Pro-Med Solicitations/ Help to Track Infectious Animal "Species-Hopping" Disease

We most certainly cant count on our governments to do the job: SUPPORT PRO-MEDs efforts would you please!

Dear Friends:

The costs of doing a poor job tracking infectious diseases as they move between animals and humans has been staggering over the last 60 years --which is why making a gift now to ProMED-mail’s Spring 2010 Internet-a-thon is so important.

-jumping pathogens have caused more than 65 percent of infectious disease outbreaks in the past six decades, and have racked up more than $200 billion in economic losses worldwide over the past 10 years, according to a report issued last year September by the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Research Council.

Lack of communication between those tracking human and animal health has led to missed opportunities to detect and quickly contain species-crossing pathogens, the report notes.

To improve coordination and communication between groups, ProMED’s current staff of nearly 40 experts in 16 countries includes 7 veterinarians and veterinary medical health specialists -- one in Thailand, one in Cameroon, one in Israel, one in Tanzania, and three in the U.S. We recently reviewed ProMED postings from 1996 to 2004 and found that more than 10,000 reports on animal disease were posted during that interval. Approximately 30 percent covered diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans. The remaining related to animal diseases in both domestic animals and wildlife.(* See also: Germ Warfare: "Is Our Gov't Trying to Kill Us? - http://publikeye.blogspot.com/2010/05/is-your-government-trying-to-kill-you.html )

Your gift supports this “One Health” focus that has been part of our operating philosophy since ProMED’s inception. Your gift enables us to reach over 50,000 public health officials, students, journalists, agricultural specialists and infectious disease professionals working with humans, animals, and plants in 187 countries every day, free of charge, regardless of their ability to pay.
Your gift supports our ability to network with on-the-ground disease spotters on six continents, who provide an accurate, unbiased early warning system on disease outbreaks as they occur. Your gift funds our expert commentators, who tell you what these reports mean and how best to respond. Perhaps most importantly, your gift enables us to retain our independence and objectivity, giving us the ability to report disease outbreaks without interference from any special interests or governments.

We realize these continue to be challenging financial times. But ProMED provides a vitally needed service that protects us all -- and that can only be preserved with your help. So please show your support by donating online now or printing out our online form and mailing in your donation.

Our goal is to raised $35,000 this month. During the first week of our Internet-a-thon we have raised $4,784.

As a small token of our appreciation, donors of US $250 will receive a 2 gigabyte ProMED computer memory stick. Donors of US $100 receive a ProMED water bottle, and donations of US $50 are eligible to receive an environmentally friendly ProMED shopping bag.
Sincerely,
Larry Madoff, Editor
ProMED-Mail

P.S. We welcome contributions to support our work from organizations that benefit from the service we provide. To learn more about institutional giving, contact Amy Galblum at amy.galblum@isid.org