Expert Speakers To Discuss Bird Flu Threat At Washington DC's Summit - WASHINGTON, DC - Chairman of the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme, Koos van der Velden, and Senior UN System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, Dr. David Nabarro, will be the opening speakers at the Bird Flu Summit starting Monday in Washington, DC.

Joining them will be bird flu experts from around the world to focus on the business-related issues in pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery at Washington, DC's first Bird Flu Summit to be held February 27-28, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City near Reagan National Airport.

The 2-day event, featuring public sector and private sector leaders addressing the bird flu threat, will be co-chaired by international healthcare advisor Dr. Joseph Agris (www.flulab.com), and will present collective approaches to pandemic influenza preparedness and business continuity planning.

Special emphasis will be placed on identifying the responsibilities of various takeholders in order to improve communications, coordination and collaboration worldwide.

Confirmed speakers and topics include:

Overview

Early warning and surveillance in Europe: are we ready?
Koos van der Velden, Chairman, European Influenza Surveillance Scheme

Coordinated Response to Avian Influenza Threat
Dr. David Nabarro CBE FRCP, Senior UN System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza United Nations, Development Group

Country Report and Situation Updates
Dr. Huseyin Avni Sahin, Chief Physician, Van Yuzuncu Yil Research Hopital, Turkey
Dr. Mircea Ioan Popa, Associate Professor in Microbiology, Adviser to the Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, Romania
Vladimir Savic, DVM, PhD, Associate Researcher, Poultry Center, Croatian Veterinary Institute, Zagreb, Croat

Avian influenza: Animals, Man and Pathogen
Alex Thiermann, President, Terrestrial Animal Health Code Commission, World Organization for Animal Health ( OIE )

Bird Flu Transmission to Humans May Be Higher Than Thought
Anna Thorson, M.D., Ph.D, Researcher, Division of International Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

Surveillance and Data Management
Michael Wagner, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Real-time Outbreak and Disease Surveillance ( RODS ) Laboratory
Veronica Urdaneta, State Epidemiologist and Division Director, Bureau of Epidemiology, Pennsylvania Department of Health
Marion A. Kainer MD, MPH, FRACP, Medical Epidemiologist, Communicable and Environmental Disease Services, Tennessee Deptartment of Health
Dr. Patricia Somsel, Director, Division of Infectious Disease, Bureau of Laboratories, Michigan Department of Community Health
Dr. Andrew Miller, Syndrome Reporting Information System ( SYRIS ) Product Manager ARES Corporation

Preparing Communities Strategies; Local Partnership and Participation

Mikel Herrington (Confirmed), Deputy Director, AmeriCorps
Tim Stephens, President, Rescobie Associates, Inc.
Sheriff James Hagy, Office of Sheriff, Law Enforcement Center, Frederick, MD
John Thompson, Deputy Executive Director, National Sheriffs Association

Critical Infrastructure Continuity
Dr. Tom McGinn, Sector Specialist, Public Health, Food and Agriculture, Department of Homeland Security

Vaccine Delivery
John Iskander, Project officer, Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, CDC
Dr. Andrea Gambotto, Asst. Professor of Surgery, Co-director, Vector Core Facility, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

The Aethlon Hemopurifier as a Treatment for Drug Resistant Avian Flu
James A. Joyce, Chairman, CEO, Aethlon Medical, Inc.

Emergency Response and Hospital/Health Care Coordination
John O. Davies-Cole, State Epidemiologist, Washington DC Department of Health
Dr. Sandra Schneider, Professor and Chair, University of Rochester

Playing Ostrich or Talking Turkey: Pre-Pandemic Risk Communication Strategies
Jody Lanard M.D., Risk Communication Specialist, Princeton, NJ, The Peter Sandman Risk Communication

Poultry Farms: The Frontline Fight Against Avian Flu
Dr. Bruce N. Stewart-Brown, Vice President, Food Safety and Quality, Perdue Farms
Dr. Steve Roney, Director, Veterinary Services, Gold Kist Inc.

Benefit-Risk Assessment: Public Health, Industry and Regulatory Perspectives
Brian T. Yeh, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division, Congressional Research Service
Doug Colwell, Director of Immunobiology, Antigen Express, Inc. ( Generex )
Stephen Aldrich, CEO, Bio Economic Research Associates (BIO-ERA)

The Effect of a Bird Flu Pandemic on the U.S. Life Insurance Industry
Dr. Steven Weisbart, Economist, Insurance Information Institute

Prevention Education Efforts and Risk Communication
Caroline Smith DeWaal, Director for Food Safety, Center for Science in the Public Interest

Antiviral Agents
C. Shane Arnold, Ph.D., Director, Peramivir Development, Research Biologist II, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Prospective speakers and attendees may register by calling the conference organizer, NewFields/USA, at 1-202-536-5000 or visiting www.new-fields.com/birdflu.

The 2-day event is open to all interested businesses and organizations from all countries. Those interested in making presentations related to the Bird Flu Summit contact Sandra by e-mail at [email protected].

To obtain further information about the conference, please contact our Washington DC office at 202.536.5000.

New Fields Exhibitions, Inc. is a leading emerging markets and business information provider, producing trade shows that produce results for companies worldwide. With offices in Washington, DC and overseas, the company provides marketing services in the areas of construction, energy, oil & gas, telecommunications and health care.

Source: New Fields Exhibitions, Inc - 24th February 2006