Health, Houston, Texas.  

Dr. Steele founded the veterinary division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1947.  He then boldly introduced the principles of veterinary public health to the U.S. and countries all around the globe.  His outstanding achievements have helped the world to realize higher standards of living through a better understanding of the epidemiology of diseases shared by animals and man.   As a U.S. Public Health Service officer, he became the first Assistant Surgeon General for Veterinary Affairs and later was appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health & Human Services at the rank of Admiral (two stars).   He has received numerous awards over his illustrious career to include the Surgeon General’s Medallion in 2006, presented by SG Richard H. Carmona.  He is the only veterinarian to ever receive that prestigious award.

The biography begins with Jim’s birth and scrappy childhood in Chicago and takes the reader through his formal education, early work experiences and on through to his retirement from CDC in 1971.   Family and personal experiences are weaved into the story to include real-life adventure, success, tragedy and humor.  After leaving CDC, Dr. Steele began a prominent second career as a Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Texas, School of Public Health.  There he compiled and edited the world’s first comprehensive series of books on diseases shared by animals and man, the CRC Handbook Series on Zoonoses.  At the ripe young age of 95, he continues to lecture, consult, mentor, advise, write, and inspire.  The story of Jim Steele’s life is stirring to us all, in and outside the allied health professions.  He is a true pioneer in the evolving philosophy of One Medicine, One Health, One World.  He has been called by many of his colleagues The Father of Veterinary Public Health.

For those who cannot attend the AVMA meeting in Seattle, please watch for Dr. Steele’s biography on www.Amazon.com coming soon.

Questions:  Contact Dr. Craig N. Carter, 859-253-0571 (office), 859-433-5472 (cell) or email to craig.carter@uky.edu

ONE HEALTH Project: Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Government of the People’s Republic of China

Information is public domain from the website:

www.agriteam.ca/projects/profile/livestock-health-extension-services-project-lhesp

Can be posted and distributed.

Provided May 15, 2009 by:

Jane Pritchard BA, DVM, MVetSc

Site Manager/LTTA Gansu and Chongqing 

Livestock Health Extension Services Project 

Agriteam Canada

Rm 408/413 East Wing Yasheng Building

No.  105 Qin’an Road, Chengguan District 

Lanzhou, Gansu 7300300

Jane.pritchard@ccag.com.cn

China, (Xinjiang, Gansu, Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, IMAR, Jilin), Livestock Health Extension Services Project (LHESP): November 2005–March 2011

Sector: Agriculture and Agribusiness
Region: North and Central Asia
Funded by:
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Government of the People’s Republic of China
Total Value: Canadian contribution: C$20 million; Chinese contribution: C$20 million
Partners and Counterparts:
In China: Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing; Provincial Animal Husbandry Bureaus and Agriculture Bureaus

Purpose

To contribute to a better quality of life—including improved public health, farm productivity and increased incomes—for poor rural women and men in western regions by controlling animal diseases. The new, sustainable approaches to the prevention and control of zoonotic diseases introduced through the project improve individual and public health and contribute to global public health. The long-term impacts include:

§               improved capacity of livestock producers, including smallholders, to prevent and control zoonotic diseases

§               reduced inequality between coastal and western provinces

§               improved systems, policy and institutional capacity for the management of livestock health in an equitable and sustainable manner including improved food safety and compliance with international quality control standards and protocols as established by the OIE (the World Organization for Animal Health) and the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Challenge

China has seen dramatic increases in the local consumption of animal products. This has created the opportunity for value-added livestock production to lift poor, subsistence western farmers out of poverty. However, smallholders remain particularly vulnerable to the continuing threat of animal disease, which could quickly destroy their livelihoods. Unsafe and unhealthy livestock farming practices pose significant animal and human health risks and could undo many benefits that have been achieved to date. An animal health extension system that responds to the needs of smallholders is essential to meet the growing demand for safe and healthy livestock products, fulfill WTO/OIE standards and support sustainable economic and social development of the western regions.

Approach

The LHESP uses an integrated approach that links national livestock health policy reforms with innovative regulatory frameworks for delivery, monitoring and evaluation at the farm level and in the marketplace. Training programs in Canada and China expose senior decision makers to new, OIE-compliant policy and regulatory options and contribute to more effective policy development. The LHESP engages all levels of government as well as the private sector, farmers’ association and the farmers themselves.  Village-based pilot projects ensure that policy links to practice in a way that leads to the development of a sustainable, effective system of livestock health extension.

