The science of Influenza surveillance and control (Tuesday 14 February, 2012)
The science of Influenza surveillance and control will provide an overview of current state of the art scientific knowledge around influenza and the tools needed to respond to this public health threat. It is a highly multi-disciplinary course being run in collaboration with the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO Collaborating Center at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, USA.
Note: This course runs from 9.00-5.00. It will be followed by a one-hour public lecture on "Emerging influenza viruses in the animal world: should humans be worried?" and then refreshments to which participants are invited.
Topics covered
- Impact of seasonal influenza in NZ and internationally
- Impact of influenza pandemics, including comparisons of the two H1N1 pandemics of the last century (1918 and 2009)
- Modelling the mortality impact of seasonal influenza
- Ethnic and other inequalities in influenza burden
- Comprehensive surveillance of influenza
- Hospitalisations for Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI), how they are measured, and their causes
- Influenza vaccine effectiveness and how it is measured
- The immune response to influenza
- The use and interpretation of serological surveys
- Critical research questions on influenza
Who should attend?
This is an intermediate-level course that would benefit anyone with an interest in influenza and respiratory infections from a clinical or public health perspective.
It will be particularly useful for:
- Public health workers involved in the front-line response to seasonal and pandemic influenza
- Clinicians with an interest in influenza and immunisation
- Government staff who plan for and manage responses to influenza
- Those involved in influenza research
Teaching staff
This course will be taught by leading influenza researchers and public health practitioners from NZ, Australia and the United States.
- Dr Michael Baker - Epidemiologist and Associate Professor at the University of Otago, Wellington. He is an active researcher on influenza, infectious diseases generally, disease surveillance methods, and housing and health.
- Dr Sue Huang - Virologist and Director of the WHO National Influenza Centre (NIC) at ESR, based at the National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Disease (NCBID) in Upper Hutt. She is responsible for the virological surveillance of influenza in NZ. She is the principal investigator of the Southern Hemisphere Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Research and Surveillance (SHIVERS) project.
- Dr Marc-Alain Widdowson - Influenza Division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA. Marc-Alain is the team leader of International Epidemiology and Response at the Influenza Division. He is CDC’s responsible scientist for the SHIVERS project.
- Dr Sally Roberts - Clinical Microbiologist and Infectious Diseases Physician and Clinical Head of Microbiology at Auckland City Hospital. She is an active researcher on infectious disease microbiology.
- Dr Nikki Turner - General Practitioner, Director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC), and Senior Lecturer at The University of Auckland. She is an active researcher on immunisation issues and a leading advocate for immunisation and children health in NZ.
- Dr Heath Kelly – Epidemiologist and Associate Professor based at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory in Melbourne. He has responsibility for influenza surveillance in Victoria and is an international authority on influenza vaccine effectiveness.
- Dr David Murdoch – Professor of Pathology and leading international researcher in microbiology, Department of Pathology, University of Otago, Christchurch.
- Dr Don Bandaranayake – Public Health Physician, National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Disease (NCBID) in Upper Hutt. He is an active researcher on influenza, vaccine preventable diseases, and disease surveillance.
- Dr Tara Kessaram – Public health medicine trainee, University of Otago, Wellington, working on modelling the mortality impact of influenza in NZ.
- Ms Jennifer Summers – PhD candidate in public health, University of Otago, Wellington, working on measuring the impact of the 1918 H1N1 influenza pandemic in NZ using military records.
- Dr Cameron Grant – Paediatrician, Starship Hospital, Auckland and experienced researcher on respiratory diseases affecting children.
- Dr Colin McArthur –Clinical Director, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Auckland City Hospital and Vice-Chair, Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group.
- Dr Richard Hall – Virologist, National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Disease (NCBID) in Upper Hutt. He is a researcher using specialized molecular techniques to detect novel viral diseases in humans and animals. Richard provides technical expertise to the WHO National Influenza Centre (NIC) at ESR.
- Dr Richard Webby – Director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, USA.
- Dr Paul Thomas, Immunologist, WHO Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, USA.
- Dr Mark Jacobs – Director of Public Health, NZ Ministry of Health. This statutory role provides national leadership for public health, including clinical oversight of New Zealand's pandemic preparedness and response.
Course cost
$300 early bird, $400 after 23 December 2011.
For further information contact:
Michael Baker, email: michael.baker@otago.ac.nz
