Veterinarians and Other Volunteers Sought for Avian Influenza Response Teams
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is responding with expertise in epidemiology and laboratory diagnostics, as well as field experience in the eradication of avian influenza and exotic Newcastle disease. The APHIS plan includes developing a list of experts available for four types of assignments:
- teams, to travel to countries experiencing outbreaks of avian influenza as part of a broader U.S. government team, for one to two weeks
- teams and individuals, to build international capacity for responding to outbreaks of avian influenza, for one to three weeks
- individuals, overseas assignments, for four to six months
- individuals, overseas assignments, for one to two years
Veterinarians and other volunteers can express interest by e-mailing Dr. Jennifer Grannis or Dr. Percy Hawkes. Drs. Grannis and Hawkes will contact volunteers to obtain information for the list of experts. The USDA will cover all the costs of the assignments.