Project Description

The LHESP promotes public health through the prevention and control of animal diseases by assisting China to meet its OIE compliance requirements. This contributes directly to good governance, transparency and reliable information sharing between international parties. Capacity building is carried out with institutional partners such as the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) Veterinary Bureau, the China Center for Animal Disease Control and the China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center.

Good governance in animal health services also involves establishing partnerships with the private sector, including private veterinary practitioners, agribusinesses and farmers. Each of these stakeholders has an important role to play in the prevention, detection and control of animal diseases. These industry participants are actively involved in the project’s planning, training and pilot activities.

Results

The LHESP is working closely with the Government of China to support the reform of veterinary services and the delivery of new, participatory extension services. Results include:

1.             An enhanced enabling environment for the delivery of OIE-compliant livestock health services to poor women and men in western regions

2.             Increased capacity of government policies and programs to locally meet the needs of China’s growing livestock industry and globally meet international animal health standards by delivering high quality, needs-based livestock health services to small, medium and large-scale livestock producers (women, men and ethnic minorities) in a participatory and sustainable manner

3.             Greater capacity of individual veterinarians and animal health workers (women, men and ethnic minorities) through improved education and skills with an emphasis on needs-based participatory training methodologies and the capacity to deliver OIE-compliant animal health services to prevent and control animal diseases

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to inform you that we recently launched our "One Health Network" website (www.onehealthnet.be). The objective of this website is to stimulate interactions between the medical and the veterinary sectors, particularly in low-resource regions.

Practically, the website suscitates discussions on "One Health" issues through literature reviews. Reactions on the reviews are encouraged and will be posted on the website after evaluation. In addition, Refman lists of references can be downloaded and imported in your own reference databases.

Everybody is welcome to submit a review on a "One Health" subject for open discussion with the scientific community.

We kindly invite you to visit the website. Any comment or suggestion is welcome (onehealthnet@itg.be). You are also welcome to invite other scientists to join the network, visit our website and make contributions (you can possibly send me email addresses to include in our mailing lists).

Tanguy Marcotty, DVM, PhD

Department of Animal Health

Institute of Tropical Medicine

Nationalestraat 155

B 2000 Antwerp

Fax: +32.3.247.62.68

Phone:

  Office:                +32.3.247.62.63

  Teleworking:           +32.86.40.17.03

  Cellular:              +32.472.85.53.96

 The One Health Initiative has been endorsed by the American Physiological Society.

Please see published letter from President Dr. Irving H. Zucker and Executive Director Dr. Martin Frank below and on the Publication page of this website:

 Dear Drs. Kahn, Kaplan, and Monath:

   After reviewing the mission statement of the One Health Initiative, I

 am  pleased to inform you that The American Physiological Society has

 endorsed  the Initiatives strategy of improving the lives of all

 species—human  and animal—through the integration of human medicine

 and veterinary  medicine.  The strategy is consistent with the

 Society’s vision of  the role of physiology in global health as

 detailed by APS Past-President  Hannah V. Carey in an article that

 appeared in the Society’s  newsletter, _The Physiologist_ ([LINK:

 http://www.the-aps.org/publications/tphys/2007html/April/apspresident.

 htm] 

 http://www.the-aps.org/publications/tphys/2007html/April/apspresident.htm).

 Consequently, the Society would be pleased to be listed as a

 supporter of  the One Health Initiative.

    Sincerely yours,

  Irving H. Zucker, Ph.D.

    President

    Cc:       APS Council

    Martin Frank, Ph.D.

    Executive Director, American Physiological Society

    9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda,  MD 20814-3991  USA

 APS Home Page: www.the-aps.org

  ... Integrating the Life Sciences From Molecule to Organism

The following was graciously provided by:

Robert Taylor, Content Manager

Animal, Human & Social Sciences, CABI Head Office

Nosworthy Way

Wallingford

Oxfordshire

OX10 8DE

United Kingdom

News release

 Free access to world-renowned public health database to assist swine-flu effort

1 May 2009 

CABI today has announced free access to its specialist Global Health database – the definitive database for public health information – www.cabdirect.org/globalhealth

 Simultaneously CABI has developed a Swine flu 'dashboard' that brings together up-to-the-minute information on the virus (http://www.netvibes.com/cabialerts).The 'dashboard' includes resources from CABI and critical advice from key health organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

 "Our mission is to help people worldwide through the provision of scientific knowledge," said Dr Trevor Nicholls, CEO of CABI. "Today we are offering our most applicable resource, over the coming weeks, to help health professionals and others working on the front line."

