posted
A conference at Duke University, presented by the Southeastern Center for Emerging Biologic Threats (SECEBT), will explore the threats of vector-borne diseases in the Southeastern United States, including West Nile encephalitis and tick-borne diseases. The conference will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, May 8 and 9, at the Searle Center at Duke University in Durham, N.C.
Vector-borne diseases, which are transmitted by insects such as mosquitoes and ticks, also include malaria and dengue, which occasionally are transmitted in the U.S., as well as Rift Valley fever and Chikungunya virus infection, which could be introduced into this country. Presentations will focus on the epidemiology, symptoms, diagnosis, organism adaptability and treatments, and will highlight state plans currently in place for surveillance and response.
SECEBT is a regional partnership of universities, public health agencies, affiliates and foundations dedicated to combating biologic threats with increasing potential for harm. The partnership was founded by Emory University in 2002. It currently includes 17 universities and medical centers, six state health departments, and seven other affiliated government and private institutions, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Walter Orenstein, MD, who will become executive director for SECEBT in June and is currently associate director of the Emory Vaccine Center and former director of the CDC's National Immunization Program, will introduce the conference. Other moderators will be James Hughes, MD, associate director, SECEBT, director, Emory Center for Global Safe Water and former director of the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases; and Christopher Woods, MD, MPH, Duke University Medical Center.
Nina Marano, DVM, MPH, branch chief, Special Pathogens Branch, CDC, will deliver a plenary lecture on "One Medicine" on May 8 at 8:30 a.m. Dr. Marano will discuss the important relationship between veterinary and human medicine.
Other conference participants will include scientists from the CDC, Duke University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Hawaii, University of Georgia, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, Berry College, Johns Hopkins University, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Boston University Medical Branch, North Carolina Department of Health, and Tennessee Department of Health.
"Vector-borne diseases include many of the most challenging disease threats to populations around the globe," said Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, MPH, senior advisor, SECEBT, vice president for academic health affairs at Emory University, and former director of the CDC "It is critically important that scientists in the U.S. maintain surveillance and preparedness for these diseases, which do not respect boundaries of states or countries. As a regional public health partnership, SECEBT is an ideal mechanism for scientific collaboration and disease prevention on multiple levels."
The conference is free, and is geared to physicians, veterinarians, nurses, public health staff, graduate and medical students. Participants are eligible for 10.25 hours in Category 1 credit toward the AMA PRA.
posted
I'm guessing they will be discussing only the IDSA version of diagnosis, and symptoms.
Posts: 144 | From British Columbia | Registered: Sep 2002
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posted
You are probably right. But if they haven't figured out lyme in 25 years, how in the world are they going to deal effectively with something that sweeps in from elsewhere in the world? I predict chaos if that happens.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
I have tested positive twice for lyme. Duke in all of their wisdom says I don't have it because, the state lab does not test positive. They are so much in the dark. I wouldn't waste the trip. Posts: 128 | From Raleigh, NC | Registered: Apr 2007
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ConnieMc
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 191
posted
I emailed Dr. J (NC) and suggested that he crash their party. Wouldn't that be fun?
Duke does not believe in Lyme and in fact if you call the ID clinic, they will say they don't even see patients with Lyme. Bowman-Gray is the same way.
Ok, then, why are these meetings even necessary?
In spite of the fact that NC is a leading state for incidence of RMSF, a woman in my area died from it 2 days ago.
Posts: 2275 | From NC | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
I will be there tomorrow and will let you know how it goes.
I bet there will be statements made that I don't agree with but without fully understanding the other camps position how will any understanding ever be reached?
Some of the others who don't necessarily share my opinions will be there tomorrow. Some of them have taken the time to listen to my opinions while they don't agree with them, so I am going to respectfully listen to theirs.
It will be hard to stomach knowing that those I don't agree with have influenced the present climate down here. Better take my Rolaids ;0)
-------------------- �Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.� - Ezre Taft Benson Posts: 655 | From NC, Exit 88 on the Deer SuperHighway | Registered: Dec 2004
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The conference was great! There were some extremely sharp minds there. This conference was organized by Emory University in GA and hosted at Duke. Thus the representation of researchers, public health officials, CDC researcher/officials and physicians was multidimensional. There was more than one view being represented. It was more balanced than I anticipated.
