Reminder: Upcoming IMPORTANT ONE HEALTH MEETING SESSIONS

Sample Abstracts for Upcoming One Health Meeting (Go to the meeting, there are other excellent talks):

November 11-17, 2010

United States Animal Health Association (USAHA)
114th Annual Meeting - Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA)

http://www.usaha.org/meetings/2010/

American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD)
53rd Annual Conference

For more information on AAVLD programs, please go to www.aavld.org

 One Health - 2010 AAVLD/USAHA Plenary Sessions

 Saturday, 13 Nov 2010

AAVLD Plenary Session – 7:50 – 11:30 a.m.

 One Health: Opportunities for Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories

7:50 a.m.      Welcome – Craig Carter, DVM, PhD, AAVLD President-Elect 

8:00                 Keynote-- Human-Animal Medicine Title: How Do Laboratories Fit Into the Picture?

                          - Peter Rabinowitz, MD, MPH  [Yale Medical School]

In many of its current forms, the concept of “One Health” is long on visionary scope and maddeningly short on tangible specifics and short term action steps for implementation. Yet there is a substantial, although often anecdotal, amount of evidence suggesting that the clinical laboratories could play a key and increasingly important role in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases overlapping human and animal medicine in a manner that could be considered One Health.  This talk will review such evidence, through presentation of cases that involve animals as sentinels for human environmental health hazards, humans as sentinels for animal disease risk, and cases that highlight how little we still know about zoonotic pathogen transmission and its impact on the global burden of illness in both humans and animals. …

11:00 a.m.       Walk the Talk: The Center for Excellence of Emerging & Zoonotic Animal Diseases (CEEZAD) and One Health

                          -Juergen Richt, DVM, PhD [Dept. Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology Kansas State University]           

The history of integrative thinking between veterinary medicine, human medicine, and environmental and economic domains has slowly evolved through time into comparative medicine and lately to the concept of “One Health”. Recognition of interdependence between these entities has increasingly become apparent within the last decade. Although this concept is not new, its implementation requires collaborative efforts involving multiple disciplines.

When applied to emerging and zoonotic animal diseases, the concept of “One Health” is one of the critical strategies that is fully embraced for efficient risk analysis and implementation of control measures.  The concept relies on vaccine and diagnostic tools using a transboundary line of attack because of the underlying interconnection between these disciplines and the potential risk for failure without a global approach.

The Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases (CEEZAD) conducts research, develops technology, and trains a specialized work force to successfully defend US pre-harvest agricultural systems against accidental or intentional introduction of emerging animal pathogens, and especially those with zoonotic potential. The Center’s emphasis on foreign, zoonotic and novel emerging pathogens will have a significant impact on both human and animal health.

The CEEZAD’s research is concentrated around three themes: vaccines, diagnostics and epidemiology/modeling. The vaccine theme targets the development, testing and validation of vaccines against known and newly emerging threat agents such as Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV), Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV), Animal Influenzas or other newly discovered and economically important threat pathogens.  The second theme objective encompasses the development of diagnostic tools to support the vaccine theme and especially DIVA companion test for FMDV, RVFV and influenza, as well as ability to ensure the rapid detection of unknown novel agents whether natural or engineered. The third theme goals involve inter-disciplinary, interagency and international collaboration to support U.S. national policy and emergency responses in case of introduction of threat pathogens. To fully integrate the concept of “One Health”, the mission of CEEZAD is supported by a strong emphasis on an education and outreach approach.  …

Monday, 15 Nov 2010  

USAHA/AAVLD Joint Plenary Session – 7:50 – 12:00 a.m.

One Health: One Way Street Or Are There Opportunities for Animal Agriculture?

7:50 a.m.         Welcome – Steve Halstead, DVM, MS USAHA President-Elect; Lonnie King, DVM, MS, MPA Moderator

8:00                 Keynote--One Medicine:  Its All Herd Health

                        - Lisa  A. Conti, DVM, MPH  [Florida Dept. of Health, Division Environmental Health Director]

The exciting concept of One Health, while not new, encourages systems thinking and implementation at addressing challenges to disease and injury prevention and control.  By using the intersection of human, veterinary and environmental health, practitioners in these fields can manage a wide range of clinical and public health problems. 

