Texas A&M, Chinese Agriculture Experts Establish Global One Health Exchange
Posted July 22, 2015
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – A team of faculty members from the
Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical
Sciences (CVM) and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (COALS)
left for China on July 11 to participate in the U.S.–China
Scientific Cooperation One Health Exchange Program. The objective
of the collaborative effort is to provide an opportunity for
leading researchers from both countries to establish new and
strengthen existing collaborations between Texas A&M and
institutions in China, which will lead to the development of future
mutually beneficial projects in the fields of veterinary
epidemiology and swine production and health.
As a result of China’s expanding economy, the production and
export of pork and pork products have become an area of increased
focus. With increased production comes the opportunity for
pathogens to enter the food supply. Participants in the program
will have the opportunity to share experiences related to effective
surveillance, prevention, and control of these pathogens,
particularly those of a One Health and zoonotic nature—meaning they
have the potential to adversely impact both human and animal
health.
“China is an ancient civilization with the One Health
concept embedded as an ancient wisdom,” said Dr. R. C. (Tammi)
Krecek, visiting professor at the CVM and interim assistant dean
for One Health. “I look forward to the opportunity
to meet with colleagues in China, identify areas of
mutual research and One Health interest,
strengthen current partnerships, and identify new
collaborations between Texas A&M University and
Chinese institutions. Both China and the United States
are aware of the importance of combining training
and research skills to ready the next generation One Health
workforce. We are ‘oceans apart, but one world together’
when transboundary and zoonotic diseases cross
boundaries and threaten our animal health and human health. This
visit to China is a great first step to leverage our mutual
strengths in these areas.”
Through exchanging ideas and best practices, the team hopes the
relationships formed will assist China in building capacity and
expanding markets for pork, as well as support the country’s
growing agricultural enterprise.
“As our global village continues to expand, bringing us closer
together, international collaboration will be essential to ensuring
global health and quality of life for everyone and everything,”
said Dr. Eleanor M. Green, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary
Medicine. “The foundation of One Health is the inextricable link
between animal, human, and environmental health.”
Representatives from Texas A&M include Christine M. Budke,
DVM, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology at the CVM; Rosina
C. (Tammi) Krecek, Ph.D., MBA, interim assistant dean of One
Health, Office of the Dean, and visiting professor of veterinary
pathobiology at the CVM; Clay Ashley, DVM, director of the
Veterinary Medical Park and chair of the International Program
Advisory Committee at the CVM; Brandon Dominguez, DVM, M.S.,
clinical assistant professor, Department of Large Animal Clinical
Sciences at the CVM; and Chad Paulk, M.S., Ph.D., assistant
professor of animal nutrition, Department of Animal Science,
COALS.
Meetings will be held at the following institutions: College of
Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University (Beijing);
School of Public Health, Peking University (Beijing);
Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute (Lanzhou); College
of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University
(Chengdu Campus); Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(Chengdu); and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(Beijing).
###
Contact Information: Megan Palsa,
mpalsa@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216, 979-421-3121 (cell)
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