Thanks to Gillian.

Center for Infectious Disease Research And Policy

CDC, CSTE release online H5N1 readiness course

May 15, 2007 (CIDRAP News) - The US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and the Council of State and Territorial
Epidemiologists (CSTE) today released a 3-day online course to teach
state and local public health officials how to respond to human
cases of H5N1 avian influenza.

The course, titled "CDC/CSTE Rapid Response Training: The Role of
Public Health in a Multi-Agency Response to Avian Influenza in the
United States," is available on the CSTE Web site. It consists of six
modules that cover surveillance, case management, personal protective
equipment, poultry farm investigation, management and public health
action, and laboratory issues. The downloadable materials
includelectures, presentations, case studies, tabletop exercises,
and other items.

Jennifer Lemmings, deputy director of programs for the CSTE, told
CIDRAP News the materials are freely available to individuals or
groups and are designed to meet the multidisciplinary needs of a wide
range of public health professionals. Though the course is intended
to provide 3 days of group instruction, the modules can be shortened
or modified to meet the needs of different public health workers.

The online course was developed from courses that the CDC and CSTE
conducted early this year in Washington, DC, Denver, and Atlanta. A
key component of the training is coordination between veterinary and
human public health agencies at all governmental levels, the CDC said
in a press release today.

"The unique aspect of the training is that it brings together human
and animal health professionals, who would work together as part of a
multidisciplinary response to an avian influenza threat," said Joshua
Mott, an epidemiologist in the CDC's influenza division who led the
course development. "Importantly, this training also teaches public
health response skills that are applicable to other emerging
diseases."

The CDC and CSTE developed the online curriculum with educators at
the North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness. Support
for the regional courses and the online adaptation came from a $2
million grant from the CDC.

No human or avian infections with the lethal strain of H5N1 have been
reported in North America. Birds in 58 countries have tested positive
for the virus, while 12 countries have reported human H5N1 cases.

See also:

CDC-CSTE training course
[37]http://www.cste.org/Influenza/avian.asp

May 15 CDC press release
[38]http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/r070515.htm

Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy
[39]Academic Health Center -- [40]University of Minnesota
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