For most of us, a companion animal makes up part of our family structure and most people consume food of animal origin.  Biologic, chemical and radiation hazards in our environment that impact these animals, also impact us.  Our ability to attend to and mitigate these threats increase our community sustainability and our general health. 

The task of identifying and controlling emerging pathogens and conditions benefits from an open communication and collaboration among human medical, veterinary medical and environmental health practitioners.  The nation’s response to the Gulf oil spill necessarily requires the input of multiple professions working together to address the impacts from occupational exposure, to wildlife and habitat threats, to harvesting food from these waters.  Zoonotic influenza is an infectious disease that exemplifies the need for working across divides.  Environmental changes including how we build our environments have considerable impact on human, animal and environmental health.

The growing awareness of the benefit of One Health linkages requires each of us in these professions to take initiative, starting as simply as knowing whom to contact in our communities and making those contacts.  …

8:30                  Emerging Infectious Diseases:  The Case for Integrating Science, Medicine and Public Health

                          - Gary Simpson, MD, PhD, MPH   [Paul L. Foster School of Medicine - Texas Tech University Health Science Center]

Emerging infectious diseases in the 21^st Century have become increasingly complex and unpredictable.  Since 85% of emerging infectious diseases in recent decades are zoonotic in origin, the importance

of understanding the dynamic interactions of the ecosystems of wildlife, domestic/agricultural animals, and humans has been demonstrated convincingly.  Extensive experience with these

infectious disease threats has taught that addressing them responsibly requires the collaborative and coordinated efforts of inter-disciplinary, multi-organizational working groups.  The example of the initial

outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome will used to illustrate these concepts. The sustained collaborations that resulted from this event will be described.   …                 

WANT MORE?  Consider attending the meeting…

Last Reminder: You won’t want to miss this one!

The One Health Initiative Symposium: Vaccination of Animals for Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Diseases

American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) – 59^th Annual Meeting - www.astmh.org

November 3-7, 2010

Marriott Atlanta Marquis Hotel

Atlanta, Georgia (USA)

A symposium organized jointly by members of the ASTMH and the Society for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (STVM) http://www.soctropvetmed.org/ deals with the broad subject of One Health.

Marriott – Room A704, Thursday, November 4, 2010, 3:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

The Symposium focuses on vaccines, considered the most cost effective means of disease prevention.  The role of vaccines in preventing the spread of disease from animals to humans will be explored.  Speakers will address examples where vaccination in animal species (livestock, poultry and wildlife) for zoonotic disease agents is used or could be used in order to reduce the risk of human disease. 

Specific examples are drawn from important human diseases cause by viral agents of animals.  Speakers will address the potential for additional impact on disease risk reduction for selected vaccine-preventable diseases as well as opportunities for vaccine interventions.

Session Summary:

·                           Demonstrate concrete cases where the vaccination of wildlife, livestock and poultry is being used to reduce human disease.

·                           Provide a One Health forum for discussing the integration of approaches that can reduce disease risk in animals and people.

Symposium organizers:

Thomas P. Monath, MD, Chair – Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and member, One Health Initiative Website team          

Bob H. Bokma, DVM, Co-Chair – United States Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS)

Speakers:

Clarence J. Peters, MD – University of Texas Medical Branch,  Galveston, TX (USA)

“Rift Valley fever: prevention of human disease outbreaks by vaccination of livestock”

Thomas Geisbert, PhD -  University of Texas Medical Branch,  Galveston, TX (USA)

“Progress in the development of vaccines against Ebola hemorrhagic fever”

Thomas E. Walton, DVM, PhD - USDA (retired),  Fort Collins, CO (USA)

“Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis attenuated vaccine strain TC-83: successful application of an IND human vaccine to equines for control of major northern hemispheric epizootic and epidemic, 1969-1972.”

