Parasites article
Volume 18, Number 3–March 2012
Antibodies against Taenia solium Cysticerci among Refugees Resettled in United States
S.E. O'Neal et al.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Parasites article
Parasites article
Volume 18, Number 3–March 2012
Antibodies against Taenia solium Cysticerci among Refugees Resettled in United States
S.E. O'Neal et al.
Monday, February 27, 2012
New Mosquito Repellant
February 27, 2012
New Mosquito Repellant Could Be Frightening ... for the Mosquitoes!
Repellant overwhelms their odor sensors, scaring them away
"These are Anopheles mosquitoes that still think that they're in Central Africa. We won't tell them any different," says Laurence Zwiebel, professor of molecular biology and pharmacology.
Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes can be killers. In warmer climates, the bloodsuckers carry and spread diseases, including malaria, the second most deadly transmitted disease in Africa. The mosquitoes growing up in Zwiebel's lab are disease-free. But, as Zwiebel points out, they still bite.
"Anopheles gambiae often shows a strong preference for biting people. How do they do this? What makes them so predisposed to bite humans?"
With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Zwiebel and his team want to find some answers. They know mosquitoes zero in on their next meal using their keen sense of smell. "A mosquito can smell you and me from a very long distance and can track its way to you based on odor plumes that we're giving off," explains vector biologist Jason Pitts.
The team has identified microscopic odor receptors on the mosquito's antennae that look like tiny microscopic hairs. "We've identified large families of receptors in the mosquito," says Pitts.
Different hairs target different smells. Pitts says Anopheles' hairs home-in on human body odors from the carbon dioxide in our breath to the ammonia in our sweaty feet. "Some mosquitoes have been shown to be highly attracted to feet," he notes.
"The number of compounds that have been identified in human sweat number in the hundreds," says Pitts. "Things like carbon dioxide, ammonia, which is a byproduct of human sweat, and lactic acid, that we give off in sweat, other animals don't. These are often cited as compounds that are part of the human signature. Which of those compounds are the most important [for the Anopheles mosquito] is still a subject of debate."
Researchers often refer to a mosquito as "her" because only female mosquitoes bite. They drink the blood for reproduction--to make eggs. "So, only female mosquitoes spread disease. A female will drink her weight in blood when she takes a blood meal from you," says Pitts.
The team has also isolated chemicals that target odor receptors and could one day be used to formulate a new class of mosquito repellent, potentially more powerful than Deet. The new repellent would bombard the mosquitoes with so many strong odors, it would scare them away.
"It's literally screaming into a mosquito's nose," says Zwiebel.
Zwiebel points out that other insects, including agricultural pests, also have these receptors. So do honeybees. So, such repellants would have to be used carefully. A better understanding of how the receptors work could one day help take the bite out of the mosquitoes' ability to spread deadly disease.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
News Release from the Argonne National Laboratory
Big, bad bacterium is an "iron pirate"
February 20, 2012.
ARGONNE, Ill. (Feb. 20, 2012)—Life inside the human body sometimes looks like life on the high seas in the 1600s, when pirates hijacked foreign vessels in search of precious metals.
For Neisseria bacteria, which can cause gonorrhea and meningitis, the booty is not gold or silver but plain old iron.
Until recently, scientists did not understand how these bacteria snatch iron from healthy human cells, where a protein called transferrin binds the metal in a molecular bear-hug. However, a new study led by scientists at the National Institutes of Health in collaboration with biophysicist James Gumbart at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has demonstrated the likely process by which the bacteria steal the biologically valuable metal.
Within the pathogenic Neisseria bacteria, the iron transport system consists of a two-part membrane protein complex that binds human transferrin. At the molecular level, the primary membrane protein involved—called TbpA—resembles a narrow barrel, woven from a strand of amino acids, the building blocks of all proteins. When not in the process of transport, the barrel of TbpA is blocked by a separate region of the same protein that forms a kind of "plug" to prevent other molecules from freely entering or leaving the bacterium, said Gumbart.
"Normally, this protein looks something like a wine bottle with a cork inside of it," he said. "When an iron-containing transferrin comes along though, TbpA is opened by another protein inside the bacterium, which pulls on the cork and brings the iron in."
To gain a better understanding of how the theft unfolds in real time, Gumbart developed computational models that highlight electrostatic changes in TbpA during opening. Initially, the interior of the barrel is negatively charged, creating a "sucking" effect that extracts the iron from transferrin. As TbpA opens, however, the electrostatic potential gradient in the barrel becomes more positive, thereby expelling the iron into the bacterial cell.
The long-term goal of the research, according to Gumbart, is to use this discovery to drive the development of a new class of antibiotics that would prevent the heists from taking place.
"Without iron, these bacteria don't have a hope of surviving," he said.
"Proteins like TbpA make highly attractive targets because they are unique to specific classes of bacteria," Gumbart added.
"Now that we have a better idea of how this process works, we should be able to use the knowledge we've gained to combat these diseases."
The result of the study appears online in the journal Nature.
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLCfor the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.
By Jared Sagoff
FBI vs. WMD, Part II
02/24/12
Part 2 of an interview with Special Agent Edward You of the Biological Countermeasures Unit in the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Directorate.
Q: What other responsibilities do WMD coordinators have?
Mr. You: At the local level, WMD coordinators act as resources for our partners, and they also engage in threat assessments and investigations. Coordinators are dedicated professionals who have their own career path within the FBI, and they go through an extensive training and certification program. With regard to training, we have partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide training locally, regionally, and internationally. We are able to educate the scientific community about threats and provide situational awareness about security issues that may not have been considered. In turn, the scientific community advises law enforcement about the current state of the field and assists us in identifying over-the-horizon risks. The life sciences field is advancing so rapidly that it is difficult to stay current. We rely on the expertise of our business and academic partners to ensure that our agency is addressing issues appropriately and effectively. Synthetic biology is a case in point.
Q: What is synthetic biology?
Mr. You: It is the application of engineering and computer science principles to the life sciences. It is an evolutionary step in techniques in DNA sequencing and synthesis that are used to modify naturally occurring organisms, such as yeast and bacteria, and “reprogram” them to impart novel functions not normally found in nature. For example, synthetic biology allows you to program bacteria to efficiently produce bio-diesel fuel, medicines, and building materials.
Q: Why is synthetic biology important in terms of WMD?
