CRWAD recognizes research, researchers
Some 500 people attended the 90th annual meeting of the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, Dec. 6–8, 2009, in Chicago.
The conference was dedicated to Dr. Norman F. Cheville of Ames, Iowa, dean emeritus of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
After graduating from the Iowa State veterinary college in 1959, Dr. Cheville spent time working at the Army Biological Laboratory at Fort Detrick, Md., as a member of the Army Veterinary Corps. He later moved to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Animal Disease Center, where he served as chief of pathology research from 1964–1989. As chief of the Brucellosis Research Unit from 1989–1995, he led a team that developed a vaccine for bovine brucellosis. He became chair of veterinary pathology at Iowa State in 1995 and served as dean from 2000–2004.
Dr. Cheville has been president of CRWAD and the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and editor of the journal Veterinary Pathology. He has authored seven books and contributed to several National Academies studies.
Life membership in CRWAD was awarded to Dr. Alexander A. Ardans, Davis, Calif.; Dr. Samuel K. Maheswaran, St. Paul, Minn.; Dr. Charles W. Purdy, Bushland, Texas; Donald C. Robertson, PhD, Manhattan, Kan.; and Dr. David W. Hird, Davis, Calif.
Officers of CRWAD for 2010 are Dr. Eileen L. Thacker, Beltsville, Md., president; Dr. Laura Hungerford, Baltimore, Md., vice president; and Robert P. Ellis, PhD, Fort Collins, Colo., executive director.
The Association for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine named Dr. Hollis N. Erb as recipient of the 2009 Calvin W. Schwabe Award. She is a professor of epidemiology at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, where she has been a faculty member since 1979.
Dr. Erb earned her DVM degree from the University of California-Davis in 1974. Later she joined the faculty at Cornell's veterinary college and served as section chief for epidemiology in the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences for nine years. From 1998–2008, she was editor-in-chief of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, and currently she serves as the journal's senior associate editor. She is a past president of the AVEPM.
Recipients of the AVEPM student awards were as follows: Epidemiology and Animal Health Economics category, oral—Alison E. Mather, University of Glasgow, for “Antimicrobial resistance surveillance systems and the detection of new or emerging resistances,” and Chuck C. Dodd, Kansas State University, for “Prevalence and persistence of Salmonella within pens of feedlot cattle.” Food and Environmental Safety category, oral—Melanie J. Abley, The Ohio State University, for “Genotyping and phenotyping of Campylobacter coli in pigs from farm to fork.” Poster—L.L. Settle, Virginia Tech University, for “Expression and purification of the bacteriophage Felix O1 endolysin.”
The Mark Gerhart Memorial Award was presented by the AVEPM to Keri Norman of Texas A&M University for “Varied prevalence of Clostridium difficile in an integrated swine operation.”
The American Association of Veterinary Immunologists presented the Distinguished Veterinary Immunologist Award to D. Mark Estes, PhD, of Galveston, Texas. Dr. Estes is a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where his laboratory focuses on immunoregulatory mechanisms in infection and cancer. He also has been director of the Program for Prevention of Animal Infectious Diseases at the University of Missouri, a program that identifies vaccine targets for respiratory and reproductive diseases of cattle and swine.
Recipients of the AAVI student awards were as follows: First place, oral—G.A. Contreras, Michigan State University, for “Plasma fatty acid profiles influence phospholipid fatty acid composition of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in periparturient dairy cows.” Second place, oral—K.S. Chattha, University of Guelph, for “Age-dependent variation in the expression of CD21, CD32, and mIgM in the lymphoid tissues of calves.” Third place, oral—M.A. Firth, University of Guelph, for “Expression profiles of bovine neonatal B cells determined by quantitative multiplex analysis.” First place, poster—H. Vu, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, for “Analysis of the aberrant immune response induced by a PRRSV type 2 isolate naturally lacking glycan residues in two envelope glycoproteins.” Second place, poster—E.A. Smith, Virginia Tech University, for “A porcine model of polymicrobial respiratory infections with swine influenza and Staphylococcus aureus.” Third place, poster—X.S. Revelo, University of Missouri, for “In vitro dose effects of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide on the function of neutrophils isolated from blood of cows in midlactation.”
The American College of Veterinary Microbiologists selected Dr. James A. Roth of Ames, Iowa, as the Distinguished Veterinary Microbiologist for 2009. Dr. Roth is a professor at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He also is director of the Center for Food Security and Public Health at ISU and executive director of the Institute for International Cooperation in Animal Biologics. From 2004–2008, he was ACVM president.
The ACVM student awards were presented to the following recipients: Don Kahn Award—Yun Young Go, University of Kentucky, for “Major and minor envelope proteins of equine arteritis virus determine tropism for peripheral blood mononuclear cells.” In vitro category—L. Linke, Colorado State University, “An alternative to the avian influenza vaccine: Preliminary assessment of small interfering RNAs targeting viral and avian genes associated with avian influenza infection.” Molecular category—D. Gangaiah, The Ohio State University, for “Role of polyphosphate kinase 2 in Campylobacter jejuni stress responses, host colonization, and pathogenesis.” In vivo category—A.M. Quintana, Colorado State University, for “Comparison of the pathogenicity of equine and canine H3N8 influenza virus in ponies.” Poster—Varun Dwivedi, The Ohio State University, for “Steps towards development of a novel mucosal vaccine to PRRSV.”
The Society for Tropical Veterinary Medicine student award was presented to Ryan T. Stoffel, University of Missouri, for “Utilization of real time PCR for detection of Ehrlichia chaffeensis in blood, tissue, and tick samples from experimentally infected dogs.”
The American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists student award was presented to Jennifer McClure, University of Missouri, for “The etiology of severe acute CME.”
The NC-1041 Enteric Diseases (North Central Committee for Research on Enteric Diseases of Swine and Cattle) student awards were presented to the following recipients: Oral—Smriti Shringi, Washington State University, for “Differential virulence of enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 shiga toxin–encoding bacteriophage insertion site genotypes,” and Crystal Brillhart, University of Arizona, for “Salmonella infection of oysters served on the half-shell.” Poster—X. Zeng, University of Tennessee, for “Antigenic, functional, and immunogenic analyses of ferric enterobactin receptor CfrA in Campylobacter.”
The Biosafety and Biosecurity Awards, sponsored by the Animal Health Institute, were presented to the following students: First place—C.K. Irwin, Iowa State University, for “Advising biosecurity policy: an example using a systematic review of the persistence of influenza in the environment.” Second place—Seth R. Baker, University of Minnesota, for “A pilot study to investigate the seroprevalence of production-limiting swine pathogens in North American feral pig populations.” Poster—Greg Peterson, Kansas State University, for “Diagnostic microarray for human and animal bacterial diseases.”
ACVP announces diplomates
The American College of Veterinary Pathology recognized 83 new diplomates on successful completion of the certifying examination in Ames, Iowa, Sept. 22–24, 2009. They are as follows:
Sandeep J. Akare, Urbana, Ill.
Kelli M. Almes, Manhattan, Kan.
Fabio Aloisio, College Station, Texas.
Wes A. Baumgartner, Baton Rouge, La.
Ana Maria Botero-Anug, Rehovot, Bilu, Israel.
Michael C. Boyle, Apex, N.C.
Molly H. Boyle, Andover, Mass.
Danielle L. Brown, Raleigh, N.C.
Jamie M. Bush, Fort Collins, Colo.
Mary E. Carsillo, Columbus, Ohio.
Rachel Cianciolo, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Torrie A. Crabbs, Sacramento, Calif.
William E. Culp, Severn, Md.
Rosalinda M. Doty, Mahomet, Ill.
Colleen Duncan, Fort Collins, Colo.
Patricia M. Gaffney, Dixon, Calif.
David W. Gardiner, Salt Lake City.
Sophette Gers, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Christopher J. Gibson, Jamesburg, N.J.
Katherine N. Gibson-Corley, Ames, Iowa.
Dipak K. Giri, Pearland, Texas.
Katherine M. Hammerman, Jamaica Plain, Mass.
Adam Hargreaves, Macclesfield, Cheshire, United Kingdom.
Jamie N. Henningson, Middleton, Wis.
Louis M. Huzella, Frederick, Md.
Marcia R.D.S. Ilha, Tifton, Ga.
Clare A. James, Belton, Loughborough, United Kingdom.
Laura J. Janke, Roseville, Minn.
Charles Johnson, Ames, Iowa.
Robert L. Johnson, Westfield, Ind.
Megan E.B. Jones, San Diego.
Sue E. Knoblaugh, Seattle.
Jean-Francois Lafond, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada.
Sophie Le-Calvez, Saint Stephens Square, Norwich, United Kingdom.
Eric D. Lombardini, Brunswick, Md.
Jeremiah A. Lyons, Knoxville, Tenn.
Srinivasa R. Mantena, Urbana, Ill.
Lars Mecklenburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Asli Mete, Davis, Calif.
Andrèanne Morency, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada.
Fabiano N. Oliveira, Bryan, Texas.
Alicia K. Olivier, Ames, Iowa.
Erik J. Olson, Roseville, Minn.
Francesco C. Origgi, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Jaime Paulin Jr., Roseville, Minn.
Joaquin O. Porcel, Albox, Almeria, Spain.
Raquel R. Rech, Athens, Ga.
Aline Rodrigue, Bryan, Texas.
Duncan S. Russell, Ithaca, N.Y.
Melissa D. Sanchez-Pillich, Philadelphia.
Ravi A. Seebaransingh, Raleigh, N.C.
Kuldeep Singh, Urbana, Ill.
Dodd G. Sledge, Lansing, Mich.
Eric R. Snook, Baton Rouge, La.
Teresa Southard, Baltimore.
James B. Stanton, Pullman, Wash.
Isabelle St-Pierre, St. Augustin-de Desmaures, Quebec, Canada.
Radhakrishna Sura, Storrs, Conn.
John M. Troutman, Pittsboro, N.C.
Alison R. Tucker, Raleigh, N.C.
Brent E. Walling, Champaign, Ill.
Stephanie White-Hunt, Morristown, N.J.
Charles E. Wood, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Bevin Zimmerman, Galloway, Ohio.
Veterinary Anatomic Pathology
Allison Billings, Arlington, Va.
Tricia M. Bisby, Downers Grove, Ill.
Oliver Coldrick, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom.
Roberta Di Terlizzi, Glenolden, Pa.
Bente Flatland, Knoxville, Tenn.
Bridget C. Garner, Columbia, Mo.
Britton J.P. Grasperge, Baton Rouge, La.
Shannon J. Hostetter, Nevada, Iowa.
Eric Morissette, Archer, Fla.
Maria C.M. Parrula, Columbus, Ohio.
Lila Ramaiah, New Brunswick, N.J.
Janelle S. Renschler, Jacksonville, N.C.
Casey M. Riegel, Keller, Texas.
Kate Sherry, Ware, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
Robert S. Simoni Jr., Quaker Hill, Conn.
Emmeline O. Tan, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Marjorie J. Williams, Mount Dora, Fla.
Brenda M. Yamamoto, Columbus, Ohio.
Allison Vitsky, San Diego, received dual certification in veterinary anatomic and clinical pathology.
Veterinary Clinical Pathology
AVMA board, HOD convene during leadership conference
Resolutions proposing a membership dues increase, the appropriate acquisition of random-source dogs and cats, and a national plan for swine disease surveillance were approved by members of the AVMA House of Delegates when they convened Jan. 9 in Chicago for the regular winter session of the HOD.
The HOD session was held in conjunction with the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference, which ran Jan. 8–10. More than 400 veterinary professionals attended the gathering. Updates on the AVMA's financial health and strategic initiatives were offered during the VLC along with workshops aimed at enhancing knowledge and leadership skills.
The AVMA Executive Board also met Jan. 8. The board approved the formation of the AVMA 20/20 Vision Commission. The commission is charged with creating a vision for the AVMA that incorporates what is needed to position the Association as a flexible and dynamic association, one that is increasingly relevant and responsive to the membership and the public in the future. It is anticipated that the commission will be appointed by May 1, 2010.
The board approved establishing the Task Force on AVMA Programs for Students and Recent Graduates. The group will aid the AVMA in reviewing current programs and developing a strategic plan for the Association's involvement with veterinary students and recent graduates. The task force also provides an additional route for recent graduates to become involved in the AVMA.
In addition, the board approved adopting the policy “Establishing Public Policy to Ensure Animal Well Being.” The policy supports crafting animal welfare standards through the legislative and regulatory processes because they allow opportunities for stakeholder engagement. The AVMA has concerns about the use of ballot initiatives to establish public policy on animal welfare issues, which are often complex and do not lend themselves to “yes” or “no” answers. The policy is posted at www.avma.org under “Policy” in the Reference section.
During the HOD session, 90 percent of the delegates supported a resolution that will increase dues for regular, associate, and affiliate mem-bers to $300 annually, beginning in 2011. This is up from $250 for regular and associate members and $225 for affiliates. Retired, educational, and recent graduate members will pay half as much in dues as will regular members. The $150 annual dues represent an increase of $25 for retired members and $40 for educational and recent graduate members.
The dues increase resolution, which was co-sponsored by the AVMA Executive Board and House Advisory Committee, authorizes an increase in annual dues for all but honor roll members, who will continue receiving free membership. Dues were last raised by $25 in 2004, and they were raised by the same amount in 2002. The increase is expected to generate $3.5 million yearly for the AVMA.
Two competing resolutions recommended revisions to the AVMA policy “Use of Random-Source Dogs and Cats for Research, Testing, and Education.”
The resolution submitted by the New Jersey, Virginia, and Pennsylvania VMAs suggested amending the policy to state that entities are not to use class B dealers to acquire animals for research, testing, and education.
The American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners submitted an alternative resolution that proposed revising the policy to accept the use of class B dealers only when viable alternatives aren't available. Moreover, the resolution urged active support of efforts to find other sources and ultimately eliminate the need for class B dealers in acquiring animals for research, testing, and education.
Delegates approved both resolutions, but parliamentary procedures dictate that the last action on an issue is the official position of the Association, meaning the resolution submitted by ASLAP is the AVMA policy. The revised policy “Use of Random-Source Dogs and Cats for Research, Testing, and Education” is available at www.avma.org under “Policy” in the Reference section.
In addition, the HOD unanimously voted in favor of a resolution proposed by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians that supports development of a comprehensive disease surveillance plan for the nation's swine.
Enjoy Southern hospitality at AVMA convention
The 147th AVMA Annual Convention will be held July 31–Aug. 3 at the Georgia World Congress Center, in downtown Atlanta. Registration is open at www.avmaconvention.org.
Attendees can enjoy Southern hospitality while earning up to 40 hours of continuing education credit featuring 50-minute educational sessions, interactive labs, and hands-on computer classes. Some convention attendees have asked for even more advanced sessions, so there will be over 100 Beyond the Basics sessions available in the specialty sections. To search the full listing of CE sessions, use the CE Session Finder and Itinerary Planner, which is accessible from the “Education” drop-down menu.
Special convention events will include the Hill's Opening Session speaker, the Merial Concert Series, veterinary school alumni receptions, the veterinary technician reception, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation's Night at the Aquarium, and the 5k walk/run. The Foundation will sponsor a voluntourism project to rehab an Atlanta animal shelter.
Advance registration rates are available through May 3 and preconvention rates from May 4–June 30. Full registration fees apply from July 2–Aug 3. Register now to save money and get first choice of interactive labs and hotels.
Use the convention Web site registration link for secure online registration and housing reservations.
New courses available on AVMA Ed
Twenty new courses have been added to AVMA Ed, the Association's online continuing education site.
Subjects newly offered in companion animal medicine include emergency and critical care, internal medicine, and orthopedics. Topics relating to bovine, equine, and swine medicine are now also available.
All 20 articles are based on JAVMA scientific reports published over the past year. Users can obtain CE credit by reading the article and completing a test on the report's contents.
Course fees are $20 per CE hour or article for AVMA members and $30 for nonmembers; AVMA Ed is free to student members of the AVMA.
To purchase a course, log in at www.avmaed.org, click on a category to find a specific course, and click “Purchase” next to the course title. First-time users will need to complete a brief registration.
Comments solicited for loan repayment program
Feedback is being solicited before the launch of a federal government program intended to fill a shortage of veterinarians working in needed areas.
The Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture issued two Federal Register notices in late January, the first soliciting comments for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program application process and the second calling for state animal health officials to nominate veterinary shortage situations within their respective states for eligibility.
The VMLRP was authorized by the National Veterinary Medical Service Act passed by Congress more than seven years ago. The program will help qualified veterinarians offset a substantial portion of their educational debt in return for service in certain high-priority veterinary shortage situations.
The first notice gives the public 60 days—or until March 22—to comment on the proposed application forms and program reporting requirements for the VMLRP that will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for review and approval. Anyone interested may submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal, www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments, or e-mail vmlrp@nifa.usda.gov. Include the text “VMLRP Application Forms” in the subject line of the message.
The second notice solicits nominations from state animal health officials to identify underserved geographic and practice areas within their respective states. They have 45 days—or until March 8—to submit their nominations. Once selected, designated shortage areas eligible for placement of a VMLRP recipient will be published by the USDA in the Federal Register.
