Avian Influenza Seminar in Atlanta Now Sponsored by Nine Organizations; Most Speakers Finalized - US - The Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS) is pleased to recognize the financial supporters of the second professional series seminar offered by the organization. The FASS seminar, entitled “Avian Influenza: The Emerging Global Impact,” will be held in Atlanta, GA on April 29, 2005 at the Hilton Atlanta.

Most speakers to the event, representing academia, government, and industry, have now been finalized, and the initial response to the event has been very favorable. The seminar is expected to draw attendees from scientific, government, extension, veterinary, producer, and commodity groups. FASS is pleased to announce the following financial supporters:

• United Egg Producers
• Intervet, Inc.
• Schering-Plough Animal Health
• IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.
• Merial Select
• Fort Dodge Animal Health
• American Association of Avian Pathologists
• Charles River SPAFAS, Inc.
• Cobb-Vantress, Inc.

This second one-day event in the professional seminar series from FASS will address a hot topic for industry, academia, and consumer: avian influenza. Planned to draw upon the concentrated poultry industry in the Southeastern U.S., this event will pack brief presentations, ranging from Federal policy overview to human cross-over of the disease to international trade dimensions, into a full one-day event. Speakers at the event will include

• Jack Shere, USDA-APHIS-VS, Associate Director, Western Region

• Fidelis N. Hegngi, USDA-APHIS-VS, Senior Staff Veterinarian, National Animal Health Policy and Programs Certification and Control Team (Poultry Programs)

• David E. Swayne, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Laboratory Director

• Dennis Senne, National Veterinary Services Laboratory

• Nathaniel L. Tablante, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland

• Annette Whiteford, Director of Animal Health and Food Safety Services, California Department of Food and Agriculture

• T. J. Myers, USDA-APHIS

• Bruce Stewart-Brown, Vice President of Food Safety and Quality, Perdue Farms, Inc.

• Susan Trock, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

• Jacqueline Katz (Keynote Speaker), Chief, Immunology and Viral Pathogenesis Section, Influenza Branch, Centers for Disease Control

Additional speakers will yet be added to the program, and updates to the agenda can be viewed at www.fass.org/seminars/avian.

Source: The Federation of Animal Science Societies - 16th February 2005