Mr. You: Consider a company that produces synthetic DNA. They have the ability to generate the necessary genetic information to potentially produce bacteria and viruses, even high-consequence biological agents—such as Ebola or Bacillus anthracis (anthrax)—that are regulated by the U.S. government. Companies have adopted screening measures to prevent uncertified individuals from purchasing genetic information for these high-consequence agents. Through our outreach efforts and subsequent federal guidance, companies now know to contact our WMD coordinators when they encounter suspicious orders. The FBI can conduct further assessments, provide information back to the companies, and initiate investigations if warranted. As a result, industry was very happy to have a vehicle for reporting and vetting suspicious activity. We really filled a need with this program, and it has been very successful.
Q: How will you continue to be successful going forward?
Mr. You: We will continue working with industry and the scientific community. Because we provide a service and act as a resource for our partners, our outreach has grown at a rapid pace—we can’t keep up with demand in terms of speaking engagements we are invited to or contributions to biosecurity policymaking. When we started our outreach program five years ago, we were out knocking on doors in the scientific community, trying to spread our message. Now they are inviting us in. They obviously they see the value of what we’re doing to protect the public and the scientific process.
Part 2 of an interview with Special Agent Edward You of the Biological Countermeasures Unit in the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Directorate.
Q: What other responsibilities do WMD coordinators have?
Mr. You: At the local level, WMD coordinators act as resources for our partners, and they also engage in threat assessments and investigations. Coordinators are dedicated professionals who have their own career path within the FBI, and they go through an extensive training and certification program. With regard to training, we have partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide training locally, regionally, and internationally. We are able to educate the scientific community about threats and provide situational awareness about security issues that may not have been considered. In turn, the scientific community advises law enforcement about the current state of the field and assists us in identifying over-the-horizon risks. The life sciences field is advancing so rapidly that it is difficult to stay current. We rely on the expertise of our business and academic partners to ensure that our agency is addressing issues appropriately and effectively. Synthetic biology is a case in point.
Q: What is synthetic biology?
Mr. You: It is the application of engineering and computer science principles to the life sciences. It is an evolutionary step in techniques in DNA sequencing and synthesis that are used to modify naturally occurring organisms, such as yeast and bacteria, and “reprogram” them to impart novel functions not normally found in nature. For example, synthetic biology allows you to program bacteria to efficiently produce bio-diesel fuel, medicines, and building materials.
Q: Why is synthetic biology important in terms of WMD?
Mr. You: Consider a company that produces synthetic DNA. They have the ability to generate the necessary genetic information to potentially produce bacteria and viruses, even high-consequence biological agents—such as Ebola or Bacillus anthracis (anthrax)—that are regulated by the U.S. government. Companies have adopted screening measures to prevent uncertified individuals from purchasing genetic information for these high-consequence agents. Through our outreach efforts and subsequent federal guidance, companies now know to contact our WMD coordinators when they encounter suspicious orders. The FBI can conduct further assessments, provide information back to the companies, and initiate investigations if warranted. As a result, industry was very happy to have a vehicle for reporting and vetting suspicious activity. We really filled a need with this program, and it has been very successful.
Q: How will you continue to be successful going forward?
Mr. You: We will continue working with industry and the scientific community. Because we provide a service and act as a resource for our partners, our outreach has grown at a rapid pace—we can’t keep up with demand in terms of speaking engagements we are invited to or contributions to biosecurity policymaking. When we started our outreach program five years ago, we were out knocking on doors in the scientific community, trying to spread our message. Now they are inviting us in. They obviously they see the value of what we’re doing to protect the public and the scientific process.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Bacteria Articles Now Online
Bacteria articles
Volume 18, Number 3–March 2012
Antimicrobial Drug Resistance in Peru
C. Garcia et al.
MEDSCAPE CME ACTIVITY
Community-associated Clostridium difficile Infections, Monroe County, New York
G. Dumyati et al.
Foodborne and Waterborne Infections in Elderly Community and Long-Term Care Facility Residents, Victoria, Australia Community-associated Clostridium difficile Infections, Monroe County, New York
G. Dumyati et al.
M.D. Kirk et al.
Metallo-beta-Lactamase 1–producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, Croatia
A. Mazzariol et al.
Lineage-specific Virulence Determinants of Haemophilus influenzae Biogroup aegyptius
F.R. Strouts et al.
Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Zhejiang Province, China, 1999–2008
X. Wang et al.
Epsilonproteobacteria in Humans, New Zealand
A.J. Cornelius et al.
Poultry Culling and Campylobacteriosis Reduction among Humans, the Netherlands
I.H.M. Friesema et al.
Chicken as Reservoir for Human Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli, Canada
C. Racicot Bergeron et al.
Genotyping and Geospatial Scanning to Estimate Mycobacterium tuberculosis Transmission, United States
P.K. Moonan et al.
Pathogenic Potential to Humans of Bovine Escherichia coli O26, Scotland
M.E. Chase-Topping et al.
Culturing Stool Specimens for Campylobacter spp., Pennsylvania
N.M. M'ikanatha et al.
Escherichia coli O104:H4 Infections and International Travel
D.C. Alexander et al.
Carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter spp. in Cattle, France
L. Poirel et al.
Laboratory Practices and Incidence of Non-O157 Shiga Toxin–producing Escherichia coli Infections
K.A. Stigi et al.
MEDSCAPE CME ACTIVITY
Nonpasteurized Dairy Products, Disease Outbreaks, and State Laws—United States, 1993–2006
A.J. Langer et al.
Clinical Significance of Escherichia albertii
T. Ooka et al.
Escherichia coli Producing CMY-2 beta-Lactamase in Retail Chicken, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Y.S. Park et al.
A Systematic Approach for Discovering Novel, Clinically Relevant Bacteria
R. Schalberg et al.
Causes of Pneumonia Epizootics among Bighorn Sheep, Western United States, 2008–2010
T.E. Besser et al.
High Incidence of Group B Streptococcal Infection in Infants of HIV-Infected Mothers
T. Goetghebuer et al.
Nonculture Diagnostic Tests for Enteric Diseases
T.F. Jones and P. Gerner-Smidt
T.F. Jones and P. Gerner-Smidt
FBI vs. WMD
From the web site of the FBI:
On Guard Against WMD
Inside the Biological Countermeasures Unit, Part 1
02/21/12
In 2006, to counter the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the FBI established the WMD Directorate. The directorate combines law enforcement investigative authorities, intelligence analysis capabilities, and technical subject matter expertise in a coordinated approach to deal with incidents involving nuclear, radiological, biological, or chemical weapons. The organization places substantial emphasis on preventing such incidents.
FBI.gov recently spoke with Special Agent Edward You in the directorate’s Biological Countermeasures Unit (BCU).
Q: What is your unit’s primary mission?