 In a fast changing sequence of events that has led to the rapid escalation of concern from WHO, and the reaction of national governments in considering their response to a possible influenza pandemic, release of the database is designed to give urgently needed support to those who need it most: scientists, medical professionals and health authorities investigating the causes and treatments of the disease and linkages to past outbreaks.

 Influenza researchers urgently need to be able to refer back to previous scientific work in this area to understand the behaviour of previous strains of the virus and to research effective mechanisms for handling earlier outbreaks.

 The Global Health database brings together global knowledge on every aspect of influenza since 1910. The knowledge it contains could provide a key weapon in health researchers' response in understanding and controlling the virus.

 Much of the data in Global Health is derived from publications that have long since vanished. They tell us a great deal about past pandemics, from rates and patterns of transmission, duration, timing of epidemiological peaks, geographical distribution of the disease, government preparedness and quarantine provisions through to effects on different age and social groups, severity in developing versus developed countries, symptoms, causes of mortality (secondary problems, especially pneumonia, were devastating in the Spanish flu) and mortality rates.

 By opening the door to a wealth of historical information on past pandemics, the Global Health database has the potential to reveal vital clues in the international fight against swine flu (influenza A – H1N1).

 Global Health database - www.cabdirect.org/globalhealth

CABI Swine Flu Dashboard - http://www.netvibes.com/cabialerts

 Media contact: Sarah Wilson, PR and Corporate Communications Manager, tel: +44 (0) 1491 829 361, mob: +44 (0) 7516 928 845, email: s.wilson@cabi.org

 Editor's notes

About CABI

CABI is a not-for-profit science-based development and information organization. Its mission and direction are influenced by member countries that help guide the activities undertaken. These include publishing; development projects and research; and microbial services. CABI produces key scientific information, including CAB Abstracts – the world-renowned bibliographic database covering agriculture and the environment. CABI also publishes multimedia compendia, books, e-books and full text internet resources aiming to further science and its application to real life. Our expertise includes animal and veterinary sciences, entomology, plant sciences, environmental sciences, human health, parasitology, mycology, crop protection, rural economics, rural development and leisure and tourism. For more information go to www.cabi.org

About the Global Health database

The Global Health database is published by CABI which has recorded public health and veterinary research since 1910. Global Health is the only specialist bibliographic abstracting and indexing database dedicated to public health research and practice. With more than two million records, Global Health is the definitive international public health database for academics, researchers, NGOs, policy makers, clinicians, healthcare professionals and students. The database covers all pathogens relevant to human health, including swine flu.

P Think Green - don't print this email unless you really need to

Heather K. Moberly, AHIP, Professor,

Veterinary Medicine Librarian

William E. Brock Memorial Library

Center for Veterinary Health Sciences

102 McElroy Hall

Oklahoma State University

Stillwater OK 74078-2013

405.744.6655

heather.k.moberly@okstate.edu

http://www.library.okstate.edu/vetmed  

The following News item was provided by:

Ronald D. Warner, DVM, MPVM, PhD, DACVPM, ACE
Assoc Professor (epidemiology, prev med, public health)
Dept of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine

Director, Travel Medicine Clinic
Texas Tech Univ. Health Sciences Center
3601 4th Street
Lubbock, TX  79430-8143

 OBITUARY: JANE BROTHERTON WALKER

A ProMED-mail post

<http://www.promedmail.org>

ProMED-mail is a program of the

International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>

Date: Sun 19 Apr 2009

From: Gert J Venter <venterg@arc.agric.za>

Jane Brotherton Walker (expert acarologist), 1925-2009

 ------------------------------------------------------

Jane Brotherton Walker was born in Nairobi, Kenya on 31 Jan 1925. As a child growing up on a farm in Kenya Jane was home-schooled by her mother during her primary school years, and then went to England where she matriculated in 1944 at the County High School for Girls in Retford. Jane obtained BSc (Honours) and MSc degrees at Liverpool University in 1948 and 1959, and was awarded a DSc degree on her published works by the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in 1983.

