Spring/Summer 2012 Aesculapian Magazine - University of Georgia ...

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A History of the Epidemic Intelligence Service 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 1951- Threat of biological warfare, EIS started 1955- Polio epidemic 1957- Asian flu “Veterinarians exist in large part for human health because animals serve human needs.” It is becoming more common to see veterinarians working in state health departments, international organizations and federal agencies alongside physicians Laura Edison (DVM ‘03) on a veterinary externship in South Africa. 1961- Cancer cluster 1966- Smallpox eradication 1968- Malnutrition and famine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Photo courtesy of Laura Edison 21 1971- Lead exposure 1974- Vinyl chloride 1976- Lassa fever, Ebola, Legionnaire’s Disease 1978- Reye Syndrome The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine 1980- Toxic shock syndrome 1981- HIV/AIDS, Toxic-Oil Syndrome 1984- Intentional food poisoning 1987- HIV seroprevalence survey 1989- Eosinophilia- Myalgia Syndrome 1992- Hurricane Andrew 1993- E. coli 1994- Cryptosporidium in drinking water 1995- Kidney failure in Haitian children 1999- West Nile Virus 2000- Bioterrorism 2001- 9/11, anthrax 2003- SARS 2005- Hurricane Katrina 2009- H1N1 and scientists, identifying and responding to disease outbreaks. While the first veterinarian was accepted into EIS in 1953, the number of veterinarians in the program remained low until recent decades. Now, the odds are good that your state epidemiologist or veterinarian went through EIS. About half of state epidemiologists are EIS graduates, and most veterinarians working at CDC now — there are around 80 — got their start in EIS, according to Hamilton. Laura Edison (DVM ’03) began working at the CDC after seven years of clinical practice, and will begin EIS in the summer with Laura Adams. An externship during veterinary school in which she shadowed several public health veterinarians, most of whom were EIS grads, sparked her interest in public health, but she wanted to practice clinical medicine before making the switch. While earning her MPH at Emory, she worked in the National Center for Environmental Health and the One Health office. “I think the MPH coupled with the veterinary
training gives us an edge over MDs coming straight out of residency,” says Edison. “The MPH exposed me to the wide range of opportunities in public health and showed me how our diverse training as veterinarians can apply to so many different areas.” With growing concerns over emerging zoonotic infections, bioterrrorism and food safety, veterinary schools and public agencies are beginning to recognize the value of having veterinarians on the public health team. At least 10 of the country’s 28 veterinary schools offer dual degree DVM/MPH programs, including UGA, making the decision to become a public health veterinarian easier in terms of cost and time spent in school. “I would probably have made the switch five years earlier if the path had been there,” says Daley. Learning by doing EIS might bring to mind images of the movie Contagion, in which Kate Winslet portrayed an EIS officer in the midst of a deadly outbreak; the reality is a less dramatic, but just as vital in protecting the health of the population. Officers in the program do more than take classes; they apply their skills in real-world situations. Veterinarians were on the front lines during the H1N1 epidemic and have investigated everything from multidrug resistant tuberculosis to human plague to a rabid hippo in Kenya. While most veterinarians in EIS lean toward zoonotic diseases, they aren’t limited to any one area or division. Daley worked in environmental health during his time in EIS, responding to natural disasters and environmentallyinduced illnesses like lead exposure in Russian children and chemical exposure on a Sioux reservation. Carpenter participated in one of the first campaigns to distribute flu vaccines in a Tennessee school system. EIS officers also have the opportunity to impact policy, one of the most effective tools used to improve public health, through their investigations, particularly for foodborne illness — such as incorrect product labeling or inadequate monitoring of production. “Working in public health allows me to actually affect public policy,” says Kirk Smith, “and that’s very gratifying.” Most of the veterinarians who graduate from EIS stay with local and state health departments, or continue to work for the CDC. A few go into academia, but it is rare for any to go back into private veterinary practice once they’ve had a taste of working from a population standpoint. Whether they go straight into public health or practice before switching career trajectories, there’s no doubt that veterinarians play an essential role in improving the health and safety of people and animals. “Working in public health gives you an idea of just how many things you actually touch as a veterinarian,” says Edison. For More InForMatIon For more information on EIS, visit www.cdc.gov/eis Aesculapian Spring/Summer 2012 22
Page 1 and 2: Aesculapian Vol. 12 , No. 2 College
Page 3 and 4: Image courtesy of Fred Quinn Cabern
Page 5 and 6: Jackwood now heads Department of Po
Page 7 and 8: Photo by Flint Buchanan get consist
Page 9 and 10: Photos by Sue Myers Smith D o n ’
Page 11 and 12: Photo courtesy of Natalie Toney bee
Page 13 and 14: news froM The VeTerinary Teaching h
Page 15 and 16: Photo by Sue Myers Smith Photos and
Page 17 and 18: Livingston and Seifarth enjoy their
Page 19 and 20: Jacky Fortier pours a glass of Moun
Page 21: Photo by Christopher B. Herron grad
Page 25 and 26: 2012 Phi Zeta Veterinary Honor Soci
Page 27 and 28: CVM students selected for bovine ex
Page 29 and 30: will help expose students to not on
Page 31 and 32: Soyoung Kwon First graduate of the
Page 33 and 34: Steve Budsberg, Karen Cornell, Mary
Page 35 and 36: Glisson to lead U.S. Poultry Founda
Page 37 and 38: The most widely used diagnostic tes
Page 39 and 40: Growing challenges Vaccination may
Page 41 and 42: A new president: Dr. Flynn Nance Dr
Page 43 and 44: Dr. Heather Wilson Barron (DVM ’9
Page 45 and 46: Mueller and Waggoner win 2012 Frate
Page 47 and 48: Why I give: Edith Martin Rogers My

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