“The virus improves the cues that insects use to identify food by elevating some aspect of a trait that is already in the plant,” said Mark C. Mescher, assistant professor of entomology. “In this case they appear to elevate the odour cue, without changing it.”

This type of host alteration has implications beyond agriculture. If pathogens can alter hosts to make transmission more efficient, they may be doing it in such insect-transmitted human diseases as malaria or dengue fever.

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Members of a research team at the centre, led by Jerry Nadler, MD, professor and chair of internal medicine and director of the centre, have been studying the role of the enzyme 12-Lipoxygenase (12-LO) in the development of Type 1 diabetes. They hope that targeting this enzyme will hold the key to a cure.

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The United States remains one of the hardest hit countries, but many Americans seem unconcerned and most have rejected the vaccine, according to a poll by the Harvard School of Public Health released on Friday.

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CHICAGO – In light of a recent federal court decision, four national organizations representing dentists, physicians and veterinarians called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today to exclude health professionals from controversial new regulation intended to combat identity theft.

A letter sent to FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz by leaders of the American Dental Association (ADA), American Medical Association (AMA), American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is the latest challenge to the so-called “red flags” rule. The FTC’s interpretation of the regulation imposes an unjustified, unfunded mandate on health professionals for detecting and responding to identity theft.

The organizations asked the FTC to make it clear that the rule will not apply to their members given the result of recent litigation brought by the American Bar Association against the FTC. In that case, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that lawyers should be excluded from the requirements imposed by the red flags rule.

The court decision follows wide criticism that the FTC’s overly broad interpretation of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT) led the commission to create a rule that oversteps its authority. In response to these concerns, the FTC postponed the rule’s effective date to June 1, but it has never changed the position that the rule will apply to health professionals.

“Congress did not intend the original red flags legislation to apply to small businesses, but rather it was intended to encourage large businesses like banks, credit firms and national retailers to implement best practices to protect customers’ from identity theft,” said ADA President Ronald Tankersley, D.D.S.

In its ruling against the FTC, the court said that the application of this rule to attorneys “is both plainly erroneous and inconsistent with the purpose underlying enactment of the FACT Act.” The court also stated that the FTC “not only seeks to extend its regulatory power beyond that authorized by Congress,” but also “arbitrarily selects monthly invoice billing as the activity it seeks to regulate.”

“The court ruling sends a clear signal that the FTC needs to re-evaluate the broad application of the red flags rule,” said AMA President J. James Rohack, M.D. “Our four organizations firmly believe that applying the rule to health professionals, but not to lawyers, would be unfair.”

“Postponement of the rule’s effective date is inadequate,” said AOA President Larry A. Wickless, D.O. “Our four organizations need a commitment from the FTC that it will not apply the red flags rules to health professionals if it is not applied to lawyers.”

“The burdens of complying with this rule outweigh the benefits,” said AVMA President Larry R. Corry, D.V.M. “The FTC’s interpretation of the FACT Act should be redefined to exclude health professionals.”

Read the joint letter to the FTC.

# # #

Contacts:

Robert Raible
American Dental Association
(202) 789-5166

Robert J. Mills
American Medical Association
(312) 464-5970

Leann Fox
American Osteopathic Association
(202) 256-1417

David Kirkpatrick
American Veterinary Medical Association
(847) 285-6782

For immediate release:
Feb. 2, 2010

CHICAGO –The American Medical Association announced today its new Web site registry that can easily coordinate the deployment of physicians who are willing to volunteer with federal and private sector response organizations in Haiti. The AMA/NDLS™ Disaster Volunteer Physician Registry can be accessed and physicians can sign up at www.ama-assn.org/go/haiti-volunteer.

“While hospitals in Haiti have reported a decrease in emergency patients and hospitalizations since a week ago, the need for continued medical assistance is still significant,” said AMA President J. James Rohack, M.D. “As a result, the need for all physicians—within the disciplines of primary care, surgery and rehabilitation—will continue over the following months.”

The information physicians provide through the registry will be used specifically for disaster response deployment to Haiti, and it may also be used should future disasters occur around the world.

To help physician volunteers prepare for service, a free online training program from the AMA the National Disaster Life Support Foundation, Inc., and other key stakeholders titled “Medical and public health responders: Prepare for the Haitian earthquake disaster relief efforts” is available. It will help physician volunteers gain a better understanding of the essential clinical and public health skills needed to manage individuals and populations affected by the earthquake.

Also, physician volunteers may find value in the AMA’s Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness journal. Several relevant articles are available to the public on the journal’s Web site. A webinar is also available for viewing.

“I encourage physicians to consider how they can help with this effort,” said Dr. Rohack. “Your efforts are deeply appreciated.”

Learn more about the NDLS Education Consortium.

For more information, please contact:

Leah Dudowicz
Public Information Officer
(312) 464-4813