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Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Scientific Symposium

On Thursday, April 25, 2024, ASTHO hosted a virtual symposium to facilitate a discussion between public health leaders and scientists driving the U.S. government’s response to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The event was moderated by ASTHO CEO Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH, and featured leaders from ASTHO, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, and federal partners.

The focus of the event was:

  • Highlighting current science and epidemiology of HPAI.
  • Providing an overview of the current outbreak.
  • Outlining potential actions for averting or managing further spread or crossover.
  • Identifying scientific areas requiring additional investigation and guidance.

Symposium Recording

Agenda

HPAI Symposium 2024 Agenda
10 - 10:10 a.m. ET

Welcome remarks

Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH, ASTHO CEO

10:10 - 10:35 a.m. ET

Panel 1 | Epidemiology of HPAI in Cattle

Presenter

  • Rosemary Sifford, DVM, Deputy Administrator, Chief Veterinary Officer, USDA

Panelists

  • Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA, State Health Officer & Assistant Secretary for Public Health, North Carolina Division of Public Health
  • Scott Harris, MD, MPH, ASTHO President-Elect; State Health Officer, Alabama Department of Public Health
  • Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Executive, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services
  • Marcus Plescia, MD, MPH, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer
  • Carlos del Rio, MD, FIDSA, Immediate Past President, IDSA; Professor of Medicine,  Emory University School of Medicine; Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University
  • Catherine M. Brown, DVM, MSc, MPH, State Epidemiologist and State Public Health Veterinarian at Massachusetts Department of Public Health
  • Christine Hahn, MD, Medical Director, Idaho Division of Public Health
  • Ruth Lynfield, MD, State Epidemiologist, State of Minnesota
  • Zack Moore, MD, MPH, State Epidemiologist, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
10:35 - 11 a.m. ET

Panel 2 | Epidemiology of HPAI Among Humans Exposed to Cattle

Presenter

  • Sonja Olsen, PhD, Associate Director, Preparedness and Response, Influenza Division, CDC

Panelists

  • Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Executive, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services
  • Scott Harris, MD, MPH, ASTHO President-Elect; State Health Officer, Alabama Department of Public Health
  • Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA, State Health Officer & Assistant Secretary for Public Health, North Carolina Division of Public Health
  • Marcus Plescia, MD, MPH, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer
  • Shira Doron, MD, Practice & Quality Committee, IDSA; Attending Physician and Hospital Epidemiologist, Tufts Medical Center; Chief Infection Control Officer, Tufts Medicine; Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine
  • Christine Hahn, MD, Medical Director, Idaho Division of Public Health
  • Catherine M. Brown, DVM, MSc, MPH, State Epidemiologist and State Public Health Veterinarian at Massachusetts Department of Public Health
  • Ruth Lynfield, MD, State Epidemiologist, State of Minnesota
  • Zack Moore, MD, MPH, State Epidemiologist, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
11 - 11:25 a.m. ET

Panel 3 | Virus Characterization and Assessing Public Health Countermeasures

Presenter

  • Vivien Dugan, PhD, Director, Influenza Division, CDC

Panelists

  • Marcus Plescia, MD, MPH, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer
  • Scott Harris, MD, MPH, ASTHO President-Elect; State Health Officer, Alabama Department of Public Health
  • Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Executive, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services
  • Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA, State Health Officer & Assistant Secretary for Public Health, North Carolina Division of Public Health
  • Andrew Pavia, MD, Chief, Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease; George and Esther Gross Presidential Professor; University of Utah; Director of Hospital Epidemiology and Associate Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship, Primary Children's Medical Center; former board member, IDSA
  • Ruth Lynfield, MD, State Epidemiologist, State of Minnesota
  • Catherine M. Brown, DVM, MSc, MPH, State Epidemiologist and State Public Health Veterinarian at Massachusetts Department of Public Health
  • Christine Hahn, MD, Medical Director, Idaho Division of Public Health
  • Zack Moore, MD, MPH, State Epidemiologist, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
11:25 - 11:35 a.m. ET