Jane was first employed in 1949 in the Research Branch of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service as a research officer in the East African Veterinary Research Organization, Muguga, Kenya. She progressed in this organization to senior scientific officer and then principal scientific officer, before voluntarily retiring from Her Majesty's Service in 1966 to take up a post as senior professional officer at the Veterinary Research Institute, Onderstepoort, upon the retirement of Dr Gertrud Theiler. There, Jane spent the rest of her working life. At the Institute she progressed through the ranks of promotion to chief professional officer, chief veterinary researcher, and specialist scientist until her retirement on pension in 1990. After retirement she continued to work at Onderstepoort in an honorary capacity for 3 days a week until 1998. During her working life and even after her retirement Jane was sole, senior, or co-author of 53 scientific publications and 5 books (inter alia, The _Rhipicephalus_ species ticks of the World, 2000) and the descriptions of 18 new tick species. She illustrated many of the ticks that she described with meticulously executed line drawings.

Jane's prowess as a scientist was recognized by her peers and she received

3 of the most prestigious awards in the field of biological sciences in South Africa, namely the 1988 Elsdon-Dew Medal of the Parasitological Society of Southern Africa, for services rendered to Parasitology in Africa, the Agricultural Science and Technology Woman of the Year Award for 1998, and the Theiler Memorial Trust Award in 1998 for exceptional service rendered to Veterinary Science in Africa. Her scientific writing skills were soon recognized at Onderstepoort and she was a member of the Editorial Committee of the Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research from 1969 until 2000, a function she performed punctiliously to the dismay, as well as to the advantage of many a sloppy author.

With Jane's death the scientific world has lost one of its most meticulous and experienced workers, and the field of tick taxonomy, particularly in Africa, will be infinitely poorer. Her friends have lost a true lady and a loyal friend.

Jane died peacefully at home in Pretoria on Friday morning 3 Apr 2009 while having tea with Ivan Horak.

[byline: Ivan G Horak]

- --Gert J Venter, Senior Researcher, PVVD, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute Agricultural Research Council South Africa <venterg@arc.agric.za> <http://www.arc.agric.za>

Dynamic Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) and strong One Health Advocate Dies

Dr. Janis H. Audin (MS IL ’75, DVM IL '79), a champion of progressive veterinary medical journalism and “One Health” died April 22, 2009 following a long, courageous and difficult battle with pancreatic cancer. The world has lost a truly significant One Health leader and advocate.  Under her guidance, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) implemented a ‘one-health wonders’ column that recognized and highlighted prominent One Health individuals among the medical and veterinary medical professions in the United States.  The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has lost a dedicated and gifted editor-in-chief.

Dr. Audin joined the editorial staff of the AVMA in 1985, as an assistant editor and was promoted to associate editor in 1989 and editor in 1994. She became the editor-in-chief of both the JAVMA and the American Journal of Veterinary Research in 1995.  Prior to that Dr. Audin practiced as an associate veterinarian in Calumet City, Ill., for four years,

During her tenure, Dr. Audin was noted for implementing procedural and technological changes in the journal to reduce costs, improve timeliness of publications, and promote readership interest and awareness. New features in the news section introduced under her leadership have made the journals more practice and public health-relevant.  For instance, Dr. Audin fostered the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) “Inspection Insights”—a public health oriented food safety monthly column related to meat, poultry and egg products—from 1996 through 1998.  She also increased international manuscript submissions.

On March 23, 2009 AVMA Executive Vice President Dr. W. Ron DeHaven named Dr. Audin as editor-in-chief emeritus of the Publications Division.  This was the first time the AVMA had conferred this title of distinction.  Wisely, it also meant that Dr. Audin could continue contributing to the staff effort to ensure the high quality of the AVMA scientific journals while the Association began a comprehensive search for her successor.

Having observed the JAVMA editors-in-chief for 50 years, I consider her one of the best, if not the best of a most distinguished list.  Janis was a special personal friend and my soul mate with respect to dealing with life-threatening cancer.  I deeply mourn her loss and will miss her.

 Bruce Kaplan, DVM

Please see JAVMA NEWS article:

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF WILDLIFE VETERINARIANS

POSITION STATEMENT ON ONE HEALTH - APPROVED

Health care stewards of animals and humans face unprecedented challenges associated with emerging pathogens, loss of biodiversity, climate change, and explosive human population growth resulting in habitat loss and increased wildlife/human interactions.  About 60% of existing human pathogens, and more than 75% of those appearing over the past two decades, are zoonotic.  Many of these have a link with wildlife.  An interdisciplinary “One Health” approach is needed that involves veterinarians, physicians, biologists, public health experts, and environmental health professionals, working to collaboratively address health concerns associated with these complex issues. 