E. Paul H. Gibbs, BVSc, PhD - University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl (USA)

“The global eradication of rinderpest and its significance for “One World, One Health”.

Note: There will also be a One Health Initiative poster presentation by Jack Woodall, PhD, member One Health Initiative Website team.

                Friday, November 5, 2010 – Noon to 1:30 pm – Poster Session B

Reminder…

Important Rabies Webinars: Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Global Alliance for Rabies Control and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are co-hosting four Webinars on World Rabies Day 2010. There is no cost to attend the Webinars but you must register for each Webinar separately, using the links provided, e.g.:

• Webinar #2: 9:00-11:15am (EST) - Register for this Webinar

Time Zone Converter

One Health Initiative website team member Jack Woodall, PhD will present:

http://www.worldrabiesday.org/EN/Events/wrd-webinar.html

The Alliance for Rabies Control's July 2010 newsletter is now available at:
www.rabiescontrol.net/ARCnewsletter18

North Carolina State College (USA) of Veterinary Medicine Participates in International Cancer Study

Read complete story:

http://wake.mync.com/site/wake/news%7CSports%7CLifestyles/story/52303/NC_State_College_of_Veterinary_Medicine_Participates_in_International_Cance

“… The Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research (CCMTR) is a community of more than 100 research scientists from five North Carolina State University colleges. These investigators are involved in collaborative "One Health" studies with government, private, and other academic researchers to advance knowledge and practical applications that improve the health and well being of people and animals.”

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Announces New Food Safety Reporting Website

www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm212845.htm

The FDA and the National Institutes of Health (USA) launched a new website on May 24, 2010 called the Safety Reporting Portal (SRP).  This site is used to report food safety problems and/or adverse events involving FDA-regulated foods (not including dieatary supplements and infant formula), along with events involving animal feeds and animal drugs.  Also, consumers can use the site to report problems with pet foods and pet treats.

One Health Initiative Symposium: Vaccination of Animals for Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Diseases

American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene – 59^th Annual Meeting - www.astmh.org

November 3-7, 2010

Marriott Atlanta Marquis Hotel

Atlanta, Georgia (USA)

A symposium organized jointly by members of the ASTMH and the Society for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (STVM) and deals with the broad subject of One Health. 

The Symposium focuses on vaccines, considered the most cost effective means of disease prevention.  The role of vaccines in preventing the spread of disease from animals to humans will be explored.  Speakers will address exampls where vaccination in animal species (livestock, poultry and wildlife) for zoonotic disease agents is used or could be used in order to reduce the risk of human disease. 

Specific examples are drawn from important human diseases cause by viral agents of animals.  Speakers will address the potential for additional impact on disease risk reduction for selected vaccine-preventable diseases as well as opportunities for vaccine interventions.

Session Summary:

·                           Demonstrate concrete cases where the vaccination of wildlife, livestock and poultry is being used to reduce human disease.

·                           Provide a One Health forum for discussing the integration of approaches that can reduce disease risk in animals and people.

Symposium organizers:

Thomas P. Monath, MD, Chair – Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and member, One Health Initiative Website team         

Bob H. Bokma, DVM, Co-Chair – United States Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS)

Speakers:

Clarence J. Peters, MD – University of Texas Medical Branch,  Galveston, TX (USA)

“Rift Valley fever: prevention of human disease outbreaks by vaccination of livestock”

Thomas Geisbert, PhD -  University of Texas Medical Branch,  Galveston, TX (USA)

“Progress in the development of vaccines against Ebola hemorrhagic fever”

Thomas E. Walton, DVM, PhD - USDA (retired),  Fort Collins, CO (USA)

“Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis attenuated vaccine strain TC-83: successful application of an IND human vaccine to equines for control of major northern hemispheric epizootic and epidemic, 1969-1972.”

E. Paul H. Gibbs, BVSc, PhD - University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl (USA)

“The global eradication of rinderpest and its significance for “One World, One Health”.