Break

11:35 a.m. - 12 p.m. ET

Panel 4 | Development of HPAI Countermeasures

Presenter

  • David Boucher, PhD, Director, Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response
  • Michael Ison, MD, MS, Respiratory Diseases Branch Chief, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH

Panelists

  • Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA, State Health Officer & Assistant Secretary for Public Health, North Carolina Division of Public Health
  • Scott Harris, MD, MPH, ASTHO President-Elect; State Health Officer, Alabama Department of Public Health
  • Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Executive, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services
  • Marcus Plescia, MD, MPH, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer
  • Andrew Pavia, MD, Chief, Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease; George and Esther Gross Presidential Professor; University of Utah; Director of Hospital Epidemiology and Associate Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship, Primary Children's Medical Center; former board member, IDSA
  • Ruth Lynfield, MD, State Epidemiologist, State of Minnesota
  • Catherine M. Brown, DVM, MSc, MPH, State Epidemiologist and State Public Health Veterinarian at Massachusetts Department of Public Health
  • Christine Hahn, MD, Medical Director, Idaho Division of Public Health
  • Zack Moore, MD, MPH, State Epidemiologist, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
12 - 12:25 p.m. ET

Panel 5 | Evaluation of Milk Safety

Speaker

  • Donald A. Prater, DVM, Acting Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA

Presenter

  • Scott Harris, MD, MPH, ASTHO President-Elect; State Health Officer, Alabama Department of Public Health
  • Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Executive, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services
  • Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA, State Health Officer & Assistant Secretary for Public Health, North Carolina Division of Public Health
  • Marcus Plescia, MD, MPH, ASTHO Chief Medical Officer
  • Carmen Rexach, MD, Public Policy & Advocacy Committee, IDSA; Professor, Mt. San Antonio College
  • Zack Moore, MD, MPH, State Epidemiologist, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
  • Catherine M. Brown, DVM, MSc, MPH, State Epidemiologist and State Public Health Veterinarian at Massachusetts Department of Public Health
  • Christine Hahn, MD, Medical Director, Idaho Division of Public Health
  • Ruth Lynfield, MD, State Epidemiologist, State of Minnesota
12:25 - 12:30 p.m. ET

Closing remarks

Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH, ASTHO CEO

Symposium Speakers

Moderator

Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH

Chief Executive Officer, ASTHO
Alum-LA

Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, MPH

Chief Medical Executive, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services

David Boucher, PhD

Director, Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response

Catherine M. Brown, DVM, MSc, MPH

State Epidemiologist and State Public Health Veterinarian at Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Carlos del Rio, MD, FIDSA

Immediate Past President, Infectious Diseases Society of America

Shira Doron, MD

Practice & Quality Committee, Infectious Diseases Society of America

Vivien Dugan, PhD

Director, Influenza Division, CDC

Christine Hahn, MD

Medical Director, Idaho Division of Public Health

Scott Harris, MD, MPH

State Health Officer, Alabama Department of Public Health

Michael Ison, MD, MS

Respiratory Diseases Branch Chief, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH

Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA

State Health Officer & Assistant Secretary for Public Health, North Carolina Division of Public Health

Ruth Lynfield, MD

State Epidemiologist, State of Minnesota

Zack Moore, MD, MPH

State Epidemiologist, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

Sonja Olsen, PhD

Associate Director for Preparedness and Response, Influenza Division, CDC

Andrew Pavia, MD

Past Board Member, Infectious Disease Society of America

Marcus Plescia, MD

Chief Medical Officer, ASTHO

Donald A. Prater, DVM

Acting Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA

Carmen Rexach, MD

Public Policy & Advocacy Committee, Infectious Disease Society of America

Rosemary Sifford, DVM

Deputy Administrator, Chief Veterinary Officer, USDA