Mr. You: Just like our partner units who also work in countermeasures dealing with chemicals, radiological and nuclear material and infrastructure protection, our goal is to prevent acts of terrorism. In our case, that means bio-terrorism. But we must do that in a way that strikes a balance between security and supporting advances in scientific research and protecting public safety. Bio-security, from our standpoint, is preventing the illicit acquisition or misuse of the technologies, practices, and materials associated with biological sciences. We are also charged with protecting scientists and the institutions where they work.
Q: What are the primary biological WMD risks?
Mr. You: Laboratory techniques for biological materials are publicly available in scientific journals and elsewhere, which represent a ready source of knowledge for creating and manipulating these materials. Biological agents such as viruses, bacteria, and toxins are also widely available and used in companies, universities, and other institutions. These include materials that could have devastating effects on the public if released, such as avian influenza or Bacillus anthracis spores (anthrax). These things are also naturally occurring in the environment. Both the methods and the materials are critical for scientific research and the development of beneficial products. But we also recognize that the materials could be exploited or subverted for terrorist or criminal acts. We conduct outreach to try to make people aware of these risks.
Q: How important are partnerships between law enforcement and the medical and scientific community?
Mr. You: They are essential. We have a joint criminal-epidemiological investigation model, which is how law enforcement works together with public health entities to quickly assess an unusual disease outbreak to determine if it is naturally occurring or was started intentionally. The partnership is critical to ensure rapid sharing of information to guide the appropriate investigative steps and responses. All these efforts address the shared goal of protecting public health and safety—again, without hindering scientific progress.
Q: What is your primary means of conducting outreach?
Mr. You: We provide opportunities for the scientific community to meet directly with our law enforcement representatives—our WMD coordinators. These are the FBI’s subject matter experts, local points of contact, and really the keystone of the entire program. Each of our 56 field offices nationwide has at least one of these special agent coordinators trained in the various WMD modalities. They are the focal point for state and local law enforcement and public health officials. Coordinators conduct outreach and liaison development with academia, institutions, industry contacts, and other organizations. Our unit at FBI Headquarters manages the outreach program at the national level. We facilitate meetings between our coordinators and members of the biological sciences community, provide a mutual understanding of bio-security from a law enforcement perspective, and foster partnerships nationwide. We are also branching out internationally, with WMD personnel in Eastern Europe, Singapore, and at Interpol in France.
On Guard Against WMD
Inside the Biological Countermeasures Unit, Part 1
02/21/12
In 2006, to counter the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the FBI established the WMD Directorate. The directorate combines law enforcement investigative authorities, intelligence analysis capabilities, and technical subject matter expertise in a coordinated approach to deal with incidents involving nuclear, radiological, biological, or chemical weapons. The organization places substantial emphasis on preventing such incidents.
FBI.gov recently spoke with Special Agent Edward You in the directorate’s Biological Countermeasures Unit (BCU).
Q: What is your unit’s primary mission?
Mr. You: Just like our partner units who also work in countermeasures dealing with chemicals, radiological and nuclear material and infrastructure protection, our goal is to prevent acts of terrorism. In our case, that means bio-terrorism. But we must do that in a way that strikes a balance between security and supporting advances in scientific research and protecting public safety. Bio-security, from our standpoint, is preventing the illicit acquisition or misuse of the technologies, practices, and materials associated with biological sciences. We are also charged with protecting scientists and the institutions where they work.
Q: What are the primary biological WMD risks?
Mr. You: Laboratory techniques for biological materials are publicly available in scientific journals and elsewhere, which represent a ready source of knowledge for creating and manipulating these materials. Biological agents such as viruses, bacteria, and toxins are also widely available and used in companies, universities, and other institutions. These include materials that could have devastating effects on the public if released, such as avian influenza or Bacillus anthracis spores (anthrax). These things are also naturally occurring in the environment. Both the methods and the materials are critical for scientific research and the development of beneficial products. But we also recognize that the materials could be exploited or subverted for terrorist or criminal acts. We conduct outreach to try to make people aware of these risks.
Q: How important are partnerships between law enforcement and the medical and scientific community?
Mr. You: They are essential. We have a joint criminal-epidemiological investigation model, which is how law enforcement works together with public health entities to quickly assess an unusual disease outbreak to determine if it is naturally occurring or was started intentionally. The partnership is critical to ensure rapid sharing of information to guide the appropriate investigative steps and responses. All these efforts address the shared goal of protecting public health and safety—again, without hindering scientific progress.
Q: What is your primary means of conducting outreach?
Mr. You: We provide opportunities for the scientific community to meet directly with our law enforcement representatives—our WMD coordinators. These are the FBI’s subject matter experts, local points of contact, and really the keystone of the entire program. Each of our 56 field offices nationwide has at least one of these special agent coordinators trained in the various WMD modalities. They are the focal point for state and local law enforcement and public health officials. Coordinators conduct outreach and liaison development with academia, institutions, industry contacts, and other organizations. Our unit at FBI Headquarters manages the outreach program at the national level. We facilitate meetings between our coordinators and members of the biological sciences community, provide a mutual understanding of bio-security from a law enforcement perspective, and foster partnerships nationwide. We are also branching out internationally, with WMD personnel in Eastern Europe, Singapore, and at Interpol in France.
News Release from GE
23 February 2012
GE and InDevR Scientists Developing Breakthrough Device to Improve Diagnosis of Flu at the Point-of-Care
Working to create a device that is easy-to-operate and can be used in the doctor’s office or remotely in the field
Key goal is to enable device to be quickly adapted to diagnose new strains of the flu and other emerging infectious diseases
Small biotech business in Boulder, Colorado partnering with GE to increase its workforce
Key goal is to enable device to be quickly adapted to diagnose new strains of the flu and other emerging infectious diseases
Small biotech business in Boulder, Colorado partnering with GE to increase its workforce
NISKAYUNA, NY, February 23, 2011
With the peak of flu season upon us, scientists at GE Global Research, the General Electric Company’s (NYSE: GE) central technology development arm, have been awarded a program through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a breakthrough medical device that can diagnose the flu and other infectious diseases such as malaria, E. coli and salmonella at the point-of-care. In addition to making an accurate diagnosis, another key goal of the device is to be readily adapted for new strains of diseases so that new diagnostic tests can be rapidly developed.
GE scientists will be partnering with InDevR, a rapidly growing biotechnology company in Boulder, Colorado that develops new tools to assist in disease diagnosis such as the flu and vaccine development as well. GE, with deep research experience in chemistry and world-class experts in DNA and RNA analysis, will be incorporating new materials and molecular biology methods into a device being developed by InDevR. The nearly $5.8 million in funding from DARPA for the project will result in the creation of at least 7 new jobs at InDevR.
