Defining Susceptibility for Microbial Risk Assessment: A Dialogue. J. M. Balbus, R. T. Parkin, and M. A. Embrey, The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services
In November, 1999, the GWU Center for Risk Science and Public Health sponsored a workshop on "Incorporating Susceptibility into Microbial Risk Assessment." Approximately 25 experts from a variety of disciplines discussed the unique biological and technical issues raised when considering susceptibility to microbial pathogens. The proceedings were published in Environmental Health Perspectives (2001;108[9]:901-905). Among the questions identified at that workshop for further discussion were:1) Should differential exposures be considered in defining populations at special risk for microbial risk assessments? 2) How should risk assessment methodology incorporate susceptibility factors at the individual level and the population level? 3) How should risk assessment methodology address agent-specific susceptibility factors? A follow-up workshop to address these issues was held in June, 2001; this workshop extended the discussion from the previous workshop and addressed how our current understanding of susceptibility to microbial pathogens can be translated into risk management for drinking water. A group of experts from the academic, private, and public sectors heard and discussed presentations on the epidemiology of susceptibility (e.g., epidemiological studies regarding the incidence and prevalence of gastroenteritis), the basic science of susceptibility (e.g., genetic factors and host-pathogen interactions), incorporating susceptibility in microbial risk assessment modeling, and exposure issues in susceptibility (e.g., sociodemographic factors and consumption behavior). Two breakout sessions of three subgroups of participants addressed questions surrounding dose-response function and parameters and individual vs. population-based risk assessment in the context of the presentations and plenary discussions. This presentation will review the plenary discussions and the results of the breakout sessions.
Funded by Cooperative Agreement #826396-01-0 between The George Washington University and the US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water.
Go to . . .
2001 SRA Annual Meeting Table of Contents
2001 SRA Annual Meeting Author Index
Main Abstracts Menu Page
RiskWorld Home Page