Chronic Infections,
Inflammation and Biotoxins

Pre-Conference Workshop - A Professionally Rewarding Experience

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Overview

Research and findings have indicated that inflammation is tied to a range of various diseases, including allergies and asthma, joint disease, obesity, hay fever, and even major depressive disorders. While the body’s inflammatory response is utilized to protect and combat invading organisms like bacteria, viruses, and parasites, uncontained inflammation can ultimately lead to bodily and organ deterioration. Moreover, chronic infections generate economic and medical burdens on U.S. resources and infrastructure: In 2013, there were 36,307 new cases of Lyme disease and 50,634 cases of salmonella. Throughout 2012, there were 3.9 million outpatient hospital visits for infectious and parasitic diseases. Furthermore, biotoxins—which include numerous toxic agents that initially originate from plants, animals, and other biological sources—have contributed to the recent 2016 Zika Virus outbreak, which yielded 35,152 cases within the United States. Physicians and healthcare professionals must be equipped with the most current techniques and technologies in order to detect, prevent, and eventually treat chronic inflammation and the emerging host of infectious diseases. Perhaps most importantly, healthcare practitioners serve as the first line of defense in terms of emergency preparedness: responding to biotoxic outbreaks, incidents, and crises.

Learning Objectives