Kathy L. Rowlen, PhD, InDevR's CEO and Chief Science Officer, said, “We are thrilled to be working with GE Global Research. The partnership offers a powerful combination of InDevR’s strengths in virus identification and instrument development with GE’s global leadership in healthcare products, technologies and services. The DARPA contract will not only support innovative research to improve flu diagnosis, it will administer a healthy shot in the arm for Boulder’s economy in the form of new, high-paying technology jobs at InDevR.”
Erin Finehout, a lead engineer at GE Global Research and principal investigator on the DARPA project, said, “Today, the flu can be diagnosed in the doctor’s office, but often patient samples need to be sent out to a lab to confirm a diagnosis and provide more information about a patient’s condition. GE and InDevR intend to develop a device that brings this analysis to the point-of-care at the doctor’s office, a remote military base, or the site of a humanitarian mission responding to a major health care pandemic.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as much as 20% of the U.S. population will get the flu during flu season. Of that population, about 200,000 end up being hospitalized for treatment. The hope is that faster, more accurate diagnosis of the flu and other respiratory viruses upfront will lead to improved patient treatment and a reduced number of severe cases.
GE and InDevR scientists are working to develop a device that is highly portable, easy to use and requires little training. This would allow a broader range of medical providers to operate the device and enable it to be used in clinical settings that would reach more people in need of care. DARPA is interested in having a device that could be used in the field to help assess soldiers deployed in remote areas where access to care is limited. This device also is being targeted for use by medics sent out by the U.S. military on humanitarian missions and for disaster relief efforts.
Another key goal for the device is to make it readily adaptable for recognizing new strains of the flu and other infectious diseases. Finehout explained this could be achieved if it can simultaneously analyze multiple types of biomolecules (DNA, RNA, and protein) in a patient sample. Most diagnostic platforms are only designed to work with one of these types of molecules. This versatility will allow for system that not only can be readily modified to recognize new strains, but also diagnose a wide variety of different diseases. This kind of adaptability and versatility is not possible in current devices on the market today.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
News Release from the CDC
Press Release
For Immediate Release: February 21, 2012
Contact :CDC Division of News and Electronic Media
(404) 639-3286
Contact :CDC Division of News and Electronic Media
(404) 639-3286
Majority of dairy-related disease outbreaks linked to raw milk
CDC Report Shows Higher Rates of “Raw” Milk Outbreaks in States Where It′s Legal
The rate of outbreaks caused by unpasteurized milk (often called raw milk) and products made from it was 150 times greater than outbreaks linked to pasteurized milk, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 13-year review also revealed that the states where the sale of raw milk was legal had more than twice the rate of outbreaks as states where it was illegal.The study, published Feb. 21 in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, reviewed dairy product outbreaks from 1993 to 2006 in all 50 states. The authors compared the amount of milk produced in the United States during the study period (about 2.7 trillion pounds) to the amount that CDC estimates was likely consumed raw (1 percent or 27 billion pounds) to determine the 150 times higher rate for outbreaks caused by raw milk products. Raw milk products include cheese and yogurt.
The study included 121 dairy–related disease outbreaks, which caused 4,413 illnesses, 239 hospitalizations and three deaths. In 60 percent of the outbreaks (73 outbreaks) state health officials determined raw milk products were the cause. Nearly all of the hospitalizations (200 of 239) were in those sickened in the raw milk outbreaks. These dairy-related outbreaks occurred in 30 states, and 75 percent (55 outbreaks) of the raw milk outbreaks occurred in the 21 states where it was legal to sell raw milk products at the time. The study also reported that seven states changed their laws during the study period.
Consumers can’t tell if raw milk is safe to drink by looking at, smelling, or tasting it. Even under ideal conditions of cleanliness, collecting milk introduces some bacteria. Unless the milk is pasteurized, these bacteria can multiply and grow in the milk and cause illness. Pasteurization involves heating milk to kill disease-causing bacteria.
“This study shows an association between state laws and the number of outbreaks and illnesses from raw milk products,” said Robert Tauxe, M.D., M.P.H., deputy director of CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases (DFWED). “Restricting the sale of raw milk products is likely to reduce the number of outbreaks and can help keep people healthier. The states that allow sale of raw milk will probably continue to see outbreaks in the future.”
The study also found that the raw milk product outbreaks led to much more severe illnesses, and disproportionately affected people under age 20. In the raw milk outbreaks with known age breakdowns, 60 percent of patients were younger than age 20, compared to 23 percent in outbreaks from pasteurized products. Children are more likely than adults to get seriously ill from the bacteria in raw milk.
“While some people think that raw milk has more health benefits than pasteurized milk, this study shows that raw milk has great risks, especially for children, who experience more severe illnesses if they get sick,” said study co-author Barbara Mahon, M.D., M.P.H., deputy chief of CDC’s DFWED Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch. “Parents who have lived through the experience of watching their child fight for their life after drinking raw milk now say that it’s just not worth the risk.” Among other key findings:
- Thirteen percent of patients in raw milk outbreaks were hospitalized compared to 1 percent in pasteurized milk outbreaks. This may be because raw milk outbreaks were all caused by bacteria, such as E. coli O157, which tend to produce more severe illnesses, according to the study.
- Pasteurized milk and cheese outbreaks were often caused by relatively mild infections like norovirus and Staphylococcus aureus.
###
Koalas Hit by Chlamydia
Excerpt from an article in The New York Times
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Queensland Koalas Hit by Chlamydia Infections
By KAREN BARROW
The koala, one of Australia’s most treasured creatures, is in trouble. Faced with habitat loss, climate change and bacterial disease, koalas are being pushed into smaller and smaller regions of the country. In Queensland, the vast state in Australia’s northeastern corner, surveys suggest that from 2001 to 2008, their numbers dropped as much as 45 percent in urban areas and 15 percent in bushland.
And while climate change and habitat loss are affecting many other uniquely Australian animals, too — from birds and frogs to marsupials like wombats, wallabies and bandicoots — it is a bacterial infection that is worrying many scientists about the fate of the koala.
“Disease is a somewhat silent killer and has the very real potential to finish koala populations in Queensland,” said Dr. Amber Gillett, a veterinarian at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital in Beerwah, Queensland.
The killer is chlamydia, a class of bacteria far better known for causing venereal disease in humans than for devastating koala populations. Recent surveys in Queensland show that chlamydia has caused symptoms in up to 50 percent of the state’s wild koalas, with probably even more infected but not showing symptoms.
