Dr. Anne K. Vidaver gave a presentation titled "Cross-infective Microbes: From Plants to Humans" during the 2006 workshop on "Microbial Biopesticides and Transgenic Insecticides -- Enhancing Regulatory Communication" in Washington, D.C. at the University of California Center on Regulatory Communication.
The workshop was sponsored by the University of California - Riverside, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Dr. Vidaver gave her presentation to representatives from numerous federal and state agencies and universities.
It was more than evident she was desperately trying to get everyone to pay attention to the human health hazards of exposure to plant pathogens and to realize that many of these plant pathogens are being used as biocontrol products.
Here is the abstract of Dr. Vidaver's presentation:
Microorganisms that infect and cause disease in both plants and people are uncommon but increasing in frequency of isolation. These cross-infective microorganisms are more insidious than those simply transmitted to humans by contact or consumption of plants. Currently 22 bacterial taxa and 38 fungal taxa have been reported as causing ‘phytoses’. Several examples of bacterial and fungal diseases of plants and corresponding human disease will be presented.
Questions that arise include accuracy of systematics analyses, role and similarity of virulence factors, genomic and pathogenicity islands and antimicrobial resistance. Newer biological techniques such as synthetic biology, illustrated by the construction of new viruses and DNA shuffling or intragenomic reconstruction, complicate oversight and regulatory action.
Regulatory challenges among presumed equivalent taxa among plant and medical communities include definition and assessment of risk groups, permitting for interstate transport and differential perspective on the use and formulation of regulatory agency guidance documents. Assessment of alternatives for microbial pesticide niche markets will be presented. Potential interagency programs on cross-over pathogens will be discussed.
The major challenge for agencies with regulatory responsibility for microbial biopesticides is the assessment and accuracy of taxa and scope of both natural and modified biological variations that may be used and their genomic stability.
Management of cross-infective diseases of both plants and animals will require more interdisciplinary research and cooperative agency interactions.
To read the entire transcript including the questions and answers that followed her presentation, click here.
To read some of the specific warnings that she mentioned during her presentation, click
here.
Anne K. Vidaver received her B.A. degree in biology at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York, and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in bacteriology at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
She joined the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Nebraska in 1966 and was the head of that department for more than 30 years before retiring in 2010.
As important as her impact in teaching, research and administrative leadership are Dr. Vidaver’s contributions to plant pathology as a spokesperson and policymaker.
She represented the American Phytopathological Society (APS) and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) before congressional committees and served on important government policy boards. She was an important source of credible information for key government policymakers.
Dr. Vidaver made outstanding contributions in both research and teaching, served as an effective administrator at her university and conducted her professional service activities with dedication and compassion.
The following statements are excerpts from Dr. Vidaver's presentation. To read the entire transcript including the questions and answers that followed her presentation, click here.
To read some of the specific warnings that she mentioned during her presentation, click here.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance the understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific and social justice issues. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.