The concept of One Health, previously termed One Medicine, is not new; the concept was promoted by William Osler and Rudolf Virchow in the 1800s and was then revisited by Calvin Schwabe in the 1960s.  Recent health emergencies are revitalizing the concept for application today.  The conservation community, with leadership from organizations such as the Wildlife Conservation Society, is recognizing the importance of One Health.  Many human and animal medicine organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association, have endorsed the concept of One Health as a strategic need in health care transformation.  In light of the integral role of healthy wildlife in the conservation and health of all species, the position of the American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians is presented in the following statements on One Health. 

The American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians recognizes that: 

·        The majority of recently emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, and many are linked to wildlife;

·        The rise in emerging and resurging infectious diseases threatens not only human and domestic animals, but also wildlife species and ecosystems;

·        By their very nature, the fields of veterinary and human medicine are complementary and synergistic in confronting, controlling, and preventing zoonotic diseases and their transmission among species; and

·        A One Health approach aims to promote and implement meaningful collaboration and communication between veterinary medicine, human medicine, wildlife management, and multiple allied disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally to attain optimal health for people, animals, and our shared environment. 

The American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians supports:

·        Promoting and implementing a One Health approach that includes wildlife health science as an essential component of multidisciplinary collaborations;

·        Monitoring, preventing, controlling and mitigating cross-species disease in ways that recognize wildlife as a casualty of disease as well as a potential reservoir;

·        Enhancing the capacity of international, federal, state, and local wildlife agencies, tribal nations, and non-governmental organizations to plan, prevent, and respond to wildlife disease using adaptive, holistic approaches that take the complex interaction between all species into full account;

·        Funding multidisciplinary efforts for the development of diagnostic methods, vaccines, treatments, and management actions for the prevention and control of diseases across species;

·        Developing educational and outreach programs that communicate and promote the importance of healthy wildlife and the role of wildlife veterinarians and wildlife biologists in One Health;

·        Applying additional regulation on trade and movement of wildlife and wildlife products in order to protect wildlife populations, while simultaneously decreasing the risk for disease movement, cross-species transmission, and development of novel host-pathogen relationships; and  

·        Disease management that restricts the mass culling of free-ranging wildlife to situations where there is multidisciplinary scientific consensus that a wildlife population poses an urgent, significant threat to human health, food security, or wildlife health more broadly.

Provided April 17, 2009 by:

Jonathan Sleeman, MA, VetMB, Dipl. ACZM, MRCVS

President, American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians (AAWV)

Wildlife Veterinarian

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 100
Charlottesville, VA 22903

April 13, 2009

ONE HEALTH NEWSLETTER - 2009 Spring Issue Published …

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Environment/medicine/One_Health/OHNLSpring2009.pdf  

The One Health Newsletter’s 2009 Spring Issue is now published online.  It contains a variety of interesting and pertinent One Health articles.

Among items of note is the lead article entitled “Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida” by J. Glenn Morris Jr., MD, MPH & TM.  Dr. Morris is the director of the Institute.

Publication page of this website presents it in full.

Note: A "One Health" educational assist for future health and healthcare scientists.

Encouraging Middle School Students to Learn About Infectious Diseases Through Web-based Adventures

A report by the Federation of American Scientists in 2006 recognized the shift by government, business, and education to environments in which games play a greater role in learning. One of the recommendations from the report was that “Educational institutions need to transform organizational systems and instructional practices to take greater advantage of new technology, including games.” Through previous NIH/NIAID R25 education grants to Dr. Leslie Miller, innovative materials to teach middle school students about infectious diseases and the microbes that cause them was developed. The product has come to be known as MEDMYST, which is an abbreviation for “medical mysteries”. Currently, MEDMYST is a series of five web adventures delivered via the Internet and designed to engage students in problem-solving activities not likely to be encountered elsewhere. A Spanish language version of the medical missions is also available on the web. There are also MEDMYST magazines and classroom activities for teachers, and each of these components is available free of charge on the web site (http://medmyst.rice.edu). All components are aligned with content from the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996) and Benchmarks for Science Literacy (AAAS, 1993). Results of extensive field testing of these materials have shown this approach to be a very successful teaching tool.

