2024 Flu and Respiratory Disease Conference
August 8-9, 2024
| Presentation | Presenter(s) |
|---|---|
| Avian Influenza (H5N1) Epizootic – Texas, 2024 | Briana O'Sullivan, MPH Epidemiologist IV Texas Department of State Health Services – Zoonosis Control Branch |
| Identifying Key Facilities for Texas Influenza Surveillance |
Chloe Martinez, MPH Chloe graduated with her Bachelor of Science, majoring in health science, from Texas State University. She went on to pursue her Master of Public Health majoring in epidemiology. During her MPH program, she began an internship as an Enhanced Respiratory Virus Surveillance Intern within the Emerging and Acute Disease Unit. With the help of her preceptor, Emilio Gonzales, she worked on a project to improve influenza surveillance across Texas populations. After her graduation, she was able to secure the EMS and Trauma Registries Epidemiologist II position with the Injury Prevention Unit and has been further refining her epidemiological skills. |
| CSTE Position Statement and change for COVID-19 |
Dannish Ghias, MPH Maher Hasan, MPH |
| Tales From the Field: Regional Veterinary Perspective: HPAI Outbreak Investigation | Cherissa Abdul-Hamid, DVM, MPH Regional Zoonosis Veterinarian Texas Department of State Health Services PHR 1 – Zoonosis Control Program |
| Enhanced Respiratory Illness Surveillance along the West Texas-Mexico Border | Rebecca Basurto-Gonzalez, BS MICR BIDS Epidemiologist Texas Department of State Health Services PHR 9/10 – Office of Border Public Health |
| Respiratory Vaccine Illness and Surveillance | Tyler Swate Epidemiologist II Texas Department of State Health Services – Assessment, Compliance, and Epidemiology Branch, Immunization Section |
| Reflections on Our First Year as an Influenza Sequencing Center | Bonnie Oh, PHD Molecular Biologist IV, Microbial Genomics Team Lead Texas Department of State Health Services – Public Health Laboratory Division, Microbiology Unit, Genetic Sequencing Branch Bonnie Oh is the Microbial Genomics team lead for the Genetic Sequencing Branch. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Virginia and doctoral degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Pittsburgh. Her experience working with the state public health lab started with serotype identification of Salmonella and Shigella clinical samples, expanded to Norovirus genotyping and drug resistance gene identification in bacteria, and finally to genome sequencing of a variety of microorganisms. The Microbial Genomics team focuses on sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 from clinical and wastewater samples, Mpox, Influenza, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Cyclospora. The lab’s expanding sequencing capacity and scope of testing allows us to track variants and genes of interest over time to support public health surveillance and outbreak responses. |
| Influenza 101 - An Overview of Influenza Surveillance Reporting and Processing |
Emilio Gonzales, MPH Emilio serves as the State Influenza Surveillance coordinator/Epidemiologist III within the Emerging and Acute Infectious Disease Unit of the Office of the Chief State Epidemiologist. In this role he serves as the subject matter expert from influenza in the State of Texas and oversees surveillance efforts for flu and other respiratory conditions such as RSV. He obtained his Masters in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health with a focus on Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Prior to his current positions he worked as an epidemiologist in the Data Analysis team within the HIV/STD/TB section of Texas DSHS. He believes strong partnerships are an integral part of effective surveillance efforts for influenza and loves to talk all things flu. |
| How "Bird Flu" Has Affected Dairies |
Timothy Stevenson, DVM, PHD Adam Buuck, MPH CPH |
| LRN Submissions Breakout Session |
Jennifer Gonzales Jennifer Gonzales is the Team Lead of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at the Texas Department of State Health Services. She has been a part of the team for more than 15 years and previously served as the electron microscopist for the section. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a concentration in Pathology and Immunology from the University of Texas at Austin. The Clinical Virology Team conducts influenza diagnostic testing and performs many aspects of influenza surveillance laboratory related activities. In addition to influenza, the Clinical Virology team performs Real-Time RT-PCR testing for measles, mumps, SARS-CoV-2, chikungunya, dengue, and Zika virus. Anita Irving Anita Irving is the Senior Molecular Biologist in the Clinical Virology Laboratory at the Texas Department of State Health Services. She has been an integral part of the team for more than 10 years. Anita has a Bachelor of Science and Masters in Biology from Texas Southern University. Anita plays a vital role in coordinating the Clinical Virology workflow for all laboratory related activities and diagnostic testing for influenza, measles, mumps, SARS-CoV-2, chikungunya, dengue, and Zika virus. |
| Region 1 - H5 Response |