“Wildlife and One Health” edition of the One Health Newsletter

One Health Newsletter Published – May 25, 2010 - Spring Issue, 2010 Volume 3 Issue 2

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Environment/medicine/One_Health/OneHealth.html

http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/newsletter.php

Please see previous News Item RE: One Health in ACTION!   More about Dr. Breitschwerdt and his laboratory’s research contributions to One Health…

Flea Bites Linked with Chronic Infections [by a veterinarian], Possible Birth Defects [human infants] - USA

http://twt.tl/2mB1Bnl

Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt, a veterinarian, directs the Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory (IPRL)in the Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he is a Professor of Medicine and Infectious Disease. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center. Historically, research in the IPRL has focused on questions of comparative medical importance related to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, canine and human ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and most recently bartonellosis in animal and human patients.

In collaboration with scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, University of Texas, Galveston, John’s Hopkins, University of California (Davis) and other research groups around the world, Dr. Breitschwerdt and the laboratory has contributed to the development of more sensitive and specific diagnostic tests for a variety of insect-transmitted infectious agents.  These diagnostic techniques can be used on numerous types of patient samples (blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid or biopsy tissues) and are applicable to samples obtained from either sick animals or people. The laboratory performs applied research that has a direct impact on patient care and infectious disease management practices in both human and veterinary medicine.

Most importantly, recent IPRL collaborative discoveries illustrate unique, existing opportunities to make tremendous strides in our understanding of the role of infectious agents as a cause of chronic debilitating diseases in animals and human beings.  As many human pathogens are zoonotic (at least 60%) the comparative medical importance of various infectious agents in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases of companion animals and people is substantial and very much under studied.  Current research efforts are focused on the role of Bartonella spp. a cause of chronic debilitating illness throughout the world. 

One Health in Action!

Flea Bites Linked with Chronic Infections [by a veterinarian], Possible Birth Defects [human infants] - USA

http://twt.tl/2mB1Bnl

A researcher in North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has discovered that bacteria transmitted by fleas–and potentially ticks–can be passed to human babies by the mother, causing chronic infections and raising the possibility of bacterially induced birth defects.

Edward Breitschwerdt, DVM, DACVIM, a veterinarian and professor of internal medicine in the Department of Clinical Sciences and director of the CVM Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, is among the world’s leading experts on Bartonella, a bacteria that is maintained in nature by fleas, ticks and other biting insects, but which can be transmitted by infected cats and dogs as well.

The most commonly known Bartonella-related illness is cat scratch disease, caused by B. henselae, a strain of Bartonella that can be carried in a cat’s blood for months to years. Cat scratch disease was thought to be a self-limiting, or “one-time” infection; however, Dr. Breitschwerdt’s previous work discovered cases of children and adults with chronic, blood-borne Bartonella infections–from strains of the bacteria that are most often transmitted to cats (B. henselae) and dogs (B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii) by fleas and other insects.

READ MORE  

http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/news/2010-05-04-CCMTR-Research-Links-Flea-Bites-with-Possible-Bacterially-Induced-Birth-Defects.html

Official Global One Health Advancement:

Food Agricultural Organization-World Organization for Animal Health-World Health Organization Collaboration Document

The FAO-OIE-WHO Collaboration: a tripartite concept note

This document sets a strategic direction for the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the World Health Organization for joint action in addressing health risks at the human-animal-ecosystems interfaces, and proposes a long term basis for international collaboration on global activities.

http://aitoolkit.org/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/FAO%20OIE%20WHO%20Collaboration%20-%20a%20tripartite%20concept%20note.pdf

World Medical & Health Policy

www.psocommons.org/wmhp

Vol. 2:Iss. 1, Article 24 (2010)

Review of L. H. Kahn’s Book:  See http://www.psocommons.org/wmhp/vol2/iss1/art24/

Who’s In Charge?  Leadership during Epidemics, Bioterror Attacks, and other Public Health Crises

