Ohio State experts can discuss various aspects of avian influenza

Two experts at The Ohio State University can discuss various aspects of avian influenza. Avian influenza has been detected in chickens in the states of Delaware and New Jersey, prompting bans of U.S. poultry imports by several countries and sparking questions about the disease’s risk to human health.

• Richard Slemons, associate professor of veterinary preventive medicine at Ohio State, is an international expert in avian influenza. Slemons served as co-chair of an international symposium that examined the disease in 1997 and 2002. Contact: Melissa Lamb-Peale, College of Veterinary Medicine, (614) 292-3752.

• Mo Saif, professor and chair of the Food Animal Health Research Program with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster, is an expert on avian diseases. Saif as the editor-in-chief of the book “Diseases of Poultry.” Saif works closely with Ohio’s poultry industry and can comment about the potential impact of an avian influenza outbreak in the state. Contact: Mauricio Espinoza, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, (330) 202-3550.