Samantha Curtis, MPH Samantha Curtis is an Epidemiologist out of the Northwest Texas PHR 1 Lubbock Regional Office. They have assisted on many types of disease investigations ranging from Legionnaires disease to foodborne outbreaks to Syphilis clusters. Samantha started with the State as an intern in Tuberculosis and began employment with HIV/STD before joining the Epidemiology Response Team during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Samantha received their Masters of Public Health from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 2019 and has been working in Public Health ever since. Cherissa Abdul-Hamid, DVM, MPH |
| COVID-19 Surveillance in Texas: Evolving Trends and What’s Changed | Maher Hasan, MPH COVID-19 Epidemiologist I Texas Department of State Health Services – Emerging and Acute Infectious Disease Unit COVID Team |
| Wastewater-Based Monitoring of Respiratory Diseases |
Victoria Salinas, MPH, CPH Victoria is a Medical Research Specialist in the Environmental Epidemiology and Disease Registries Section (EEDRS) at the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). In this role, she works across section program areas in the design or conduct of public health surveillance systems, analyses, and research studies. With a passion for promoting thriving collective health and well-being through applied science and discovery, she serves as the lead for EEDRS special projects. Initially supporting the wastewater surveillance pilot project as an intern and fellow, she now coordinates the design, implementation, and evaluation of wastewater-based disease monitoring activities for the DSHS Wastewater Epidemiology and Surveillance Program. DSHS Wastewater Epidemiology & Surveillance Program |
| Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab’s (TVMDL) Role in the HPAI Outbreak in Dairy Cattle | Terry Hensley, MS, DVM Assistant Agency Director for Diagnostic Services, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory and Extension Veterinarian Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory Alexis Thompson, DVM, PhD, DACVPM (Epi) Veterinary Diagnostician Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory |
| Novel Influenza: Reporting Deep Dive |
Emilio Gonzales, MPH Emilio serves as the State Influenza Surveillance coordinator/Epidemiologist III within the Emerging and Acute Infectious Disease Unit of the Office of the Chief State Epidemiologist. In this role he serves as the subject matter expert from influenza in the State of Texas and oversees surveillance efforts for flu and other respiratory conditions such as RSV. He obtained his Masters in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health with a focus on Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Prior to his current positions he worked as an epidemiologist in the Data Analysis team within the HIV/STD/TB section of Texas DSHS. He believes strong partnerships are an integral part of effective surveillance efforts for influenza and loves to talk all things flu. |
| Measles Overview: 2024 |
Elise Huebner, MS, CPH, CIC Elise Huebner earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Austin College in 2008, and her Master of Science in Health Services Research from Texas State University - San Marcos in 2012. Her first job in public health focused on community health assessments and program evaluation; however, her interests were mainly focused in infectious disease epidemiology, immunization programs, and vaccine-preventable, invasive diseases. In 2013, Elise began her career as an infectious disease epidemiologist with Williamson County and Cities Health District, and, over time, moved up to Epidemiologist II. In 2020, she advanced to the Vaccine Preventable Disease Epidemiologist III Team Lead at the Texas Department of State Health Services. Overall, Elise has worked in infectious disease epidemiology, including vaccine-preventable, invasive and respiratory, high-consequence, foodborne, zoonotic, tuberculosis, and health-associated infections, for over 10 years with field experience in interviewing, case investigation, small- and large-scale outbreaks, testing, surveying, data collection, data analysis, reporting, and data quality. In her current role at DSHS, Elise focuses on a variety of VPDs, including providing guidance and assistance to health departments throughout Texas, coordinating with other DSHS departments, completing projects to increase team efficiency, planning and executing grant metrics, reports, and other surveillance and quality improvement activities. |
| Submitting Specimens Successfully to the DSHS Austin Laboratory | Niamh Gray Education Specialist III DSHS Public Health Laboratory Division, Microbiology Unit |
| Closing Plenary |
Emilio Gonzales, MPH Emilio serves as the State Influenza Surveillance coordinator/Epidemiologist III within the Emerging and Acute Infectious Disease Unit of the Office of the Chief State Epidemiologist. In this role he serves as the subject matter expert from influenza in the State of Texas and oversees surveillance efforts for flu and other respiratory conditions such as RSV. He obtained his Masters in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health with a focus on Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Prior to his current positions he worked as an epidemiologist in the Data Analysis team within the HIV/STD/TB section of Texas DSHS. He believes strong partnerships are an integral part of effective surveillance efforts for influenza and loves to talk all things flu |