By Arnauld Nicogossian, George Mason University

“ONE HEALTH in Action”

ANNOUNCMENT: International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) - Global Outreach

 www.iamse.org 

 Peter G. Anderson, DVM, PhD, Professor of Pathology and Director of Pathology Undergraduate Education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, shares his photographs from a recent trip to Zambia Africa.  Dr. Anderson was selected as a member of the Fulbright Specialist Program.  This Fulbright Foundation sponsored program promotes linkages between U.S. academics and their counterparts at universities abroad. The program is designed to award grants to qualified U.S. faculty in select disciplines to engage in short-term collaborative 2 to 6 week projects at higher education institutions in over 100 countries worldwide.

 Dr. Anderson made this trip to Zambia as part of the UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health Initiatives ongoing program to support health sciences educational activities in Zambia.  The Sparkman Center has an ongoing relationship with the University of Zambia School of Medicine.  The overall goal of these activities is to expand and enhance models of medical education in Sub-Saharan Africa. These models are intended to yield increasing number of new health care workers, strengthen medical education systems in the countries in which they exist, and build clinical and research capacity in Africa as part of a retention strategy for faculty of medical schools and clinical professors.  The strategy of this initiative is to build human capacity for health in Africa by strengthening the medical education system in an environment that values and nurtures basic science and research and which will contribute to the sustainability and quality of the overall effort.

 Click here to view selected photographs of the University of Zambia School of Medicine, the Chobe National Park, and Victoria Falls.

Please see previous posting about Dr. Anderson:

Music Industry News Network

Humanitarian University Consortium
Distance Education Initiative

 One Medicine: One Health (Zoonotic Disease) Online Course

Presented by:

Stephen M. Apatow, Director of Research and Development  
Humanitarian University Consortium Graduate Studies Center for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Law

Zoonotic Disease Online Course: Humanitarian Resource Institute.

 Related Textbooks:

·                         Human-Animal Medicine: Clinical Approaches to Zoonoses, Toxicants and Other Shared Health Risks (Amazon):  Peter M. Rabinowitz MD MPH, Lisa A. Conti DVM MPH DACVPM CEHP.

·                         Zoonoses: Recognition, Control, and Prevention:  Martin E. Hugh-Jones, William T. Hubbert, Harry V. Hagstad.

World Veterinary Day – April 24, 2010

Theme: "One World, One Health: more cooperation between veterinarians and physicians".

http://www.worldvet.org/taxonomy/term/24

Jenner Vaccine Foundation News

Issue 01/ November 2009

Please see important side bar regarding One Health support on page 5:

“One Health Initiative will be further promoted within the Jenner vaccine Foundation and the Jenner Institute with the appointment of two JENNER FELLOWS in 2010…”

http://www.jennervaccinefoundation.org/JennerNewsletter_web.pdf

BIODEFENSE POSITION (USA)

“We will interview several candidates for this position within the next 5 days only. Multiple positions are available. Interested parties should email their resumes to Isaiah.mcpeak@bvti.com”

The job is to provide program management and technical support to DHS Office of Health Affairs BioDefense and WMD functional programs. Details of four sub-programs are provided at the bottom of this job announcement (BioWatch, BWIC, RDCDS, NBIC). Experience in at least one is required. Services provided include project plans, risk analyses, assessments, testing, and emergency response in the case of threatening events.

Subject Matter Expert (mid to senior level) – Will provide agricultural or food and drug specialized expertise into our team’s overall effort to organize, coordinate, and oversee project management plans supporting WMD and Biodefense initiatives at DHS. Former experience at DHS is preferred. Past experience in BioDefense is required.

