Day-long conference addresses food and waterborne infectious disease threats

National and international experts in the prevention, control, and treatment of food and waterborne infectious disease threats will share their knowledge, identify best practices for preventing disease, and develop research strategies for the Southeastern region at a day-long symposium hosted by Emory University and the Southeastern Center for Emerging Biologic Threats. The symposium will be held Wednesday, November 16 at the Emory Conference Center.

The program includes speakers from Emory University School of Medicine; the National Center for Infectious Diseases and the Foodborne and Diarrheal Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia; Montana State University; Capital Health, Canada; the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control; the Georgia Division of Public Health, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Conference participants will share a wide array of knowledge about changing epidemiologic trends and public health; food and water threats; surveillance issues; animal issues; and prion diseases (BSE/mad cow disease). Participants will discuss supporting regional collaborations that leverage the national efforts of state public health programs and the CDC.

The Southeastern Center for Emerging Biologic Threats (SECEBT) is a partnership among regional universities, state public health departments, and government agencies.

Emory University founded SECEBT in 2002 as a partnership to combat biologic agents with increasing potential for harm, believing that the war against dangerous biologic agents is fought with knowledge, research and communication. The center's members collaborate on basic research; vaccine development; pathogen surveillance; biomedical engineering; pharmacology; veterinary medicine; food safety; clinical recognition and treatment; and communication and training of scientists and health professionals.

Individuals affiliated with SECEBT partner institutions may attend the conference at no charge. Emory University School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide a maximum of 7 hours in Category 1 credit toward the AMA PRA for this activity. To register online, visit www.secenterbiothreats.org. For questions or more conference information, call 404-712-2366, or email lorejud@emory.edu.

Food & Waterborne Infectious Disease Threats
November 16, 2004

Welcome
8:30 – 8:40 am
Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, MPH
Executive V.P. for Academic Health Affairs
Senior Advisor, SECEBT
Emory University

David S. Stephens, MD
Executive Director, SECEBT
Vice-Chair, Department of Medicine
Director, Division of Infectious Diseases
Emory University School of Medicine

Session I: Overview
8:40 – 9:30 am,
Ali Khan, MD, MPH
Associate Director for Science
Division of Parasitic Diseases
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Session 2: Changing Epidemiologic Trends &The Public Health Picture
9:30 – 10:15 am
Rob Tauxe, MD, MPH
Chief, Foodborne and Diarrheal Branch
Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Session 3: Food Threats
10:30 – 11:15 am
Michael Doyle, PhD
Director, Center for Food Safety
University of Georgia

Session 4: Water Threats
11:15 – 12:00 noon
Timothy Ford, PhD
Professor & Head, Microbiology Department
Montana State University
Past-Director, Program in Water & Health, Harvard School of Public Health

Session 5: Panel – Surveillance Issues
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Moderator: Walter A. Orenstein, MD
Associate Director, SECEBT
Associate Director, Emory Vaccine Center

Bala Swaminathan, PhD
Laboratory Chief, Foodborne & Diarrheal Branch
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Nelson Fok
Associate Director, Environmental Public Health
Capital Health, Canada

Jerry J. Gibson, MD, MPH
State Epidemiologist and Director, Bureau of Disease Control
South Carolina Dept. of Health & Environmental Control

Julie Gabel, DVM, MPH
Georgia Division of Public Health

Patricia Griffin, MD
Chief, Foodborne Diseases Epidemiology Section
Foodborne & Diarrheal Branch
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Session 6: Animal Issues
2:30 pm – 3:15 pm
Lee Myers, DVM, MPH
Assistant Commissioner of Animal Industry
Georgia Department of Agriculture

Session 7: BSE/Prions
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
James J. Sejvar, MD
Medical Epidemiologist
Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Wrap-Up/Take Home Messages
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Stan Chapman, MD
Vice-Chair, Department of Medicine
Director, Division of Infectious Diseases
University of Mississippi Medical Center

Source: Eurekalert & others

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