UNH Speakers Bureau

War of the Worlds: Our Worlds are Colliding and Infectious Disease is Winning

 

Program Description:

Collectively, infectious diseases are the second leading cause of death globally, following cardiovascular disease, but among young people infections are overwhelmingly the leading cause of death. As we eradicate diseases such as polio and smallpox, something else emerges and takes their place. This is the nature of the perpetual challenge of infectious diseases. We now combat newly emerging diseases, 75% of which are associated with animals – zoonoses, and many are of our own creation. Multiple factors, including economic development and land use, human demographics and behavior, and international travel and commerce, contribute to the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases. Almost all of these factors reflect, in some measure, the encroachment of human civilization on the environment and on the microbial species that inhabit our environment. We have perturbed the balance…run…or join the battle.


Speaker:

Richard French

Dr. Richard French is a clinical professor, senior veterinary pathologist and Director of the NH Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire. He received is DVM from the University of llinois. Prior to coming to UNH he spent 12 years at the University of Connecticut as associate professor of pathobiology and veterinary science. He has nine years of veterinary practice experience and extensive expertise in foreign animal disease and zoonoses.

Other topics offered by Richard French