Representatives from local, state and federal agencies and interest groups will convene in Portland on January 16, 2003, to present information about the possible effects of West Nile virus on human health, wildlife and the environment.
Approximately 250 people have registered to take part in a day-long workshop on West Nile virus that brings together a unique combination of public health and conservation officials with broad expertise on the issue. The gathering is sponsored by Audubon Society of Portland, Bureau of Environmental Services and Portland Cable Access. Collaborators include the State of Oregon, Multnomah County Health Division, Oregon Health Division, Metro Parks and Greenspaces, City of Portland, Centers for Disease Control, Multnomah County Vector Control, NOAA Fisheries, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Oregon Zoo, Avian Medical Center, the Xerces Society and Northwest Alternatives to Pesticides.
The workshop will be held at the Oregon Zoos Vista Room from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, January 16, 2003. Experts will answer questions for accredited members of the media from noon to12:30. The workshop agenda is available at http://swiftnet.com/audubon3/wnv.html
The workshop will provide information about West Nile virus to the public, the media and decision makers and stimulate discussion about ways the virus may be combated in Oregon. The workshop also will be an opportunity for government agencies and interest groups to continue discussions about public health and environmental concerns regarding the virus and to find ways to incorporate these interests into current state and local response plans.
West Nile virus is not yet known to be in Oregon, but it has been identified in Washington and is expected to arrive in Oregon in Spring 2003. The virus can be fatal to humans, domestic animals and wildlife, but efforts to control the spread of West Nile virus also can have direct and indirect health effects on humans, domestic animals, wildlife and entire ecosystems. The goal of the workshop is to provide current information about the disease and bring the health and conservation communities together to develop a comprehensive plan to combat West Nile virus that is both effective and ecologically sound.
Note to Photo Editors: Oregon Zoo officials will be vaccinating birds of prey against West Nile virus the same day as the workshop. Contact Bill LaMarche at the zoo for details, 503-220-2448.