The bacteria — transmitted during birth, through mating and possibly through fighting — come in two different strains, neither the same as the human form. The first, Chlamydia pecorum, is causing a vast majority of health problems in Queensland’s koalas; the second, C. pneumoniae, is less common.
Unlike C. pecorum, the pneumoniae strain can jump to other species, but so far there is no evidence that it has spread from koalas to humans or vice versa.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Queensland Koalas Hit by Chlamydia Infections
By KAREN BARROW
The koala, one of Australia’s most treasured creatures, is in trouble. Faced with habitat loss, climate change and bacterial disease, koalas are being pushed into smaller and smaller regions of the country. In Queensland, the vast state in Australia’s northeastern corner, surveys suggest that from 2001 to 2008, their numbers dropped as much as 45 percent in urban areas and 15 percent in bushland.
And while climate change and habitat loss are affecting many other uniquely Australian animals, too — from birds and frogs to marsupials like wombats, wallabies and bandicoots — it is a bacterial infection that is worrying many scientists about the fate of the koala.
“Disease is a somewhat silent killer and has the very real potential to finish koala populations in Queensland,” said Dr. Amber Gillett, a veterinarian at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital in Beerwah, Queensland.
The killer is chlamydia, a class of bacteria far better known for causing venereal disease in humans than for devastating koala populations. Recent surveys in Queensland show that chlamydia has caused symptoms in up to 50 percent of the state’s wild koalas, with probably even more infected but not showing symptoms.
The bacteria — transmitted during birth, through mating and possibly through fighting — come in two different strains, neither the same as the human form. The first, Chlamydia pecorum, is causing a vast majority of health problems in Queensland’s koalas; the second, C. pneumoniae, is less common.
Unlike C. pecorum, the pneumoniae strain can jump to other species, but so far there is no evidence that it has spread from koalas to humans or vice versa.
News Release from the Los Alamos National Laboratory
More grapes, less wrath: Hybrid antimicrobial protein protects grapevines from pathogen
LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, February 20, 2012—A team of researchers has found a way to ensure that your evening glass of wine will continue to be available, despite the potential attack ofXylella fastidiosa (Xf), a bacterium that causes Pierce’s Disease and poses a significant threat to the California wine industry’s valuable grapevines.
Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), University of California at Davis (UCD), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service have created specially engineered grapevines that produce a hybrid antimicrobial protein that can block Xfinfection.
Their research is published in the current edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, “An engineered innate immune defense protects grapevines from Pierce’s disease,” by Abhaya M. Dandekar, et al. The article’s online tracking number is 2011-16027R in the PNAS Early Edition to be published the week of Feb. 20, 2012.
By helping the vine fight the microbe with specific proteins, the scientists envision vineyards requiring less reliance on chemicals as growers seek to fend off the bacterium and the glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis) insect that carries it. As the insect feeds on various plants, it distributes the microbe widely.
The key to the project’s success is the fact that early in an Xf infection, molecules on the outer membrane of the microbe interact with cells of the grapevine. By interfering with that interaction between microbe and vine, scientists can help the vines block the disease and go on to produce a healthy crop of grapes.
"One thing got us started: with almost any pathogen, the major problem is drug resistance,” said Goutam Gupta, the corresponding author of the PNAS paper. “We wanted the plant to clear itself of the pathogen before it is infected, much as the body’s immune system naturally recognizes a pathogen and takes action to defeat it.”
To make the effective protein, researchers fused two genes: one that encodes a protein to cut a specific molecule on the outer membrane of Xf, and another that triggers the bursting of the Xfbacterium’s outer wall, called lysis.
The team inserted the hybrid gene into grapevines and observed the plants’ response to Xfinfection. “The hybrid protein apparently creates pores in the membrane of the Gram-negative bacterium, Xf,” said Gupta, thus allowing the plant to fight back the infection. Sap from the engineered plants successfully killed Xf in laboratory tests, and the whole plants did not exhibit symptoms of Pierce’s disease after exposure to the Xf bacterium.
The antimicrobial gene may also protect other economically important plants from Xf-related diseases, and a similar strategy may be effective against a broad range of pathogen-induced plant and human diseases, Gupta said. X. fastidiosa is implicated in oleander leaf scorch, phony peach disease, plum leaf scald, almond leaf scorch, Pierce's disease in grapes, and citrus X disease in Brazil.
Work on this project has been funded by the California Department of Food & Agriculture, the US Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service, the LANL Center for Biosecurity Science, and the LANL Material Design Institute.
Image caption: Expression of a hybrid protein blocks Pierce’s Disease in grapevine. The hybrid protein (shown at the bottom right) creates pores in the membrane of the Gram-negative bacterium, Xf, that causes PD. Transgenic grapevine expressing the hybrid protein shows little or no leaf scorching as PD symptom upon Xf infection (top left) whereas the non-transgenic without the hybrid protein shows severe leaf scorching (top right).
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Bird Flu Research to Be Published
Excerpt from an article in The New York Times
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Research on Deadly Bird Flu to Be Published in Full
By DENISE GRADY
The full details of recent experiments that made a deadly flu virus more contagious will be published, probably within a few months, despite recommendations by the United States that some information be kept secret for fear that terrorists could use it to start epidemics.
The announcement, made on Friday by the World Health Organization, follows two months of heated debate about the flu research. The recommendation to publish the work in full came from a meeting of 22 experts in flu and public health from various countries who met on Thursday and Friday in Geneva at the organization’s headquarters to discuss “urgent issues” raised by the research.
Most of the group felt that any theoretical risk of the virus’s being used by terrorists was far outweighed by the “real and present danger” of similar flu viruses in the wild, and by the need to study them and freely share information that could help identify the exact changes that might signal that a virus is developing the ability to cause a pandemic, said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who represented the United States at the meeting.
The natural form of the virus being studied has infected millions of birds, mostly in poor countries in Asia, and although it does not often infect people, it has a high death rate when it does. If the virus were to develop the ability to infect humans more easily, and to spread from person to person — which it almost never does now — it could kill millions of people.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Research on Deadly Bird Flu to Be Published in Full
By DENISE GRADY
The full details of recent experiments that made a deadly flu virus more contagious will be published, probably within a few months, despite recommendations by the United States that some information be kept secret for fear that terrorists could use it to start epidemics.
The announcement, made on Friday by the World Health Organization, follows two months of heated debate about the flu research. The recommendation to publish the work in full came from a meeting of 22 experts in flu and public health from various countries who met on Thursday and Friday in Geneva at the organization’s headquarters to discuss “urgent issues” raised by the research.
