Chemical terrorism awareness-level training

Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, Terrorism Response and Preparedness, offers online courses in agroterrorism, bioterrorism, pediatric terrorism and chemical terrorism (shown above). The site states that free CEUs are offered (currency not verified).

The chemical terrorism course provides awareness-level training for emergency responders, health care providers, and public health personnel.

Topics covered include the history of chemical weapons, types of chemical warfare agents and their effects on the body, personal protective equipment, decontamination, chemical identification (MSDS and placards), and detection methods.

 

Zoonoses and human health

An article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association discusses the grant given by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to Washington State University for the recently formed School of Global Animal Health. The school is “focused on improving human health and well-being by better control of animal diseases,” according to director Guy Palmer, as quoted in the article.

“Network of Lab Robotics Stop Livestock Disease” on ThePoultrySite.com discusses the use of robotics in veterinary diagnostic laboratories, especially in Kansas.

SUNY at Albany’s SPH Center for Public Health Preparedness has an archived webcast on “Agroterrorism: Managing Foreign & Emerging Animal Diseases” (originally broadcast Oct. 12, 2006) 

World Health Organization information on “Zoonoses and veterinary public health.”

World Malaria Day – Friday April 25

Friday April 25 is World Malaria Day.
For more information:
Roll Back Malaria Partnership
Mobilizing for Malaria
Malaria Consortium
Nothing But Nets campaign
CDC World Malaria Day feature

National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, April 20-26, 2008

This week is National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week; the theme is “Laboratory Professionals: Delivering Today’s Results for a Healthier Tomorrow.”

For more information visit sponsoring organizations, including
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS)

American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)

College of American Pathologists (CAP)

AABB

American Medical Technologists (AMT)

Also in conjunction with Lab Week, the Facebook Scholarship Contest winners have been announced at  Labs Are Vital.

‘Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: A Survival Guide for Clinicians, 2nd ed.’ from Francis J. Curry Center

From the website:

The Francis J. Curry National Tuberculosis Center is pleased to announce the availability of the fully updated second edition of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: A Survival Guide for Clinicians. First released in 2004, the Guide is a joint publication of CNTC and the Tuberculosis Control Branch of the California Department of Public Health. It contains information and user-friendly tools and templates for use by any clinician who participates in the management of patients with drug-resistant TB. This easy-to-use resource can be downloaded from our website and is available as a printed book and on CD-ROM.

Canada’s National Medical Laboratory Week, April 13-19, 2008

This week is National Medical Laboratory Week in Canada. (Next week is National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week in the US; more on that in an upcoming post.)

 

Read: “Escalating shortage of lab professionals threatens health care”

Massachusetts “Foodborne Illness Investigations and Control Reference Manual”

Respirology special issue: “Examining the Avian Flu: From Pandemic Planning to Vaccine Development”

The journal Respirology has a special supplementary issue on avian influenza available as free full text online. (More information from the publisher.)

Articles featured in this special supplement issue include:
- Li-Cher Loh, David S.C. Hui & Richard Beasley, “INTRODUCTION: Avian influenza: From basic biology to pandemic planning”
- Tomothy M. Uyeki, “Global epidemiology of human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses”
- David S. C. Hui, “Review of clinical symptoms and spectrum in humans with influenza A/H5N1 infection”
- John M. Nicholls & J.S. Malik Peiris, “Avian influenza: Update on pathogenesis and laboratory diagnosis”
- Paul A. Tambyah, “Update on influenza anti-virals”
- David S. C. Hui, “Influenza A/H5N1 infection: Other treatment options and issues”
- Curtis N. Sessler & Niclae D. Gray, “Intensive care management of life-threatening avian influenza A (H5N1)”
- Nan-Shan Zhong & Guang-Qiao Zeng, “Pandemic planning in China: Applying lessons from severe acute respiratory syndrome”
- Supamit Chunsuttiwat, “Response to avian influenza and preparedness for pandemic influenza: Thailand’s experience”
- Paul A. Tambyah, “Update on influenza vaccines”
- Donald E. Low, “Pandemic planning: Non-pharmaceutical interventions”

World Health Day 2008: protecting health from climate change

Today is World Health Day, coinciding with the beginning of National Public Health Week, and both events are focused on health and climate change.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has announced the release of a new video on “Biodiversity and World Health Day,” highlighting their research program on biodiversity and human health.

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO):

 

 

National Public Health Week next week – April 7-13, 2008

Next week is National Public Health Week, with a theme of climate change and public health.

For more information:

WHO on climate change and human health

US EPA on climate change and health

CDC on climate change and public health

Library of Congress guide to Global Warming & Climate Change