Dr. Petersen discusses bird flu concerns and monitoring on Iowa Public Radio
A description of the episode:
“Iowa has seen two bird flu outbreaks in poultry flocks so far this year, and it has spread to at least seven dairy herds in the state. On this episode of River to River, the growing concerns of H5N1 bird flu locally and across the U.S.”
Dr. Petersen comments on Iowa’s active tick season with The Gazette
An excerpt from this article:
“Hotter weather and a wet spring — ideal weather for ticks to reproduce — are among the reasons this tick season is worse, said Dr. Christine Petersen, an epidemiology professor at the University of Iowa.”
Dr. Petersen Comments on the Spread of Leishmania infantum
Excerpts from this article:
“In countries battling outbreaks of visceral leishmaniasis, dogs are considered “the main reservoir” of the parasite. Now a boom in recent years of dog arrivals from abroad, either through travel, adoptions or moving, has raised concerns of this parasite’s spread.
“All of us have been fielding these calls from state public health veterinarians, from Army veterinarians, that are trying to figure out what to do,” said Christine Petersen, director of the University of Iowa’s Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases.”
From mother to child, passing on disease.
Excerpts from this article:
“Chagas’ disease and Leishmaniasis are parasitic diseases found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. In addition, Leishmaniasis also is found in some parts of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and southern Europe. Blood-sucking insects are blamed for transmitting both diseases.”
“Research involving infected dogs proved that Leishmaniasis could pass across the placenta, something that was considered possible by some medical doctors and veterinarians but not widely accepted. Petersen and other UI researchers were the first to confirm five years ago that Leishmaniasis could be passed congenitally.”
Study examines transmission of Leishmaniasis within the U.S.
Excerpts from this article:
“A recent study conducted by University of Iowa researchers indicates that Leishmaniasis- a tropical disease caused by infection with Leishmania parasites- can be transmitted from infected U.S. dogs to humans via the bite of infected sand flies.”
“Christine Petersen, associate professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Emerging and Infectious Diseases at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, served as corresponding author of the study. According to Petersen, the study shows that the U.S. strain of Leishmania doesn’t behave differently than the tropical version, and it can spread from infected U.S. dogs by an insect vector.”
University of Iowa is named Prevention Epicenter by the CDC.
Excerpts from this article:
“The UI team, led by Eli Perencevich, professor of internal medicine, will receive $2.2 million over three years from the CDC to develop and test interventions to prevent dangerous pathogens like Ebola, MRSA, and Clostridium difficile from spreading in hospitals.”
“In addition to Perencevich, the UI project co-investigators are Loreen Herwaldt, Philip Polgreen, Marin Schweizer, and Daniel Diekema.”
(Schweizer and Diekema are both faculty with the CEID)
“Through individual research projects and collaborative efforts, the six new Prevention Epicenters will focus on identifying innovations to better protect health care workers and patients from dangerous infectious diseases that can spread in health care settings. In addition to collaboration between the Prevention Epicenters, Perencevich notes that several of the UI projects also involve collaboration with partner hospitals and academic centers in Wisconsin and Nebraska.”
Kelly Baker’s “quest for clean water”.
Excerpts from this article:
“After Baker graduated, she was offered a fellowship with the University of Maryland’s Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS), one of the largest, most comprehensive studies of childhood diarrheal diseases ever conducted in developing country settings.”
“Another part of Baker’s work is exploring whether and how water and sanitation impact maternal and child health.”
“We’re in the process of completing a project in India where we’re exploring what the patterns of sanitation use are for women across the life course, and how it impacts their health,” Baker says. “In India, for a number of reasons, open defecation is rampant even where public toilets are available. For women, fear of violence is an issue.”
“Baker is collaborating with Safe Water Network, a non-governmental organization that partners with communities in Ghana and India to develop market-driven, financially sustainable, locally owned and managed water systems. Safe Water Network plans to conduct a heath-impact assessment, Baker explains, and her role is to help them understand when and how their programs are working.”