Most of the group felt that any theoretical risk of the virus’s being used by terrorists was far outweighed by the “real and present danger” of similar flu viruses in the wild, and by the need to study them and freely share information that could help identify the exact changes that might signal that a virus is developing the ability to cause a pandemic, said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who represented the United States at the meeting.
The natural form of the virus being studied has infected millions of birds, mostly in poor countries in Asia, and although it does not often infect people, it has a high death rate when it does. If the virus were to develop the ability to infect humans more easily, and to spread from person to person — which it almost never does now — it could kill millions of people.
FBI Internet Scam Alerts - Pox Parties
From the FBI. Note the last scam alert about Pox Parties.
From the FBI:
Internet Crime Complaint Center's (IC3)
From the FBI:
Internet Crime Complaint Center's (IC3)
Scam Alerts
February 17, 2012
This report, which is based upon information from law enforcement and complaints submitted to the IC3, details recent cyber crime trends, new twists to previously-existing cyber scams, and announcements.
MYSTERY SHOPPER SCAM TO EVALUATE WIRE TRANSFER SERVICES
The IC3 has recently received over 250 complaints reporting a new twist to the online employment scam. The scam involves individuals who responded to online ads or were contacted via e-mail as a result of their resume being posted on job websites. The perpetrator posed as a research company and requested participants to complete a paid survey regarding services provided at wire transfer locations to improve the effectiveness of the company's money-transfer services.
Complainants were hired and then mailed a cashier's check or money order. They received instructions to cash the check/money order at their local bank, keep a portion as payment, and wire the remaining amount via wire transfer to a designated recipient. Victims were then asked to immediately e-mail their employer with the transfer number, amount wired, recipient's name and address, and the name of the wire transfer location evaluated. Upon sending the information, victims received a questionnaire form regarding their overall wire transfer experience to complete and return. Those who did not promptly follow through with the instructions received threatening e-mails stating if they did not respond within 24 hours, their information would be forwarded to the FBI and they could face 25 years in jail.
Shortly after the transactions, victims were informed by their banks that the checks were counterfeit and were held responsible for reimbursing their banks. Most victims owed their bank over $2,500.
SPAM REFERENCING U.S. MILITARY MEMBERS AND GADDAFI
Criminals continue to explore new avenues to lure victims, most recently by claiming to be a US military contractor, who was performing reconstruction work in Libya. Fraudsters sent unsolicited e-mails claiming that several metal boxes were found in cellars of high-rise buildings built and occupied by Muammar Gaddafi. Each box purportedly contained large sums of money, in addition to guns, armor, bullets, and drugs. The e-mails requested the recipient’s assistance with transferring the money out of Libya. The fraudsters also told the e-mail recipients that they were expected to receive, secure, and protect the boxes until the overseas assignment elapsed and promised the victims a 30 percent profit.
Often times in online scams, once communication with the fraudsters begins, they will request personal information, including but not limited to bank account details, claiming funds are needed to cover various expenses.
Be wary of any unsolicited e-mail, especially those requesting personal information or soliciting the submission of money for any reason. Unsolicited e-mails should not be opened, as they often contain viruses or other malicious software.
POX PARTY ONLINE ADVERTISEMENTS
Recently, the IC3 received a complaint from an individual reporting an advertisement on a social media site that offered ways to obtain "natural immunity" from the chickenpox by sharing lollipops licked by children infected with the virus. Parents have been known to take their child to a "Pox Party" as an alternative to vaccinating children from varicella, otherwise known as chickenpox, but sending virus-covered lollipops through the mail is against Federal law.
One individual posted a message stating "
fresh batch of pox in Nashville shipping of suckers, spit, and Q-tips available tomorrow 50 dollars."
As a disclaimer, the social media site posted the following notice on their page:
"This page has never condoned the mailing of infectious diseases. For our members: The mailing of infectious items, such as lollipops, rags, etc, is a federal offense. This page is not private and can been seen by members and non members alike. You may post on the page that you have the pox and are willing to share in YOUR AREA but please keep your specifics in private messages between members. Again, this page can be seen by anyone and mailing is a federal offense. We are all intelligent adults but these guidelines will help protect your privacy."
According to the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) website, www.cdc.gov, chickenpox is spread in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also be spread by touching or breathing in the virus particles that come from the chickenpox blisters. The CDC also discourages chickenpox parties because the disease can be serious. Dangerous diseases like hepatitis A and strep can be transmitted via saliva according to the CDC's website. Therefore, not only is the contaminated candy not likely to provide exposure to chickenpox, it could expose children to an entirely different disease.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Rare Disease Day at NIH
From NIH:
The NIH Clinical Center (CC) is the clinical research hospital for the National Institutes of Health. Through clinical research, clinician-investigators translate laboratory discoveries into better treatments, therapies and interventions to improve the nation's health. For more information, visit http://clinicalcenter.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
Media Advisory
Rare Disease Day at NIH raises awareness and highlights cutting-edge research
| What: | The National Institutes of Health will celebrate the Fifth Annual Rare Disease Day February 29 with a day-long celebration co-sponsored by the Office of Rare Diseases Research-National Center for Accelerating Translational Research, and the NIH Clinical Center. The event will recognize rare diseases research activities supported by several government agencies and advocacy organizations. Attendance is free and open to the public and the media, and pre-registration is encouraged. In association with the Global Genes Project (a grassroots effort to use jeans to raise awareness for rare genetic disorders), organizers urge all attendees to wear their favorite pair of jeans. Those interested can register and learn more at http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/RareDiseaseDay.aspx. |
|---|---|
| Why: | Rare Disease Day was established to raise public awareness about rare diseases, the challenges encountered by those affected, and the importance of research to develop diagnostics and treatments. There are about 7,000 rare diseases identified in the United States affecting an estimated 25 million Americans. About 80 percent of rare diseases are genetic in origin, and it is estimated that about half of all rare diseases affect children. In addition, what researchers learn by studying rare diseases often adds to the basic understanding of common diseases. |
| Who: | Organizers have put together an agenda of scheduled talks covering new technologies, such as genetic sequencing and stem cell therapies; new research paradigms like accelerated drug development; and new rare diseases, including PANDAS. NIH Director Dr. Francis S. Collins will make remarks. |
| When/Where: | Rare Disease Day at NIH will be held in the NIH Clinical Center (Building 10) in Masur Auditorium on February 29, 2012, from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold a Rare Disease Patient Advocacy Day on March 1. For more information, visit http://www.fda.gov/ForIndustry/DevelopingProductsforRareDiseasesConditions/ OOPDNewsArchive/ucm277194.htm or call Sandy Walsh at 301-796-4669. |
The NIH Clinical Center (CC) is the clinical research hospital for the National Institutes of Health. Through clinical research, clinician-investigators translate laboratory discoveries into better treatments, therapies and interventions to improve the nation's health. For more information, visit http://clinicalcenter.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health
Approaches to Treating Hepatitis C
CNBC reports that shares of Gilead are taking a beating after the biotech firm said that some patients treated with its Hepatitis C drug experienced a relapse. Even so, Mark Schoenebaum, an analyst with ISI Group, maintains a "buy" rating on Gilead. Among other things, Mr. Schoenebaum stated that the best approach to treating Hepatitis C may not be with Gilead's drug or a drug from a competitor, but rather a cocktail of Gilead's drug in combination with drugs made by other companies. This approach would be similar to that used to treat AIDS patients. To see a videos of the Gilead news, click the links below:
Thursday, February 16, 2012
E. Coli Outbreak
CDC Announces Multistate E. Coli Investigation Linked to Raw Sprouts at Jimmy John's Restaurants
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is collaborating with public health officials in multiple states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serogroup O26 (STEC O26) infections likely linked with eating raw clover sprouts. Public health investigators are using DNA "fingerprints" of E. coli bacteria obtained through diagnostic testing with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, or PFGE, to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak. They are using data from PulseNet, the national subtyping network made up of state and local public health laboratories and federal food regulatory laboratories that performs molecular surveillance of foodborne infections.The full notice can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2012/O26-02-12/index.html
###
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Abstract: Novel Human Adenovirus Strain, Bangladesh
Below is the abstract of an article to appear in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Volume 18, Number 5 - May 2012.
