As part of a SEER Lab’s long-term research partnership in Vietnam, Dr. Jason Blackburn participated as an invited guest panelist for the most recent meeting of the Vietnam One Health University Network (VOHUN) One Health Biorisk Management Series. Dr. Blackburn joined over 150 participants from 21 countries. The focus of the workshop was on brucellosis, a zoonotic disease of livestock and wildlife that affects humans.
At the panel, Dr. Blackburn spoke on the distribution, diagnostic challenges, control measures, and risk behaviors associated with the disease. Brucellosis is one of the most widespread and prevalent zoonoses worldwide but its distribution within many countries – including Vietnam – is unknown. Dr. Blackburn has studied brucellosis since 2006, working on studies in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in the US. Zoonoses require a joint public and veterinary health response to control and reduce burden in both human and animal populations. Dr. Blackburn has been working on brucellosis in Vietnam for the past 3 years and is now leading a a 5-year project with human and veterinary health specialists in Vietnam focused on the northern provinces.
Links:
SEER Lab
Dr. Jason Blackburn
Vietnam One Health University Network (VOHUN) One Health Biorisk Management Series
Emerging Pathogens Institute