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'Pathogens 2000' series explores challenges posed by 'germs of today'

Exotic-sounding microorganisms like hanta and ebola viruses, mad cow disease and hemorrhagic fevers have commanded attention in newspapers, novels and films. This spring, physicians from the School of Medicine will present medical perspectives on these global- village germs in an eight-evening lecture series titled "Pathogens 2000: Rising Tides of Virulent Diseases."

"The pathogens or germs of today and tomorrow present problems that are just as complex as those of previous centuries," says Dr. James D. Kenney, associate dean for postgraduate and continuing medical education. "Our global society faces new vulnerabilities due to these microorganisms, some of which are resistant to medication, suppress the human immune system, and can pose threats of epidemic proportion.

"Yale faculty members will discuss these microorganisms so that the general public may gain a better understanding of certain diseases and the way they have evolved, including such matters as population movements and drug resistance," Dr. Kenney adds.

The lectures, designed for a general audience, will be presented on eight consecutive Mondays, beginning March 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Rm. 110 of the Jane Ellen Hope Building, 315 Cedar St. Topics and speakers include:

• March 17 -- "Diseases of Travelers: Unexplained Pulmonary Hemorrhage in Nicaragua," a look at a real epidemic by Dr. Jose R. Santana, internal medicine resident physician.
• March 24 -- "Viral Pneumonias: Your Last Breath," a discussion of such old and new infections as influenza and hanta viruses by Dr. Lynn Tanoue, assistant professor of medicine.
• March 31 -- "Emerging Hemorrhagic Fevers: The Crimson Tide" by Dr. Robert W. Ryder, the John Rodman Paul Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine.
• April 7 -- "Parasites for the 21st Century" by Dr. Frank J. Bia, professor of medicine and laboratory medicine.
• April 14 -- "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Still the Enigma" by Dr. Howard Levitin, professor of medicine.
• April 21 -- "Tick-Borne Diseases: Present Siege" by Dr. Robert T. Schoen, associate clinical professor of medicine.
• April 28 -- "The New Threat of Tuberculosis: Biological and Social Modifiers" by Dr. Michael O. Rigsby, assistant professor of medicine.
• May 5 -- "The Vulnerable Brain: Prions and AIDS" by Dr. John Booss, associate professor of neurology and laboratory medicine.

Tuition for the noncredit series is $45. Participants will receive a syllabus and related educational materials. Free parking will be provided in Yale's Washington Avenue lot. To receive additional information and to register, contact the Yale School of Medicineis Office of Postgraduate and Continuing Medical Education, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT 06510, or call 203 785-4578.

Educational support for the "Pathogens 2000" series was provided by The Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation -- Fleet Bank, N.A. and Raymond S. Andrews Jr., trustees -- a Connecticut charitable trust whose purpose is to have medical knowledge provide practical benefits in preserving, maintaining and improving human health. The foundation is dedicated to furthering medical knowledge, strengthening basic and clinical medical research, and ensuring future research leadership in Connecticut. It funds research programs in cancer, cardiovascular disease, mental health and neurodegenerative diseases.