Based upon the success of this model, the development of Mission 6 is underway. The purpose of Mission 6 is to introduce players (primarily 5^th to 8^th graders) to the concept of a “discovery-to-control” continuum for zoonotic diseases. The focus is on the discovery part of the continuum, and includes relevant material on epidemiology, etiology, and discovery of a new viral disease. The format allows the highlighting of careers in science and health, and reinforces science process skills for successful completion of the game/story. Mission 6 also sets the stage for the next mission, which will focus on the control portion of the discovery-to-control continuum, and will include concepts like vector control, the use of diagnostic tools, and vaccine development.

Provided by:

Kimberly Schuenke, PhD, Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX; kischuen@utmb.edu

Leslie Miller, PhD, Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning, Rice University, Houston, TX; lmm@rice.edu

Supported by a grant 2R25AI062762-03 from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Rome Comparative Oncology Centre – a new One Health Initiative in Italy

Dr. Romano Zilli has informed us today April 7, 2009 about the establishment of a “Centre for Comparative Oncology” in Rome, Italy that involves the Medical and Veterinary Medical local services.  It is being run by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Lazio e Toscana and Tor Vergata University of Rome (Medicine Faculty).  This is an exciting and visionary One Health development.

• Centre for Comparative Oncology in Rome

A pilot study:

• A collaboration between IZSLT (Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety Rome), University of Rome Tor Vergata and Local Health Unit Rome B
• To study classification and nomenclature in liaison with National Reference Centre for animal oncology with a view to arriving at a system that is generally agreed.
• To assemble, tentatively define histopathologically, and selectively store animal tumor material and data.
• To collate and analyze relevant epidemiological data and to feed a database on obtained material available to researchers, epidemiologists, industry.
• To supply reference preparations and study sets to recognized institutions, veterinary and human, when feasible to do so.
• To advise on and perform identification and classification of animal tumoral material submitted by laboratories and clinics.
• To prepare and maintain a bibliographical reference system on animal tumors.

Provided by:

Romano Zilli, DVM
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale
Regioni Lazio e Toscana
V. Appia Nuova 1411
00178 Roma
www.izslt.it

HISTORIC “One Health” Monograph Published

Veterinaria Italiana

http://www.izs.it/vet_italiana/2009/45_1/45_1.htm

 ‘One Health – One Medicine’:

linking human, animal and environmental health

Volume 45 (1) / January – March 2009

Bruce Kaplan, DVM, Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP and Thomas P. Monath, MD, Editors

This monograph contains a variety of 13 scientific One Health essays by 53 authors & co-authors from 12 countries including the U.S.  These provide further justification for invoking a rapid One Health paradigm shift for the benefit of human and animal health and health care locally, nationally and globally.

“It is a glorious feeling to discover the unity of a set of phenomena that seem at first to be completely separate”

Albert Einstein, April 14, 1901

Important New Kansas State University Website Announced – March 20, 2009

Welcome!  Kansas State University is proud to offer a unique blend of public health education opportunities for our state and beyond.  This website provides you up-to-date, comprehensive information about the Master of Public Health Program, whether you are a prospective student, current student, faculty member, alumni, or friend and advocate of public health education.  Please look at our program and let us know of any assistance we can give. 

Mike Cates, DVM, MPH
Director, Master of Public Health Program

http://www.k-state.edu/mphealth

See link to One Health Initiative website.

Posted March 2009 on American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine e-Jobs, Vol 2: http://www.acvpm.org/  Am

Nature Medicine 15, 227 (1 March 2009) | doi:10.1038/nm0309-227a

Royal Society urges integration of human and veterinary medicine

www.nature.com/nm/journal/v15/n3/full/nm0309-227a.html

USDA Office of the Chief Economist Agricultural Outlook Forum, 2009

Arlington, Virginia

February 26 – 27, 2009

 Scroll Down to Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

 Food Safety Track

 One World, One Health: Issues at the Intersection of Animal & Human Health

 One World, One Health: Issues at the Intersection of Animal & Human Health
Moderator: Cindy J. Smith, Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA, Washington, DC
PDF

One Health: A Concept for the 21st Century
Laura H. Kahn, MD, Research Scholar, Program on
Science and Global Security, Woodrow Wilson School
of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University,
Princeton, NJ
PDF

One Health: Assuming Our Collaborative
Responsibility
Roger Mahr, Former President, American Veterinary
Medical Association (AVMA), Representative to the One
Health Joint Steering Committee, Washington, DC
PDF

The Importance of the Animal, Health-food, Safety,
Public Health Continuum and the Use of Public-Private Partnerships to Address Long-term Solutions
Mike Robach, Vice President, Corporate Food Safety and
Regulatory Affairs, Cargill, Inc., Minneapolis, MN
PDF

Environmental Health and One Health

Environmental Health is Core Public Health at your Service!

