Epidemic Intelligence Service Officers to Meet in OKC

Epidemic Intelligence Service officers from across the country will be in Oklahoma City on Thursday for a regional conference.

About 15 Epidemic Intelligence Service officers will provide scientific presentations on epidemiologic investigations conducted this past year. Topics will include hepatitis B in correctional settings, tuberculosis contact identification, botulism related to cosmetic injections of botulinum toxin, traumatic brain injury surveillance, Rocky Mountain spotted fever investigation and control efforts, and West Nile virus infection.

The program is sponsored by Centers for Disease Control and includes a two-year postgraduate program of service and on-the-job training in the practice of epidemiology for health professionals. Epidemic Intelligence Service officers are assigned to health departments and the Centers for Disease Control to conduct disease outbreak investigations, public health surveillance activities and statistical analyses.

The conference is scheduled from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. Thursday at the Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library on the OU Health Sciences Center campus. Conference sponsors include the Oklahoma State Department of Health, the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control.

More information is available from Sue Mallonee, director of Scientific Affairs at the Oklahoma State Department of Health, 271- 4200 or www.health.state.ok.us.