Just a few highlights...
Dr. Masters was there talking about STARI. He had many slides depicting EM rashes that were definitely caused by Lone Star Ticks. Thank the God above for you Dr. Masters!!!! He urged those in the audience to not make any assumptions regarding TBIs (tick borne illness)
My husband is hounding me to eat dinner...I will post more later....
-------------------- �Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.� - Ezre Taft Benson Posts: 655 | From NC, Exit 88 on the Deer SuperHighway | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
I promise I will post the rest in the next couple days...right now I am tired and have to work tomorrow.
Will be back...
-------------------- �Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.� - Ezre Taft Benson Posts: 655 | From NC, Exit 88 on the Deer SuperHighway | Registered: Dec 2004
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Sorry for the delay. I had a lot going on this weekend.
Well the conference over all was fascinating. It was good for me to understand how Lyme and Co-infections relate to other vectorborne diseases here in the SE and elsewhere.
The morning of the first day was primarily focused on Arboviral Diseases and transmission.
We launched into Tick Borne pathogens in the afternoon for the first half and then the second half of the afternoon was spent on malaria, bartonella, trypanosoma cruzi, and a panel discussion of knowledge gaps and research agenda (I remember this as being more of a Q&A though).
The second day was only a half day. It consisted of three presentations...Ed Masters presented "Lone Star Vectored Lyme Like Illness" and Mark Klempner presented "New IDSA Lyme Disease Guidelines".
The disparity between all of the unknowns regarding Lyme Disease in the SE and Dr. Klempner's presentation of resolute treatment guidelines was blaring to me.
I am so grateful that Dr. Edwin Masters was there. He showed up slide after slide of bull's eye rashes and other EM rashes that he verified were caused by lone star ticks.
He informed us that he has attempted to culture borrelia lonestari in multiple culture mediums, as well a number of other researchers have attempted the same with no success...
So he left us with "What is causing these EM rashes from Lone Star Ticks???" Thank goodness there was someone in that room willing to ask an open ended question and resolute that it wasn't going to somehow jeopardize his very man-hood. (there were a few others too ;0) )
I had deep disappointment in regards to some (few) prevailing attitudes towards even contemplating that Lyme or something Lyme-like is here in NC. There was a flipant attitude displayed by a couple individuals, one in particular and it troubles me deeply.
The truth will one day be discovered. The good news is that there are some brilliant minds at work. Some in places you would not necessarily expect to be open to the unanswerable questions.
A CD Rom will be available of the conference however it will not be ready for six months. I don't know if it will be available to the public but you can check out the site www.secebt.org and possibly submit an inquiry to this regard.
I am sorry that is not a better synopsis but if you download the slide presentations you will get a very good representation of the presentations.
The only thing you will miss are the panel discussions. The Q&A were good but did not involve a lot of the debate I would have liked to see.
Take care All!
-------------------- �Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.� - Ezre Taft Benson Posts: 655 | From NC, Exit 88 on the Deer SuperHighway | Registered: Dec 2004
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3greatkids
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3838
posted
Thanks Lymied.
Flippant is putting it mildly.After the N&O news article a coulple of weeks ago,w/ No mention of Lyme. Of course the writer told me,virtually no Lyme in NC! One of the worst written in a long time.The writer made it sound like Lyme is SIMPLY(the words used) treatable!!!
Now the Feds are looking at Butner.Relocation of Plum Island!!!!Yes,Butner is open arms for this germ lab to come to their town.Of course the prison is there and the phys.ward next door......scary to say the least.
NC is going to He$$ fast in a hand basket. So NC,we will have Plum Island coming soon and we have no Lyme.Development is destroying the land,the streams are muddy,the coast is ready to be washed away,saying the word Lyme draws the evil eye stare.
Thank Goodness Dr. Masters was there.NC needs real help!
Posts: 1076 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
I agree 3greatkids. And yes, I saw a tiny little post in the N&O announcing the lab coming to Butner...YIKES!!!! to say the least.
Time to buy the sailboat and sail off into the sunset.
-------------------- �Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.� - Ezre Taft Benson Posts: 655 | From NC, Exit 88 on the Deer SuperHighway | Registered: Dec 2004
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