Dr. Lisa Conti, Director
Please see our 10-minute introduction to the Department's Environmental Health Programs http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/learning/hse/index.htm

Division of Environmental Health
Florida Department of Health
4052 Bald Cypress Way, BIN A-08
Tallahassee, FL 32399
(850) 245-4250
Please tell us how we are doing; click the link below for a brief survey: 
Fill Out Our Survey

Superior doctors prevent the disease.
Mediocre doctors treat the disease before evident.
Inferior doctors treat the full blown disease.
- Huang Dee: Nai-Ching (2600 B.C., 1st Chinese Medical Text)

Mission:  Promote, protect and improve the health of all people in Florida.
PLEASE NOTE: Florida has very broad public records laws. Most written communications to or from state officials regarding state business are public records available to the public and media upon request. Your e-mail communications may therefore be subject to disclosure.

P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

Prominent One Health Advocate and Kansas Public Health Veterinarian Now Working for U. S. Senator as AVMA Congressional Fellow

Note: The physician-veterinarian One Health team of Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP, Bruce Kaplan, DVM and Thomas P. Monath, MD recently requested an update on the career of Dr. Gail Hansen [DVM, MPH], formerly the state public health veterinarian for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.  The following was received Feb 19, 2009:

 “Gail Hansen has changed career paths within veterinary medicine yet again and is currently working on health care issues as an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Congressional Fellow.  She has been working for Senator Bernard Sanders (I-VT) since the end of October and in January became the main health policy person in the D.C. office of Senator Sanders.  She also works a bit in other subject areas in D.C., including Veteran’s Affairs, antimicrobial resistance and agricultural issues.  Before the Fellowship program she was the state epidemiologist and the state public health veterinarian for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) for 12 years and just finished terms as the infectious disease chair of the Executive Board of Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and eight years on the Executive Committee of the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV).  Before moving to Kansas, Gail was an epidemiologist at the Seattle-King County Health Department involved in a longitudinal cohort study of blood-borne pathogens among injection drug users.  She worked for 14 years as a veterinary medical clinician in private practices in Seattle, New York City, and Greensboro, North Carolina, and a short stint as a pathologist at the Pennsylvania State University.

Her policy interests while in Washington are infectious diseases, health disparities, public health, international relations, animal welfare, and promoting “One Health”.  Her answer to the question she gets most often: “Why don’t you want to be a veterinarian anymore?” is “I am still a veterinarian doing what veterinarians are uniquely trained to do!” 

Yes, Gail did work on the economic recovery and reinvestment act to try to kick start the lagging economy, on reauthorizing CHIP (the Children’s Health Insurance Program for underinsured and uninsured children and pregnant women) and is working with several other Senate staff members on health care reform.  And no, she can’t get you White House tour tickets.

The AVMA Fellowship Program provides veterinarians the opportunity to spend a year in Washington, D.C. and develop a better understanding of the governmental process, gain insight into the future of science and the veterinary profession, while assisting in creating legislation and regulations that affects our nation and profession. The AVMA Congressional Fellows serve as a scientific resource for Congress and seek to improve public policymaking through the infusion of science.  Congressional Fellows have the chance to use science-based decision making in public policy development, experience and influence major public policy debates, and network with government professionals.  Gail has found several former AVMA Fellows who are still working in Washington in other capacities, including Sara Lister, Karen Becker, Sarah Babcock and Doug Meckes.  They provide great guidance and sometimes just a friendly ear."

For more information on the AVMA Congressional Fellowship program go to http://www.avma.org/advocacy/get_involved/fellowships.asp.”   

Op-Ed Publication December 2, 2008 in Sarasota Herald-Tribune Newspaper:

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081202/COLUMNIST/812020315/2080/OPINION?Title=In_age_of_pandemics__human_and_animal_health_intersect