About the Symposium
The emergence of new diseases such as SARS highlighted the importance of looking at animal reservoirs in the protection of both humans and animals. Zoonotic diseases have become an increasingly important health topic in recent years. It is estimated that 60% of human pathogens are of zoonotic origin, 80% of animal pathogens are multi-host, and 75% of emerging diseases are zoonotic. Unfortunately, despite the fact that by nature zoonotic diseases affect animals and humans, there is a great need to enhance the communication and interaction between veterinarians, physicians, nurses and public health workers that allows for sharing of information on these diseases.
We truly hope that students will take advantage of this unique opportunity to collaborate with their peers in the health sciences. Students should come out of this weekend not only with a better understanding of diseases shared by humans and animals, but also with an appreciation for the necessity of partnerships between all health professionals in preventing and treating zoonoses and handling disease outbreaks.
Associate Dean for Public Policy,
Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine
To address those needs, the students at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine will be hosting the inaugural Zoonotic Diseases Symposium on February 6-8, 2009, supported by the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association and Veterinary Public Health Association at Cornell University.
This symposium is open to students currently obtaining their doctor of veterinary medicine, doctor of medicine, nursing and master of public health degrees, as well as undergraduate students that are interested in pursuing medical and public health studies, thereby allowing for a true "One Medicine" approach to this important issue. Furthermore, by fostering communication between the medical communities early in their education process, we hope to open lines of communication for future healthcare workers that will be essential for promoting the best control and prevention of zoonotic diseases.
VPHA is an independent student organization located at Cornell University and is responsible for the production and content of the Zoonotic Diseases Symposium website. This website was not reviewed or approved by Cornell University. It does not necessarily express or reflect the policies or opinions of Cornell University or its designated representatives.