title: A veterinary comparative medicine officer's dream assignment.
abstract: The 5 Department of Defense (DoD) overseas laboratories conduct research on a vast array of infectious diseases. This commentary focuses on the role of the Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3 (NAMRU-3, Cairo, Egypt) in influenza surveillance and research, with emphasis on the role of the comparative medicine (US Army military occupational specialty 64E) veterinarian assigned there. Every year, tens of thousands of members of the US Armed Forces are vaccinated for so-called "seasonal influenza." The vaccine used is reformulated annually, based on antigenic characterization of viral isolates generated through global surveillance. NAMRU-3 contributes to this global surveillance for the Eastern Mediterranean region. The emergence of H5N1 Highly-pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and concerns over its possible role in precipitating a pandemic have accentuated the role of veterinarians with field and laboratory diagnostics experience in this system.
authors.affiliation: Influenza Surveillance and Central Asia Projects, Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yingst
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D004534:Egypt; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007391:International Cooperation; D008889:Military Personnel; D009326:Naval Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D014481:United States; D014731:Veterinary Service, Military / Q000458:organization & administration*