COMPANY

Best Value Technology, Inc. (BVTI) is an experienced government contracting company committed to providing technological innovation and "best value" solutions for the challenging issues faced by our federal government clients. BVTI is comprised of a diverse team that is drawn from a broad range of educational and professional backgrounds; bringing together a talented skill set for a dynamic approach to delivering cutting-edge products and services. The BVTI team has supported the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), National Security Agency (NSA), U.S. Army, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

SUB-PROGRAMS

BioWatch

The BioWatch program provides 24/7/365 biological weapons threat detection and characterization of biodefense intelligence. The core requirements for the BioWatch program are derived from HSPD-10, Biodefense Strategy for the 21st Century, which provides a comprehensive framework for our Nation’s biodefense infrastructure. The BioWatch program is an early warning system that can rapidly detect trace amounts of pathogen-specific nucleic acid in the air whether intentionally released into or naturally present in the environment.

BWIC

The BioWatch program also operates the Biological Warning and Incident Characterization (BWIC) system, which interprets warning signals from BioWatch and public health surveillance data using incident characterization tools (e.g., plume and epidemiological models) to quickly determine the potential impacts a release may have on the population.

RDCDS

The Rapidly Deployable Chemical Defense System (RDCDS) program maintains and deploys an air- and ground-based chemical detection capability for the defense of high security interest special events such as large assemblies in sports arenas or at outdoor celebrations. The detection element consists of a network of chemical, ground-based point detectors (CGPD) and a chemical airborne surveillance platform for 24/7 stand-off-detection capability.

NBIC

The National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) is an integrated biosurveillance system partnering with Federal agencies, state and local governments and the private sector. As a logical evolvement of the NBIS (National Biosurveillance Integration System) and codified in Public Law (PL-110-53) on 3 August 2007, the NBIC provides early detection, characterization, and situational awareness of biological events of potential national significance by establishing a biologic common operating picture (BCOP) to depict a global biosurveillance environment and decision-making tools.

REQUIRED

·      College Degree
·      U.S. Citizenship

APPLICATION

We will interview several candidates for this position within the next 5 days only. Multiple positions are available. Interested parties should email their resumes to Isaiah.mcpeak@bvti.com

Information supplied by:

Use of a Reduced (4-Dose) Vaccine Schedule for Postexposure Prophylaxis to Prevent Human Rabies

Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Morbidity and Mortality Report - March 19, 2010 / 59(02);1-9

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5902a1.htm

 Pappaioanou: Veterinary Crisis Has Implications for Human Health [USA]

By Dr. Marguerite Pappaioanou
Special to Roll Call

March 11, 2010, 2:41 p.m.

Please see ‘Roll Call’:

 http://www.rollcall.com/news/44112-1.html

 Marguerite Pappaioanou, DVM, MPVM, PhD, DACVPM is:

Executive Director, American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges

Washington, D. C.

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

Landmark ‘One Health’ book receives favorable review

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you!

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.”

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/Site/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 is the 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

8th Annual Scientific Conference of Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Bangladesh.

   Date of Conference: 16-18 March, 2010

The theme of this year’s conference is "Networking for promoting change towards One World One Health".

Please see details on website’s Upcoming Events page http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/events.php

Provided by:

Amam Zonaed Siddiki, PhD
Associate Professor
Dept of Pathology and Parasitology
Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University
Khulshi, Chittagong-4202
Bangladesh
Tel.  0088 031 659093        (ext 113)
      0088 0171 771 8884    (mobile)
Fax. 0088 031 659620 (lab)

New Year's Resolution: "One Health" Recognition and Implementation without delay. Protect and save human and animal life today and tomorrow!

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

One Health Workshop—‘First of its kind’ in City University, Hong Kong

December 10, 2009

 December 9, 2009

 Dear One Health Initiative,

 I would like to draw your attention to the One Health Workshop being 

 conducted in City University, Hong Kong on 10 December 2009. This is

 the first initiative of its kind in Hong Kong.

 Please refer to the website:

 http://www6.cityu.edu.hk/onehealth/speech_04.html]

  http://www6.cityu.edu.hk/onehealth/speech_04.html

  Howard Wong, M.A., Vet.MB, MPVM, MRCVS

  Senior Veterinarian

  Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens

  Hong Kong

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.

To order, visit www.greenwood.com, call 1-800-368-6868, or use this order form: