NJCPHP News PHlash
JULY 7 - JULY 20, 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. PREPAREDNESS NEWS
THE NEW JERSEY CENTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AT UMDNJ- SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
[1] CDC suspends A&M research on infectious diseases - The Dallas News (7/2/07)
[2] Get Ready For Disasters – CNNMoney (7/6/07)
[3] HHS Releases Preliminary Plan for Tracking Vaccine, Bioterror Countermeasure Development – RWJF (7/11/07)
[4] HHS to give states $430 million for hospital preparedness – CIDRAP News (7/11/07)
[5] USDA lab confirms low-path H5N1 strain in Virginia turkeys - CIDRAP News (7/17/07)
[6] HHS, DHS fund public health preparedness and emergency response – CIDRAP News (7/18/07)
II. UPCOMING EVENTS
[1] Understanding and Preventing Pertussis from the Cradle to the Grave: A Fresh Look Prevention, Accurate Diagnosis, Reporting and Treatment
[2] NIEHS and USDA Avian Influenza Conference
[3] Extreme Events II--Community Conversation on Preparedness: What About Us?
III. ANNOUNCEMENTS
[1] White House released the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan One Year Summary
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I. PREPAREDNESS NEWS
[1] CDC suspends A&M research on infectious diseases - The Dallas News (7/2/07)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has indefinitely suspended all of Texas A&M University's federally sanctioned research on the most dangerous infectious diseases after the university's failure to report two 2006 cases of human exposure to biological agents. In a memo sent to the university, the CDC questions whether A&M meets biosafety standards and has an appropriate security plan. The memo says CDC officials plan to revisit the campus in July, and it demands dozens of records and interviews with key researchers. The letter warns that the university could permanently lose the authority to work with select agents if researchers don't follow federal guidelines. In a statement, A&M interim President Eddie Davis said the university takes the matter seriously and intends to comply with federal rules. www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/healthscience/stories/DN-a&m_02tex.ART0.State.Edition1.432b913.html
[2] Get Ready For Disasters – CNNMoney (7/6/07)
According to a study commissioned by Office Depot, 71% of small-business employees work every day where there's no disaster plan. The problem is getting company leaders to stop and plan, says John Toigo, CEO of Toigo Partners International. "It's like telling people to floss," he told IBD. Toigo partnered with Office Depot to get the message out with "Expecting the Unexpected: Disaster Preparedness Strategies for Small Business," a planning tool at officedepot.com/getprepared . Too many people end up waiting for "the cavalry," said Darlene Sparks Washington, director of preparedness for the American Red Cross. She says a plan helps in less-than-disastrous situations. "With something as simple as a power outage, if a family doesn't have supplies, that employee is not as likely to be able to make it to work," Washington told IBD. money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/newstex/IBD-0001-17973029.htm. ODP Disaster webpage: www.officedepot.com/promo.do?file=/promo/disaster/main.jsp .
[3] HHS Releases Preliminary Plan for Tracking Vaccine, Bioterror Countermeasure Development – RWJF (7/11/07)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is developing a 13-point scale that will help officials monitor the development of countermeasures and vaccines to bolster bioterror and pandemic flu preparedness. The new Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale will assist officials in determining when countermeasures are eligible for funding from the federal Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). According to the latest draft of the BARDA Strategic Plan, released by HHS officials, TRL ratings will reflect a product's development milestones and will vary depending on the targeted threat. Officials will use separate TRL scales to assess diagnostic devices; product development tools; and chemical, biological, and radiological and nuclear medical countermeasures. www.rwjf.org/programareas/features/digest.jsp?c=EMC-ND141&pid=1141&id=5939
[4] HHS to give states $430 million for hospital preparedness – CIDRAP News (7/11/07)
This year's round of federal grants to states to help healthcare facilities prepare for public health emergencies totals $430 million, down from $450 million last year, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced recently. The grants are intended to help hospitals and other healthcare facilities cope with emergencies that could cause mass casualties, including bioterrorist attacks, infectious disease outbreaks, and natural disasters. HHS said this year's funds are to be used to develop or improve four activities: interoperable communications, systems to track available hospital beds, advance registration of volunteer health professionals, and planning for "fatality management and hospital evacuation." www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/jul1107hospital.html
[5] USDA lab confirms low-path H5N1 strain in Virginia turkeys – USDA, APHIS (7/17/07)
"USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) has confirmed that the North American strain of H5N1 virus was present in samples taken from turkeys in Virginia and is compatible with low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI). We can say for certain that this is not highly pathogenic H5N1 circulating in parts of Asia, Europe and Africa. LPAI is not a human health concern, is commonly found in birds and typically causes only minor sickness or no noticeable symptoms in birds. www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/content/2007/07/va_lpai_statement.shtml
[6] HHS, DHS fund public health preparedness and emergency response – CIDRAP News (7/18/07)
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it will provide states, US territories, and four metropolitan areas with $896.7 million in public health preparedness funding, with $175 million of the total earmarked for pandemic planning. The bulk of the money is allocated toward Public Health Emergency Cooperative Agreements, which public health departments use to build capacity. New Jersey will receive $22,337,726. www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/jul1807funding.html. HHS 7/17/07 press release: www.hhs.gov/news/press/2007pres/07/pr20070717c.html
II. UPCOMING EVENTS
[1] Understanding and Preventing Pertussis from the Cradle to the Grave: A Fresh Look Prevention, Accurate Diagnosis, Reporting and Treatment
When : Thursday, August 9, 2007 at 8:30 am – 3 pm
Where : Cumberland County College Conference Center, Vineland, NJ ( www.ccnj.edu )
For further information visit the NJ Learning Management Network ( https://njlmn.rutgers.edu) keyword "Pertussis," or contact Juana Canela at canelaju@umdnj.edu or 732-235-4958.
To register : Search on the NJ Learning Management Network ( https://njlmn.rutgers.edu) keyword "Pertussis"
[2] NIEHS and USDA Avian Influenza Conference ; Registration is Now Available Online
The NIEHS Worker Education and Training Program (WETP) and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will jointly sponsor an Avian Influenza Conference, themed, "Protecting Avian Influenza Responders" on September 16-19, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, Maryland. This conference will bring together agencies and organizations that may be involved in an AI response to discuss, coordinate, and participate in a practice exercise for such an incident. For additional information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.wetp.org/wetp/index.cfm?current=2346
[3] Extreme Events II--Community Conversation on Preparedness: What About Us?
When:
August 6, 2007; 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Location:
University at Albany School of Public Health, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY.
Keynote Speaker:
Georges Benjamin, MD, Executive Director, American Public Health Association
Workshops Include:
Disaster mental health preparedness; role of Faith-based communities; outreach to vulnerable communities.
Registration
starts at 8:30 am with opening remarks at 9:00 am. Lunch will be provided and program will end at 4:30 pm.
There is no cost for this conference but advanced registration is required.
Visit www.informz.net/ualbany-sph/event.asp?eid=2474 to register. Call 518.486.7921 or e-mail cphp@uamail.albany.edu if you need assistance.
III. ANNOUNCEMENTS
[1] White House released the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan One Year Summary – Public Health Law News, CDC (7/18/07)
The newly-released One Year Summary provides a detailed overview of the nation's efforts since the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan released last year. The summary states that 86% of the objectives the government set have been met. The summary is available at www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/nspi_oneyear.pdf .
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