If you missed the April issue of the Animal Science Monitor, you weren’t alone. Due to technical problems, we were unable to publish an edition during the month of April. However, our production schedule is firmly back in place, and going forward the ASM will be distributed on a regular and consistent basis. We apologize to our readership for the inconvenience, and we look forward to providing you with the content, information, and opportunities that you’ve come to expect from the Animal Science Monitor.

Have humans come down with bird flu? 

• Avian influenza does not normally infect species other than birds and pigs. But humans came down with the bird flu in Hong Kong in 1997, when the H5N1 strain infected 18 humans, six of whom died.  People became infected after coming into close contact with live infected poultry.  Genetic studies showed the virus jumped directly from birds to humans and caused severe illness with high mortality.  Hong Kong's entire poultry population, estimated at around 1.5 million birds, was destroyed within three days. This is thought to have averted a pandemic.
• The World Health Organization has said that the H5N1 bird flu virus has also been responsible for a number of deaths in Vietnam. They suspect people became ill after coming into contact with chicken feces.

Why is H5N1 of particular concern?
Of the 15 avian influenza virus subtypes, H5N1 is of particular concern because of the following:

• It mutates rapidly and seems to acquire genes from viruses infecting other animal species. 
•  It can cause severe disease in humans.
• Birds that survive infection excrete virus for at least 10 days, orally and in feces, helping spread the virus at live poultry markets and by migratory birds.
• The more birds that come down with bird flu, the greater the opportunity for direct infection of humans. 
•  The more humans get infected, the greater the likelihood people can become infected with both human and bird flu strains. 
•  Humans could then serve as a "mixing vessel" for a new type of virus that could easily be transmitted from person to person. Such an event would mark the start of an influenza pandemic.

What are the symptoms, can it be tested, and how do you treat it?

• When humans came down with the H5N1 bird flu in Hong Kong in 1997, patients developed symptoms of fever, sore throat, cough and, in several of the fatal cases, severe respiratory distress secondary to viral pneumonia.  Previously, healthy adults and children and some with chronic medical conditions were affected.
• Tests for diagnosing all influenza strains of animals and humans are rapid and reliable. 
• Antiviral drugs, some of which can be used for both treatment and prevention, are clinically effective against influenza A virus strains in otherwise healthy adults and children, but have some limitations. 
•  At least four months would be needed to produce a new vaccine in significant quantities capable of conferring protection against a new virus subtype.

(Check future issues of The Animal Science Monitor for news updates regarding bird flu.)

Changes at AnimalScienceMonitor.com

We at the Animal Science Monitor are pleased to announce that many changes and improvements have been made to both the ASM and AnimalScienceJobs.com.  The response that we've received to the Animal Science Monitor has been very encouraging, and that has led, in part, to these new improvements.

• First and foremost, the Animal Science Monitor now has its own Web site, animalsciencemonitor.com.  When you visit animalsciencemonitor.com, you can search through our archive of past issues and articles related to the Animal Science industry. You can also peruse our Internship Bulletin Board, descriptions of the graduate programs we have featured in our newsletter, and our links page, which will take you to other important Web sites in the industry.  And of course, if you haven't done so already, you can sign up for our newsletter at the site (or you can sign up a friend, if you think they would enjoy ASM).
• Second, companies that are looking to post their jobs can now do so at animalsciencejobs.com.  For more information regarding this powerful new feature, email your questions to dan@animalsciencejobs.com.
• Candidates can now create a Hot Job Alert at animalsciencejobs.com.  A Hot Job Alert will automatically alert you via email when a job opens that matches your criteria.

We want to know what you'd like to see and how we can serve you better.  It doesn't matter who you are, a candidate, a company official, or an administrator at a university.  We value your input and your feedback, and we would be grateful for any that you can provide us.  We're especially interested in your contributions as they pertain to the two areas below.