Abstract
We report a novel human adenovirus D (HAdV-65) isolated from feces of 4 children in Bangladesh who had acute gastroenteritis. Corresponding genes of HAdV-65 were related to a hexon gene of HAdV-10, penton base genes of HAdV-37 and HAdV-58, and a fiber gene of HAdV-9. This novel virus may be a serious threat to public health.Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Idenix CEO on Hepatitis C Drug Study
This morning on CNBC's Squawk Box, an interview with Ronald Renaud, CEO of Idenix, provided insight on the FDA clearing Idenix to resume study of its advanced experimental hepatitis C drug.
To see the interview, click the link below:
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000072985
To see the interview, click the link below:
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000072985
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Greening Disease Has Texas Citrus Growers on Alert
Excerpt from an article in The New York Times
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Greening Disease in Rio Grande Valley Has Texas Citrus Growers on Alert
By SUSANNAH JACOB
On Jan. 13, the first-known case of citrus greening disease in Texas was confirmed on a Rio Grande Valley orange tree. The tree showed the telltale signs: undersize, discolored fruit and curled, mottled yellow leaves.
The one case in a San Juan grove became 14, and the outbreak brought the Valley’s citrus harvest season to a halt, as the United States Department of Agriculture investigates how far it had spread. After getting the go-ahead, quarantined growers, pressed to move the last of the year’s oranges and grapefruits to market, cautiously resumed harvesting on Feb. 1. But they fear the disease could spread and seriously damage their industry.
Steve Lievens, who grows Rio Star grapefruits and Valencia oranges in the groves his father established in 1950, worries about being able to identify the disease.
“There’s a lot of difference between looking at the greening on a slide show or on some laminated cards and looking at it out in the field,” Mr. Lievens said. “We’re going to have to really school ourselves hard to say with confidence we feel like a tree does or doesn’t have greening.”
Greening disease is caused by a bacterial pathogen that is transmitted to the trees by an insect, the Asian citrus psyllid. The disease, which is harmless to humans, starves citrus trees by clogging their vascular systems with bacteria, preventing the transport of sugars and other nutrients. The tree eventually dies.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Greening Disease in Rio Grande Valley Has Texas Citrus Growers on Alert
By SUSANNAH JACOB
On Jan. 13, the first-known case of citrus greening disease in Texas was confirmed on a Rio Grande Valley orange tree. The tree showed the telltale signs: undersize, discolored fruit and curled, mottled yellow leaves.
The one case in a San Juan grove became 14, and the outbreak brought the Valley’s citrus harvest season to a halt, as the United States Department of Agriculture investigates how far it had spread. After getting the go-ahead, quarantined growers, pressed to move the last of the year’s oranges and grapefruits to market, cautiously resumed harvesting on Feb. 1. But they fear the disease could spread and seriously damage their industry.
Steve Lievens, who grows Rio Star grapefruits and Valencia oranges in the groves his father established in 1950, worries about being able to identify the disease.
“There’s a lot of difference between looking at the greening on a slide show or on some laminated cards and looking at it out in the field,” Mr. Lievens said. “We’re going to have to really school ourselves hard to say with confidence we feel like a tree does or doesn’t have greening.”
Greening disease is caused by a bacterial pathogen that is transmitted to the trees by an insect, the Asian citrus psyllid. The disease, which is harmless to humans, starves citrus trees by clogging their vascular systems with bacteria, preventing the transport of sugars and other nutrients. The tree eventually dies.
Friday, February 10, 2012
For Those Worried About Germs in Strange Motel Rooms...
Here is a video for those who are worried about picking up nasty little germs in a strange motel room.
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000072615
There's an app for that!
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000072615
There's an app for that!
Immunization Schedules
This message is to notify you that the 2012 child, adolescent, and catch-up immunization schedules have been published and are now available.
Stay tuned: The online and downloadable scheduler tools are being revised to reflect the 2012 recommendations.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Access to Hospital Patient Safety Data
From the CDC:
Today, on CDC's Safe Healthcare Blog, Dr. Daniel Pollock explains more about the data and why this is an exciting step – and the first of many more – in both CDC’s collaborations with CMS and also toward the goal of eliminating HAIs.
Read more and join the conversation at http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/.
