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July 15, 2004
In this issue: |
Biodefense drill readies area agencies for collaborative action |
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By Jill Bailey The greatest weapon in the war on terrorism is knowledge and prevention. For several specialists in Florida, a morning at the Department of Health Bureau of Laboratories (BOL) facility on the USF campus last month gave insight and new skills to aid in disaster prevention. The collaborative effort, hosted annually by the Tampa BOL and the USF Center for Biological Defense, brings police, fire, postal, and federal agents together to improve their skills in identifying, containing and reacting to hazardous situations. “Years ago everyone was so isolated,” said Matthew Rollie, Director of Operations for the USF Center for Biological Defense. “Today it seems like all of the agencies are working as one.” |
 Phil Lee, of the Florida Department of Health Bureau of Laboratories in Jacksonville, listens during a disaster drill exercise held at USF in June. Photo by Jill Bailey. |
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Using high-tech instruments, the exercises helped these frontline agencies learn how to contain possible biological weapons. For example, one of the exercises helped agents learn how to react to and contain possible bio-hazardous materials. During the crisis simulation a suspicious envelope was delivered. Workers isolated the envelope and called authorities to test for possible biological agents and explosives. The envelope was examined by X-ray, which projected an image of a possible bomb. After securing the package, it was sent to the lab for biological analysis. Experts from the Center for Biological Defense used glow germ (a non-toxic powder) to demonstrate how quickly a “germ” would spread in a controlled area. When the package was opened, health officials used a black light to show how easily the powder had spread over a person’s clothing in a short period. Return to top | |
Water study compares tap with bottled |
| A new study is seeking Hillsborough County volunteers to determine if there is a health-related difference between bottled water and tap water provided by a large municipal water system that draws its water from wells. A team of researchers from Florida, including the USF College of Public Health, and Georgia are trying to answer that important, but surprisingly under-studied, question. This new study of water using 1,000 Hillsborough County homes is part of a national assessment of how drinking water affects the health of families. The “FRESH WATER Study” is looking for households in southeastern Hillsborough County who get their water from the Hillsborough County Water Department to join the one-year study. About two out of three households will be given bottled water to drink for a year. The remaining households will continue to drink tap water as usual. Volunteers will be asked to monitor their health and record episodes of gastrointestinal illness. The study will compare the health of the households drinking bottled water with the health of households who drink tap water. The researchers are working in Hillsborough County because part of the system gets its water entirely from groundwater, or wells. One-third of the people in the United States drink groundwater, yet no large-scale studies have examined the health of those users. “We wanted to do the FRESH WATER study in Hillsborough County because the Hillsborough County Water Department has been actively studying the water quality for many years” says Ricardo Izurieta, MD, PhD, of the USF College of Public Health. “In addition, there is a good mix of age, educational levels, and ethnic groups that make Hillsborough County a good model of the U.S. population.” The research team includes local experts in water quality and health (Dr. Izurieta, Debra Huffman, PhD, of the USF College of Marine Sciences, and Lillian Stark, PhD, of the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Laboratories) along with experts from Emory University in Atlanta and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Hillsborough County Health Department and the Hillsborough County Water Department are also collaborating in the study. The FRESH WATER Study is funded mainly by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Additional funding comes from the CDC and the American Water Works Association Research Foundation. Return to top |
In memoriam: Harold Norman Schnitzlein, PhD |
| Pioneering anatomist and charter COM faculty member Harold Norman Schnitzlein, PhD, died July 7 in Tampa. He was 76. Dr. Schnitzlein joined USF in 1973 and chaired the USF Department of Anatomy for five years. His work was on the human nervous system and he is credited with authoring the first detailed reference atlas comparing MRI brain scan images with actual appearance. His research was donated to the Smithsonian Institution. He was twice voted COM’s Most Distinguished Professor. Dr. Schnitzlein is survived by his wife, Harriett, their grown children, Jan, Paul, Danny and Tom, and six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Grace Lutheran Church in Tampa or LifePath Hospice of Tampa. Return to top |
Simple blood test may detect ovarian cancer |
| A study of hundreds of women from four Tampa Bay hospitals showing that lysophospholipids are present in high levels in women with ovarian cancer but low in healthy women could lead to a simple blood test for ovarian cancer. This is a welcome development because lack of an effective screening test for ovarian cancer creates highmortality rates. “This finding could be incredibly important in our fight against ovarian cancer,” said Rebecca Sutphen, MD, associate professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology and the Department of Pediatrics, and principal author of the three-year study funded by the American Cancer Society. The results are published in the July 7 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. “Two thirds of the patients are diagnosed when the cancer is already advanced,” she said. “At that point, the cure rate is only in the range of 25 percent. The problem has always been that we have no early detection strategy.” Almost all healthy women have low levels of lysophospholipids while the vast majority of ovarian cancer patients have high levels of these substances, she said. Dr. Sutphen directs the Cancer Genetic Counseling and Testing Service at the Moffitt Cancer Center. Return to top |
Dr. Patricia Ordorica advisor for national drug abuse research |
| Patricia Ordorica, MD, associate professor and director of Addictive Disorders in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, served as scientific advisor to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in April in Washington, DC. ONDCP is charged by the U.S. President to establish policies, priorities, and goals on the issue of drug abuse. Dr. Ordorica was invited to review and advise the current portfolio of research projects presented by drug abuse researchers from around the country funded by ONDCP. Return to top |
COM alum wins award for program that helps rape victims |
| COM alum and Polk County Health Department Director Daniel Haight, MD, was among a team awarded the Distinguished Davis Productivity Award by the Florida Tax Watch. Dr. Haight, associate professor of medicine at COM, was one of five presented with the award in June for work on the Polk Rape Crisis Center Action Team. The local winning team worked closely with the Peace River Center and their Rape Recovery and Resource Center located in Lakeland to create the “Forensic Exam” to reduce the trauma to rape victims, save tax payer dollars and help law enforcement prosecute rapists. The project allows victims to receive on-site crisis intervention and on-going support services needed to reduce re-victimization and increase cooperation with the criminal justice system. It also helps victims avoid long and potentially embarrassing waits at crowded and expensive emergency rooms when the victim is otherwise not injured. The Davis Productivity Awards are presented annually to honor individuals and work units of Florida state government for innovation, creativity and smart work that measurably increases performance and productivity in the delivery of state services and products. “For the last six years we have pulled together a team of law enforcement officials, hospital representatives and health department staff to make this dream a reality,” said Dr. Haight. “Our goal was to provide a more compassionate alternative for sexual assault victims that allowed for the emotional healing to start sooner. Together, we created a better way to help rape victims after a sexual assault while saving local taxpayer dollars.” In addition to Dr. Haight, the Polk Rape Crisis Center Action Team members are: Nicole Quinn, from the Attorney General’s Office in Orlando; Wayne Durden, from the State Attorney’s Office in Bartow; and Beverley Brown and Barbara McCarthy, advanced registered nurse practitioners from the Polk County Health Department. Return to top |