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Media
For Immediate Release:
BIGGER THAN SARS?: TWO EXPERTS TO PROVIDE OVERVIEW
OF WEST NILE VIRUS' PROGRESS, POTENTIAL "HOT SPOTS" IN
U.S., ELSEWHERE
Two Harvard Experts To Discuss Potential Impact of Coming WNV
Season; Global Warming to be Cited as Key Cause of Virus' Spread.
BOSTON, MA - NEWS ADVISORY
Will the 2003 return of West Nile Virus (WNV) end up as a bigger
public health crisis than SARS? Could WNV follow the same pattern
it did in 2002, when hundreds of infected individuals died in the
United States? What parts of the United States and other regions
may be particularly susceptible to WNV this year? What role does
global warming play in the rise of WNV and other emerging diseases?
Those are among the questions that will be addressed when two
experts from
Harvard University hold a 1:30 p.m. EDT media briefing on May 14,
2003 on the prospects for West Nile Virus. While SARS has resulted
in relatively few cases and only a handful of deaths in North America,
West Nile Virus last year afflicted 4,161 persons, resulting in
227 U.S. deaths. Further, WNV also has spread rapidly to 250 or
more animal species.
The media briefing will feature:
- Paul Epstein, associate director, Center for Health and the
Global Environment, Harvard Medical School; and
- Doug Causey, senior biologist, Harvard University Museum
of Comparative Zoology.
TO PARTICIPATE: The live, two-way telenews briefing (including
Q&A period) will take place at 1:30 p.m. EDT on May 14th, 2003
at 1-(800)960-1013. International callers should dial 1-(952) 556-2835.
Call five minutes before the start time and ask for the "West
Nile Virus" news event or use conference ID number 136276.
CAN'T PARTICIPATE?: A streaming audio replay of the news event
will be available as of 6 p.m. EDT on May 14th at
http://www.hastingsgroup.com/WestNileGlobalWarming.html. The same
Web page will include a copy of the related news release.
CONTACT: Christine Kraly, 703/276-3258 or ckraly@hastingsgroup.com.
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