Specific Activities – 2018 and 2019
The GHPN was invited by the meeting coordinators to moderate a 4-hour plenary session entitled “Pathology Beyond Borders: Global Engagement” during the first day of the Meeting. This highly attended plenary session moderated by Dr. Tony Alves and Dr. Sarah Corner consisted of four (4) 45 minute lectures followed by a 10 minute questions and answer session. The four lectures included: Pathogenesis of Selected Transboundary Animal Diseases (speaker: Dr. Corrie Brown, University of Georgia; Reporting Transboundary Diseases (speaker: Dr. Mark Remick, USDA); Challenges and Opportunities in Global Veterinary Pathology: Real World Experiences (speaker: Dr. Dalen Agnew, Michigan State University); and Innovation Through Partnerships and Technology in Pathology (Speaker: Dr. Dan Milner).
A one-day workshop in poultry pathology was held at Jagodina Veterinary Institute, Serbia, on May 23, 2018. Tanja Zabka and Corrie Brown served as workshop leaders. There were 45 participants. The majority were from Serbia, but the workshop also included participants from Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Hungary, Italy, Romania, and England. Most of the participants work in pathology, including some specialists in poultry pathology. During the morning, participants worked in small groups (6 groups), reviewing respiratory diseases, then gastrointestinal diseases, and then transboundary diseases. All were done as case scenarios, with questions embedded, and then answers were presented to the entire class, with opportunities for discussion. In the afternoon, class divided in two, with half doing chicken necropsies and half remaining in the classroom to discuss miscellaneous avian diseases (Marek’s disease, lymphoid leukosis, ascites syndrome, tibial dyschondroplasia), also done as case scenarios. In mid-afternoon groups switched. Before closing, there was an opportunity for general discussion on unusual entities or queries from participants. There was a lively discussion surrounding reasons for double-shelled eggs, runting-stunting syndrome, and gizzard erosions. Overall, feedback on the workshop was positive.
Over the course of three days, approximately 50 veterinarians from academia, private sector, and industry gathered together to participate in group interactive and practical sessions involving pertinent diseases in Pakistan. Five universities were represented and several private companies. All instruction was provided by Dr. Corrie Brown and Dr. Tony Alves (through support from the Davis-Thompson Foundation) using the adult learning theory. There were didactic, interactive, and case-based sessions in the classroom. In the morning, participants worked in small groups (4-6 individuals per group), reviewing respiratory diseases, then gastrointestinal diseases, and then transboundary diseases. All were done as case scenarios, with questions embedded, and then answers were presented to the entire class, with opportunities for discussion. A poultry necropsy laboratory originally scheduled for one afternoon, occurred during the afternoon of all three days due to the enthusiasm of course participants who wanted more experience in poultry postmortem examinations and tissue collection for laboratory analysis. The outstanding training was evidenced by overwhelming post-workshop evaluations.
Dr. Tiffany Scott, a first year Clinical Pathology Resident at Michigan State University, attended to understand how this can augment GHPN efforts and prepare her for international work.
Dr. Corrie Brown and Dr. Tiffany Bryant, representing the GHPN and supported by the Davis-Thompson Foundation, were invited guests at the CAU and conducted a three day workshop on mechanism of disease which also included a wet lab. Utilizing a combination of group and adult learning concepts with Chinese interpretation, Drs. Brown and Bryant along with a heterogeneous group of attendees consisting of teachers, diagnosticians, pathologists, clinicians, graduate students, and various professionals from industry all involved with livestock or diagnostic enterprises, achieved the following final learning objectives: (1) Perform a necropsy on a bird or a pig, collecting and packaging tissues in an appropriate manner for use in the laboratory; (2) Identify specific mechanisms of disease through gross lesions, and form a list of differential diagnoses; and (3) Be able to conduct downstream training on basic mechanisms of disease. The workshop was well received through the as indicated through comments made by the Secretary of the CAU Veterinary School (Dean-equivalent), the on-site workshop coordinator Dr. Xiangmei Zhou, and several company representatives who all voiced support of the course and thanked the Davis-Thompson Foundation. Due the extremely positive response to the workshop, it is expected that Collaboration between the GHPN, CAU, and Thompson-Foundation will continue.
Over the course of four days, 47 veterinarians discussed various diseases of poultry, focusing on field diagnostics using critical thinking and knowledge of pathogenesis. The course was delivered by Dr. Corrie Brown and Dr. Carmen Jerry. Participants included 31 veterinarians from private poultry companies, 3 veterinarians from government offices, and 12 MS or PhD students from Department of Pathology, Bangladesh Agricultural University. All activities were conducted using Adult Learning Theory and in a participatory manner. One morning session was dedicated to poultry necropsy. At the end of the workshop, an internet working group was formed to continue to share information about poultry diseases in the country. Evaluations were overwhelmingly positive with most indicating great support for recurring courses such as this.
In July 2019, a survey was sent to individuals that have signed on to the network via the GHPN website. The survey was sent to 69 individuals, and we received 32 responses. The purpose of the survey was to have GHPN members express the type of capacity and region(s) in the world for which they are most interested to operate to support global pathology capacity building and partnerships, and to gain perspective on how GHPN network members see the value of GHPN. We received valuable comments on how the group could expand and engage moving forward (i.e. by establishing self-started regional networks to connect individuals and institutions working in certain regions). This feedback will also be used for planning the future directions of GHPN.
Specific Activities – 2020
Teleconference (December 2019) with Danny A. Milner, Jr., MD, MSc (Epi), FASCP, FASTMH, Chief Medical Officer, American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), to discuss synergism and possible collaboration between GHPN and the ASCP.
- Pilot for joint clinical and veterinary telepathology solution and conferences in Ghana is under discussion.
- Joint DTRA biosecurity certification program is under discussion.
Over the course of three days, 117 veterinarians gathered together to participate in group interactive and practical sessions on pathology delivered by Dr. Corrie Brown and Dr. Tanja Zabka. Participants came from 4 different academic institutions, several poultry companies, and both research and regulatory government facilities. They reviewed concepts and scenarios involving basic mechanisms in general pathology, specific disease scenarios of poultry diseases with a focus on pathogenesis, and performed necropsy of poultry. All instruction was provided using adult learning theory. Evaluations were very positive.
- Workshop on Basic pathology/Critical Thinking/Necropsy (pig and cattle), Zambia, July 2020
- Guatemala, September 2020 – to be delivered in Spanish
- Workshop on Basic pathology/Critical Thinking/Necropsy Pathology, Myanmar, Nov/Dec 2020 – under discussion.
GHPN has been invited to conduct a one-day workshop to veterinarians who wish to engage overseas and positively impact agricultural communities and veterinary institutions in developing nations with an additional set of knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to ensure useful engagement and sustainable change.
Host: American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD)
Date: 15 October 2020
GHPN members Dr. Corrie Brown, Dr. Tanja Zabka, and Dr. Tony Alves conducted a GHPN worshop on Global Animal Health and Working in Development at a one day virtual AAVLD virtual meeting. Over a 6-hour periods, Drs. Brown, Zabka, and Alves discussed the following: GHPN and the background; tips for conducting animal health work in a developing country using the adult learning process to include intercultural competence (with breakout sessions); a review of select transboundary diseases such as ASF, FSCF, FMD, PPR, Brucellosis, RVF, HPAI, ad ND; and explored the OIE Website via a Zoom walk through session. Over 100 registered attendees attended this virtual workshop.
Specific Activities – 2021-2022
Teleconference (December 2019) with Danny A. Milner, Jr., MD, MSc (Epi), FASCP, FASTMH, Chief Medical Officer, American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), to discuss synergism and possible collaboration between GHPN and the ASCP.
- Pilot for joint clinical and veterinary telepathology solution and conferences in Ghana is under discussion.
- Joint DTRA biosecurity certification program is under discussion.
Host: University of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
Invited Guest Lecturer: Dr. Francisco Uzal
Date: February 2, 2022
Dr. Francisco Uzal, Professor, Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California-Davis college of Veterinary medicine and Branch Chief, California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, was an invited guest lecturer by the University of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences (UVAS) in Lahore Pakistan and provided a 60 minute telepathology lecture on “Clostridial Diseases in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Ruminants ” on Wednesday, 02 February 2022. 61 UVAS faculty, graduate students, and invited guests attended Dr. Uzal’s lecture.