Sam Hendrix (hendrj1@vetmed.auburn.edu) 844-3698

'HOT ZONE' VETERINARIANS KEYNOTE AU VETERINARY CONFERENCE

AUBURN -- Presentations by the husband-wife duo whose work with the deadly Ebola virus sparked the best-seller "The Hot Zone" and the film "Outbreak" will highlight the Annual Conference for Veterinarians, hosted by Auburn University's College of Vet erinary Medicine on Oct. 25-27.

The 89th edition of the nation's longest-running veterinary conference will be at the AU Hotel and Conference Center.

Nancy and Jerry Jaax -- both Army colonels and veterinarians -- will speak to AU veterinary medicine graduates and current students during their weekend visit. Nancy Jaax is chief of the Pathology Division of the Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Reston, Va., while Jerry Jaax heads the institute's Veterinary
Medical Division.

"This is the largest campus-based veterinary conference in the world, and we are very excited about the Jaaxes coming to speak," said Dr. Gary Beard, assistant dean for continuing education at AU Veterinary Medicine. "Their talks will be educational and fascinating to all of our attendees because of their incredible and well-documented experiences with deadly viruses. In particular, the Jaaxes will give our current students an indication of the variety of careers that will be available
to them with the broad training they receive at Auburn."

The Jaaxes' visit is sponsored by the Army.

Beard said the conference this year will attract more than 1,200 participants, including nearly 900 AU veterinarians. Auburn's 350-plus veterinary medicine students will also be attending the lectures, as will students from Tuskegee University's Scho ol of Veterinary Medicine.

This fall's conference offers 21-plus hours of continuing professional education for practitioners, an excellent lineup of speakers, class reunions for 11 Auburn graduating classes and several other special programs.

Conference programming is scheduled all day Friday and Saturday, plus Sunday morning.

In addition to talks on large animal and small animal medicine, there will be programs on bull semen evaluation; clinical techniques; equine cool semen evaluation; and small animal splinting and casting.

Friday evening's Distinguished Alumni Banquet will honor the recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus Award. The keynote speaker will be Dean Emeritus J.T. Vaughan.

Saturday evening's events include a wine and cheese party for veterinarians, spouses and faculty, as well as reunions for the veterinary medicine classes of 1941, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986 and 1991.

In addition, more than 60 vendors will have exhibits of their products. An autotutorials room will give practitioners a look at how new technology is changing veterinary medicine.

Spouses will attend a special Friday "Better Half" luncheon, featuring entertainment by the AU Jazz Band.

For registration information, contact the AU College of Veterinary Medicine Office of Continuing Education at 105 Greene Hall, Auburn University AL 36849; call 1-800-4-VETMED (483-8633

CONTACT: Beard, 844-3664.