BULLETIN: CSTE Revised Its Histoplasmosis Position Statement at the 2016 Annual Conference
The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) approved the Infectious Disease Committee’s revisions to the histoplasmosis position statement, “Standardized Surveillance Case Definition for Histoplasmosis” at the organization’s annual conference in Anchorage, Alaska on June 19-23, 2016.
Review the revised CSTE histoplasmosis position statement on the organization’s website or download the document: Standardized Surveillance Case Definition for Histoplasmosis
About CSTE’s Position Statements
CSTE position statements represent the documentation and analysis of policy issues affecting public health and can cover any issue of importance to CSTE members. Position statements may take the form of general policy statements or call for placing health conditions under standardized surveillance. Position statement authors must be active CSTE members, although associate members may be co-authors. Authors are also encouraged to seek input from appropriate subject matter experts at the state, local, and federal levels during the position statement writing process.
About the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
CSTE works to advance public health policy and epidemiologic capacity. The organization also provides information, education, and developmental support of practicing epidemiologists in a wide range of areas as well as expertise for program and surveillance efforts.
CSTE is an organization of member states and territories representing public health epidemiologists. CSTE works to establish more effective relationships among state and other health agencies. It also provides technical advice and assistance to partner organizations and to federal public health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CSTE members have surveillance and epidemiology expertise in a broad range of areas including occupational health, infectious diseases, environmental health, chronic diseases, injury control, maternal and child health, and more. CSTE supports effective public health surveillance and good epidemiologic practice through training, capacity development, and peer consultation.
MiraVista Diagnostics’ Contributions to the Field of Mycology
MiraVista Diagnostics’ founder, president and medical director, Lawrence Joseph Wheat, MD has been a long-time scientific and clinical contributor to advancements in the field of mycology. His groundbreaking research findings led to the development of the first histoplasmosis antigen test in 1986. Since then, he has continued to develop new generations of diagnostic tests for coccidioides (also known as valley fever fungus), histoplasma capsulatum and blastomyces dermatitidis. As an active researcher throughout his career, Dr. Wheat has published more than 300 scientific articles specifically related to fungal infection, hundreds more articles on broader infectious disease topics and authored chapters about histoplasmosis in several leading infectious disease and internal medicine books. Additionally, he co-authored the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Histoplasmosis, which was published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and referenced by CSTE in the development of its recently revised histoplasmosis position statement.
