Liberia RPCV Kathryn Scott will use her experience and expertise to help prevent outbreaks of disease in Clackamas County



Liberia RPCV Kathryn Scott will use her experience and expertise to help prevent outbreaks of disease in Clackamas County

Clackamas County hires epidemiologist
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OREGON CITY - Clackamas County has hired its first epidemiologist using federal bioterrorism money.

Kathryn Scott will use her experience and expertise to help prevent outbreaks of disease in Clackamas County.

She became interested in public health while trying to control the spread of tuberculosis in Liberia while working for the Peace Corps in the early 1980s.

Scott monitors infectious diseases such as food-borne illnesses or sexually transmitted diseases, and helps plan how the county would respond to a bioterrorist attack such as an outbreak of smallpox or anthrax.

Last year, Clackamas County received $300,000 in the second year of bioterrorist funding.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention give money to state governments and Oregon distributes it to the counties.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)