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Taking a Cue from Vets

Seeking advice from veterinarians about what ails humans might seem a bit peculiar, but scientists say we've got to start doing just that if we want to avoid future pandemics.

Diseases such as HIV, Bird flu, West Nile virus and mad cow are all examples of how viruses have jumped from animals to humans in recent decades, with deadly results. At a symposium sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in February, infectious disease experts said cross-species pathogens have been emerging at a rate of one or two per year over the past 25 years, which is how long it's been since doctors identified HIV as the virus that causes AIDS.

Scientists are now urging greater cooperation and communication among those who monitor animal and human diseases, particularly since cross-species illnesses are often first noticed by veterinarians. Until we break down the divide between agencies that handle human health and those that handle animal health, we won't be equipped to prevent these diseases from spreading, experts warn.

For more information on this issue, go to www.aaas.org.

For the most recent information on prevention of mad cow disease, go to http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/bse.html.

For the most recent information on the avian flu, go to http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/.

For information on West Nile virus and how to prevent it go to http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/.

To learn more about acrylamide in foods, go to www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2005/np06/en/index.html, www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2005/100102/index.html or www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1986413,00.html.