CMS announced today that its Hospital Compare website now includes central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) data reported from hospital ICUs to CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). In many places, this is the first time consumers can see how well their local hospitals prevent CLABSIs, one of the most deadly healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Read more and join the conversation at http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
CDC Public Health Law News
From the CDC:
| Tuesday, February 7, 2012 From the Public Health Law Program, Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |  |
| Public Health Law News Readers and Colleagues, The annual Public Health Preparedness Summit is February 21-24, 2012 in Anaheim, CA. Highlighted below are sessions focused on public health law and preparedness that may be of interest to you. Please visit the Public Health Preparedness Summit website for registration and additional information. We look forward to seeing you in Anaheim! Preconference Workshop The National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Network for Public Health Law, with guidance and funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Law Program (PHLP) within the Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support (OSTLTS), have developed a training to enhance local public health officials’, preparedness directors’, and legal counsels’ knowledge of the legal authorities and issues that shape their ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies. The workshop will introduce attendees to the training curriculum and exercise and inform participants of the various legal authorities (e.g., federal, state, and local) and issues that shape their agencies’ and jurisdictions’ ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies. Additionally, presenters will highlight the use of relevant laws and policies that affect decision making during an emergency and prepare decision makers to improve public health outcomes in an emergency. Presenters: Joseph Durham, JD Attorney, Eastman Smith, Franklin County Health District; Columbus, OH Pricilla Keith, JD General Counsel, Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County Indianapolis; Marion County, IN ========= Navigating Legal Barriers to Effective Public Health Emergency Response (#A-07) – Wednesday, February 22, 2012, 10:30am – 12:00pm Interactive Session The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and Logan Circle Policy Group, with guidance and funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Law Program (PHLP) within the Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support (OSTLTS), have designed a resource to address legal barriers that may have impeded or impaired our public health system’s ability to more effectively respond to the H1N1 pandemic in 2009-2010, and may continue to arise in future public health emergencies. Tools such as fact sheets, issue briefs, summaries of applicable federal, links to additional resources, and “implementation tips,” will aid both program staff and legal counsel in understanding, mitigating, and overcoming the following specific, priority legal barriers: Statutory Authorities and Liability Issues; Scope and Application of Emergency Use Authorizations; Managing Public Health Emergencies in a School/Education Environment; and Options and Alternatives for Expanded Scope of Practice. This interactive session will introduce attendees to the toolkit, demonstrate the use of toolkit resources by various audiences, and seek feedback on future topics and materials for the toolkit. Facilitator: Jim Blumenstock Chief Program Officer, Public Health Practice, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; Arlington, VA Presenters: Patricia Elliott, JD, MPH Logan Circle Policy Group; Washington, DC Darrell Klein, JD Assistant Agency Counsel, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services; Lincoln, NE Stacie Kershner, JD ORISE Fellow, Public Health Law Program, Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Atlanta, GA ========= State Variation of Liability Coverage for Volunteers under the EMAC (#B-05) - Wednesday, February 22, 1:30 – 3:00pm Interactive Session Participants will engage in discussion of tort liability and workers compensation mechanisms in the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), identify limitations for volunteers deployed under EMAC, describe the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act, and review preliminary findings from research into the various state-based solutions. Presenters: Matthew Penn, JD, MLIS Director, Public Health Law Program, Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Atlanta, GA Wilfredo Lopez, JD General Counsel Emeritus to the New York City Department of Health and Public Health Law Consultant to CDC through an independent contractor; Atlanta, GA ========= Crisis Standards of Care: Clinical and Legal Aspects in Disaster Response (#A-15) – Wednesday, February 22, 1:30 – 3:00pm Interactive Session This session will discuss the Institute of Medicine framework guidance for the development of policies for standards of care in disaster where resources are scarce and responding provider liability coverage. Presenters: Bobby Courtney Director of Policy & Planning, MESH; Indianapolis, IN Chad Priest, RN, MSN, JD Chief Executive Officer, MESH; Indianapolis, IN ========= Improving Communications and Enhancing Trainings for Planning Preparedness (#H-01) – Friday, February 24, 9:30 – 10:15am Sharing Session These 45-minute informal roundtable sharing sessions allow for interactive discussions on a specific topic or issue. Participants will meet with research investigators from the Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers and representatives from the Preparedness and Response Learning Centers, and will have an opportunity to provide feedback on a programmatic idea or the process involved in developing new preparedness-related policies, etc. The sessions feature roundtable discussions on the following topics: Preparedness Planning for Vulnerable Populations; Preparedness Planning for Tribal Communities; Legal Issues in Preparedness and Response; Workforce Planning; and Workforce Response. Facilitators: Shoukat Qari, DVM, PhD Senior Scientific Program Official, Extramural Research Program, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Atlanta, GA Gabrielle O'Meara Public Health Advisor, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Learning Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Atlanta, GA Presenters: Hilary Eiring, MPH Project Manager, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health; Atlanta, GA Shandiin Wood, MPH Research Specialist/Evaluator, Mountain West Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center; Tucson, AZ Ralph Renger, PhD Co-Planner and Director of Evaluation, Mountain West Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center; Tucson, AZ Lisle Hites, MS, MEd, PhD Assistant Professor, UAB SOPH; Birmingham, AL Lisa McCormick, DrPH Assistant Professor, UAB SOPH; Birmingham, AL Jessica Wakelee, MPH Manager of Data Collection and Analysis, UAB SOPH; Birmingham, AL Jesse Bliss, MPH Assistant Dean for Public Health Practice, Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Office of Public Health Practice and Workforce Development Center for Public Health Preparedness; Loma Linda, CA Biblia Kim, MPH Research Coordinator, Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center; Loma Linda, CA Manjit Randhawa, MD Associate Director for Research and Development, Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Office of Public Health Practice and Workforce Development, Center for Public Health Preparedness; Loma Linda, CA Rachel Long, MPH Senior Research Assistant, Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Office of Public Health Practice and Workforce Development; Loma Linda, CA Monica Minor-Exum, MA, EdD Curriculum Instruction Specialist, Association of Schools of Public Health; Washington, DC Lori Graham, PhD Educational Development and Evaluation Coordinator, Texas AM Health Science Center; Round Rock, TX Donata Nilsen, MPH, DrPH(c) Research Associate, UC Berkeley Center for Infectious Diseases and Emergency Readiness/Cal PREPARE; Berkeley, CA Lainie Rutkow, JD, PhD, MPH Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Baltimore, MD Erin Fuse Brown, JD, MPH Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University; Tempe, AZ Sarah Blake, MA, PhD(c) Senior Associate Faculty, Emory University Preparedness and Response Research Center, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health; Atlanta, GA ========= Sharing and Assessing WMD Threat Information: A Local PH-Law Enforcement Model (#24) – presenters will be available for discussion Wednesday, February 22, 7:00 – 8:00am and 3:00 – 3:30pm Poster This poster will provide a discussion of the model utilized by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health for sharing and jointly assessing possible weapons of mass destruction threat information with the Los Angeles Federal Bureau of Investigation Field Office and other law enforcement agencies. Dickson Diamond, MD Director, Threat Assessment, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health; Los Angeles, CA | |
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