• Internship Bulletin Board.  Internships are a win-win situation for both employers and potential employees, and we make it a priority to give internships the exposure they deserve.  If you're looking to get more publicity for your internship program, simply email the specifics of your openings to dan@consearch.com.  When submitting information about your internship positions, please include a brief overview of your organization; a description of your internship opportunities; a summary of required qualifications; the time frame and duration of the internship; and specific data regarding how to apply for the internship, including physical addresses, phone and fax numbers, and email addresses.
• Featured College Graduate Program.  Each month, the ASM features one college graduate program involving the Animal Science industry from around the country.  Past graduate programs we have featured include those at Sam Houston State and Colorado State University.  If you’re the head of a graduate degree program at a college or university, you’re welcome to submit to us a 300-500 word description of your program. You can email your graduate program description to dan@consearch.com.

Also on the horizon, we're offering the opportunity to become a featured employer in the Animal Science Monitor.  When we feature you in the ASM, we convey to our readers exactly what it is that makes your company special and unique.  We seek to help you make a connection with top-notch candidates in the Animal Science industry.  More information regarding our "Featured Employer" series will be forthcoming.

Once again, we're quite pleased with the feedback we've received for the Animal Science Monitor and AnimalScienceJobs.com.  We look forward to your continued input and to serving you better for the remainder of 2005 and beyond.

In each issue, The Animal Science Monitor will feature a “Graduate Program of the Month.” In the spotlight for February is the graduate program at Sam Houston State University. Next month’s featured school will be Colorado State. If you’re the head of a graduate degree program at a college or university, you’re welcome to submit to us a 300-500 word description of your program. You can email your graduate program description to dan@consearch.com.

Graduate Studies at Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado

Master of Agriculture
The Master of Agriculture is a professional degree administered by the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University in cooperation with several departments, both within and outside the college.  Interdisciplinary in nature, this program provides maxinum flexibility in curriculum design.

Programs are individually designed to meet students' professional needs and specific goals.  Students may select Plan A in pursuit of the Master of Agriculture degree, which involves applied research and a formal thesis, or they may select Plan B, which requires more coursework and/or a scholarly paper.

Within the Master of Agriculture degree, students can specialize in Agricultural Extension Education.  This specialization is intended for students preparing for agricultural extension-type careers or individuals in extension or educational positions who are seeking an advanced degree to update their general technique expertise in the agricultural sciences.  The curriculum is designed to meet the individual needs of each student.  Students have the option of concentrating course work in a number of disciplines.

Programs of study are individually designed to meet the needs of each student admitted to the Master of Agriculture program. At least 30 upper-division credits are required for the degree.  The following conditions must be fulfilled for those 30 credits:

1. 24 credits earned at CSU
2. 16 credits of agricultural science and at least six credits from each of two areas
3. 16 credits of formal upper-division classes, excluding seminars, independent or group studies, internships, college teaching, research, and thesis
4. 16 credits of graduate level classes, including 12 credits of formal courses

General graduate school admission requirements and procedures are outlined in the Graduate and Professional Bulletin, which is available online at www.graduateschool.colostate.edu.

The following criteria is used when admitting students to the degree program:

• Three letters of reference
• Leadership potential
• Tests of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) if English is not a native tongue
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, with a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average on undergraduate course work.*

A major focal point of the Agricultural Extension Education graduate program is the summer internship.  Although the internship may be completed during the spring or fall semesters, summer is the most traditional semester for this activity.  As an intern, graduate students have the opportunity to work with a county or state extension office in Colorado.  Specific requirements may be granted to intern in other states on a case-by-case basis.

The College of Agricultural Sciences is an integral part of Colorado State University, which is committed to the land grant mission of serving the people of Colorado.  The college is committed to providing students with quality graduate experiences that are recognzied by peer institutions as a national standard of excellence.  The role of the college is to improve the welfare of the agricultural industry and the consuming public through education and research.

To learn more about this program, please contact Dr. Dennis Lamm, Extension Educaton Coordinator, by email at Dennis.Lamm@colostate.edu or by phone at (970) 491-2074.

*A person with a GPA lower than 3.0 could still be considered if they present evidence acceptable to the college of their ability to complete advanced degree requirements.

 [view full description]