On August 27, 2024, ICAP presented the Grand Rounds – Is the Next Pandemic Already Here? The Looming Threat of H5N1.

The number of new cases of illness caused by the H5N1 virus – Avian Flu – has been steadily increasing in recent months. Health officials have found a rise in H5N1 infections in cows and other mammals, and a handful of cases have occurred in humans who have been in contact with cattle and poultry. While the risk to the general public remains low, there are troubling signs that a major infectious disease threat could be brewing with the potential to cause severe illness and death. With presentations by experts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the WHO, this ICAP Grand Rounds offered a situation update on H5N1 and ongoing response efforts in the US, as well as a wider picture of the potential global threat from this emerging health challenge.

This ICAP Grand Rounds is co-sponsored by The New York City Pandemic Response Institute. 

Presenters

Vivien Dugan, PhD Director, Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases Centers for Disease Control and Prevention As the Influenza Division Director, Dr. Dugan provides programmatic leadership and overall scientific and administrative management of the Influenza Division’s activities and functions. She oversees the synchronization of epidemiologic and laboratory science with informatics and coordinates innovative intramural and extramural projects to advance the division’s mission. Previously, Dr. Dugan was appointed deputy director of the Influenza Division in 2020 and served as the acting Director of the Influenza Division for six months in 2020 and from June, 2021 – April, 2023.

Aspen Hammond, VMD, MPH Technical Officer, Global Influenza Program World Health Organization (WHO) Trained as a veterinarian and in public health, Dr. Hammond joined WHO in 2012 and has worked in WHO’s Global Influenza Program since 2015. Her responsibilities are focused on surveillance and risk assessment of zoonotic influenza, supporting the rapid detection and response to outbreaks and risk reduction efforts of WHO and its Member States. In addition, she works on assessing global influenza epidemiologic and virologic surveillance data, developing guidance on influenza and other respiratory virus surveillance methods and standards, and supporting implementation of guidance and tools in WHO Member States.