Only designated shortage areas will be eligible for veterinarians receiving loan repayment. Three states—California, Colorado, and Texas—may each submit eight nominations. Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin may each submit seven. All other states range from two to six nominations. Most of the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia are limited to one nomination each.
It is expected that on April 30, the Federal Register will publish the call for applications for the VMLRP. Applicants then will have 60 days to apply for the program. Offers to selected individuals will be made by Sept. 30.
Groups assist Haiti with earthquake recovery
Animal and public health are among the concerns in Haiti after the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake. Outside assistance has been coming from U.S. and international groups with expertise in animal welfare, veterinary medicine, agricultural development, and disaster response.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare and World Society for the Protection of Animals created the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti to help respond to animal issues following the earthquake. The AVMA and American Veterinary Medical Foundation are members of the coalition, with the AVMF providing a monetary donation.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, as of 2007, Haiti had nearly 6 million poultry and more than 5 million livestock—the latter of which were mostly goats, cattle, and pigs. Haiti also has a large population of semi-feral dogs, according to ARCH.
By late January, the ARCH team was on the ground in Haiti and providing assistance ranging from veterinary care for animals with injuries to vaccinations and other efforts to prevent outbreaks of diseases such as rabies. At press time, the ARCH team was working with the Haitian government and international agencies to define immediate animal issues and identify options for long-term improvements to animal health and welfare.
Dr. Heather Case, AVMA coordinator for emergency preparedness and response, said the AVMA stood by to organize collection of veterinary supplies from U.S. donors, if necessary. Dr. Case said, “This is going to be an ongoing recovery process, months in the making.”
Before the earthquake, the Christian Veterinary Mission and Heifer International were among the groups with longstanding development programs in Haiti relevant to animal health and agriculture.
The Christian Veterinary Mission has worked with Haitians since the early 1980s, providing programs such as training in animal health for villagers. The mission's three long-term fieldworkers in Haiti survived the earthquake, and the mission has established a fund for them to use in their response efforts.
Heifer International has been in Haiti for a decade. The group has 16 agricultural development projects under way, from giving gifts of livestock to training in aquaculture, involving thousands of families and several farmer associations. Heifer is raising money for a recovery and rebuilding effort in response to the earthquake.
The IFAW, WSPA, AVMF, Christian Veterinary Mission, and Heifer International are accepting monetary donations through their Web sites: www.ifaw.org, www.wspa-usa.org, www.avmf.org, www.cvmusa.org, and www.heifer.org.
The U.S. government also sent veterinary personnel to Haiti to assist with humanitarian relief efforts.
The Department of Health and Human Services activated the National Disaster Medical System and U.S. Public Health Service, which in turn deployed veterinarians as part of interdisciplinary response teams.
The U.S. Army deployed the 43rd Medical Detachment (Veterinary Services) to Haiti in support of Operation Unified Response. The mission of the detachment includes inspecting humanitarian rations, evaluating local sources of food and water for safety, conducting programs in veterinary preventive medicine, and providing medical care for working dogs.
Anesthesiologists update monitoring recommendations
The American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists has updated its guidelines for monitoring anesthetized veterinary patients. The document now includes sections on body temperature, neuromuscular blockade, and recovery period as well as a section on monitoring sedated patients.
The ACVA developed its original recommendations on anesthetic monitoring in 1994, and the JAVMA published them in 1995. The old and new guidelines cover the topics of circulation, oxygenation, ventilation, record keeping, and personnel.
The benchmark for measuring a successful anesthetic outcome has shifted from a lack of anesthetic mortality toward a decrease in anesthetic morbidity, according to the ACVA statement prefacing the 2009 guidelines. More objective definition and earlier detection of pathophysiologic conditions such as hypotension, hypoxemia, and severe hypercapnia have facilitated the shift toward minimizing anesthetic morbidity. Skillful, attentive personnel have incorporated newer monitoring methods during anesthesia.
The ACVA recognizes that it is possible to monitor and manage anesthetized patients without special equipment and that some of the methods in the guidelines could be impractical in certain clinical settings. The ACVA does not suggest that using any or all the recommended methods will ensure any specific patient outcome or that failure to use them will result in poor outcome. The goal of the ACVA guidelines is to improve anesthesia care for veterinary patients.
The updated recommendations for anesthetic monitoring are available from the ACVA Web site at www.acva.org by scrolling over “Professional Links” and then selecting “Position Statements” from the drop-down menu.
