Agenda

Due to the evolving nature of infectious diseases, environmental changes, and the easiness of global travel, the nature of newly emerging disease is increasingly transnational and is disproportionately zoonotic (diseases that can be transmitted to humans). Thus, we need to detect not only emerging disease, but zoonotic disease outbreaks, which depend on establishing effective new partnerships between disciplines, institutions, and nations. There are a number of executive branch agencies with programs in place to help developing countries monitor the outbreak of infectious disease and to provide the U.S. with early warning of potential public health emergencies. These programs were most recently reviewed by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). This hearing will examine the results of the GAO report, assess the effectiveness of the U.S.-funded programs to assist other countries in monitoring emerging infectious disease and how those programs help the U.S. provide early warning of imminent public health threats, and work being done by the animal health community to identify emerging zoonotic disease.

Witnesses

Panel 1

• Mr.  David Gootnick

  Director

  International Affairs and Trade, Government Accountability Office
  Download Testimony (1406k)
  
• Dr.  Ray Arthur

  Director

  Global Disease Detection Operations Center, Centers for Disease Control
  Download Testimony (70k)
  
• Dr.  Kimothy Smith

  Director

  National Biosurveillance Integration Center, Department of Homeland Security
  Download Testimony (40k)
  
• Colonel  Ralph L. Erickson

  Director

  Global Emerging Infections System, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Department of Defense
  Download Testimony (231k)
  
• Dr.  Kent Hill

  Assistant Administrator for Global Health

  Agency for International Development (USAID)
  Download Testimony (37k)
  

Panel 2

• Mr.  Nathan Flesness

  Executive Director

  International Species Information System
  Download Testimony (42k)
  
• Dr.  Daniel Janies

  Assistant Professor

  Department of Biomedical Informatics, Ohio State University Medical Center
  Download Testimony (12k)
  
• Dr.  James Wilson V

  Director

  Division of Integrated Biodefense, Imaging Science and Information System Center, Georgetown University
  Download Testimony (36k)