Grand Rounds - Recombinant Reagents for the Detection of Biothreat Agents (Archive)
Immunodiagnostics is the standard against which many agent detection, identification, and diagnostic technologies are compared. Antibody-based assays continue to serve as preliminary and confirmatory diagnostic formats for many infectious and non-infectious diseases. The increasing need for consistently high-quality immunodiagnostic reagents for biothreat agents and the difficulty of producing sufficient quantities safely in biocontainment makes recombinant antigens and antibodies the ideal solution. The ultimate goal of this scientific effort is to provide not only high-quality reagents for existing assays, but to develop a system that can quickly produce reagents to new and emerging biothreat agents. This program is presented by Dr. Randal Schoepp, chief of the Applied Diagnostics Branch in the Diagnostic Systems Division, at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).
Grand Rounds - The Emerging Pathogen and Bioterrorism Threats of Poxviruses (Archive)
Both humans and animals are susceptible to infections caused by the poxvirus family of viruses. Smallpox (variola), monkeypox, vaccinia, and cowpox are examples orthopoxviruses. Naturally occurring smallpox was eradicated worldwide in the late 1970s. However, smallpox remains a concern as a potential agent of bioterrorism since it is highly contagious, a large proportion of the population has no immunity, and there is little available vaccine. Emerging infections such as monkeypox also pose a concern to human health. In this presentation, Inger K. Damon, M.D., Ph.D., acting chief of the Poxvirus and Rabies Branch and chief of the Poxvirus Program in the Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will address these and other emerging pathogen and bioterrorism threats of poxviruses.
Grand Rounds - Foreign Substance Response (Archive)
The purpose of this presentation is to provide a reinforcement of the Iowa Biological and Chemical Threat Agent (BCTA) protocol model for handling suspicious mail and or packages. Speakers include: Steven Courtright, Manager, Emergency Preparedness, Hawkeye District, United States Post Office; Captain Robert Cox, Special Operations, Des Moines Fire Department; Mary Jones, Division Director, Division of Acute Disease Prevention and Emergency Response, Iowa Department of Public Health; Major Len Murray, Bomb Squad Commander, Homeland Security Bureau, Des Moines Police Department ; Jerry Ostendorf, State Coordinating Officer, Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division; and Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Plagman, Commander, 71st Civil Support Team Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Grand Rounds - Responding to Ebola Outbreaks: The International Collaboration of the World Health Organization's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (Archive)
This webcast originally aired in 2002
Dr. Arthur will discuss recent Ebola epidemics in Central Africa, their clinical presentation, their epidemiology, and WHO control measures. As viral hemorrhagic fever viruses are high on the lists of possible agents of bioterrorism, Dr. Arthur’s insight will be most instructive for those wishing to protect Iowa’s populations.
Grand Rounds - Prion Disease Research at the National Animal Disease Center (Archive)
Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurologic conditions of animals and humans. Animal TSEs include scrapie of sheep and goats; chronic wasting disease (CWD) of cervids, such as deer, moose, and elk; transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME); and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Since 1990, scientists at the National Animal Disease Center (NADC) in Ames, Iowa, have studied cross-species transmissions of the scrapie, CWD, or TME agent into livestock and wildlife in an effort to identify the potential host range of TSEs and their clinicopathological and molecular features in a novel animal species. In this presentation, Juergen A. Richt, D.V.M., Ph.D., lead scientist and Veterinary Medical Officer at the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, will address the various TSE cross-species transmission studies underway at the NADC and the molecular characterization of BSE cases identified in the U.S.
Grand Rounds - Pigs and Public Health: An Overview of Selected Zoonotic Diseases of Swine (Arc
Liz Wagstrom, D.V.M., M.S., is the assistant vice president of science and technology at the National Pork Board in Des Moines. In this presentation she will review selected zoonotic diseases of swine with special emphasis on how changes in pork production have affected the epidemiology of these diseases in the United States.
Zoonoses
Goal, Course Content This training describes the types and transmission of zoonotic diseases, identifies zoonoses of public health significance, and outlines general principles and procedures for surveillance and emergency preparedness. This training is part of the Public Health Emergency Training (PHET) Series. Learning Objectivies: - Define zoonoses - Identify agents and transmission modes of zoonoses - Explain the risks of human contact with animals in public exhibition settings - Describe emerging zoonoses - State basic principles and practices of emergency preparedness for zoonotic outbreaks related to natural disasters, bioterrorism, and food safety Participants are eligible to receive up to .05 CEUs or .5 contact hours for completion of training including pre-test, post test and evaluation.