Announcements and Press Releases

• Canada’s Premier Infectious Disease and Medical Microbiology Conference - April 30, 2010
• Guidance on the Management of Pandemic H1N1 in Immunocompromised Individuals, PHAC April 2010 - April 30, 2010
• CTV W5 Story - Lyme disease Debate - November 20, 2009
  Débat sur la maladie de Lyme à l’émission « W5 » diffusée sur les ondes de CTV - Le 20 novembre 2009
• ID Specialists encourage everyone to be vaccinated against pH1N1 - October 27, 2009
• Announcing a brand new fellowship sponsored by Pfizer! 2010 AMMI Canada / Pfizer Post Residency Fellowship. Call for Applications for July 2010 Funding - September 15, 2009
• 2010 AMMI Canada / Astellas Post Residency Fellowship. Call for Applications for July 2010 Funding - July 19, 2009
• H1N1 Influenza A The most significant scientific and public health challenge since the SARS outbreak. - June 15, 2009
• Climate Change Projected To Profoundly Impact Human Health. World Experts meet in Toronto June 18th to the 21st, 2009 - June 8, 2009
• Experts Opinion on Frequently Asked Questions about Oseltamivir Resistance - May, 2009
• Public Health Concerns Surrounding the Swine Influenza - April 29, 2009
• Canadians to Feel the Impact of Infectious Disease Specialists Shortage - February 16, 2009

H1N1 Influenza A The most significant scientific and public health challenge since the SARS outbreak.

June 15, 2009 (Ottawa) - The 26th International Congress of Chemotherapy and Infection (ICC-09), to be held at the Sheraton Centre Toronto from June 18th - 21st, announces an opening night special addition symposium scheduled on June 18th from 1730 to 1900.

“The Emergence of H1N1 Influenza A Virus”

Scheduled Speakers:
-Frank Plummer, Scientific Director General of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB
-Nancy Cox, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
-Celia Alpuche, Mexican Institute of Diagnostic and Epidemical Reference, Mexico City, Mexico

Progress on diagnostics, vaccine strategies and other key scientific priorities including the genomic sequencing results of H1N1 Influenza A viruses, will be presented.

The opening symposium is co-sponsored by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the lead federal agency responsible for protecting Canadians from infectious diseases. PHAC has demonstrated leadership on a number of fronts related to the H1N1 flu virus including priority areas such as public health, international work, public information, monitoring and coordinating, and laboratory testing.

Immediately following the H1N1 Symposium, Dr. Kirsty Duncan, will deliver a special lecture, “Climate Change – Health Impacts, Responsibilities and Action: Health in a Warmer World”. Dr. Duncan is a leading expert in the area of environmental change and the impact on human health. While on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, she shared the Nobel Prize with former US Vice-President, Al Gore for evaluating the risks associated with climate change.

“The spectre of climate change is of increasing concern because there is the potential for climate change to impact the nature and distribution of microbial disease, globally,” says Dr. Mark Joffe, ICC-09 Programme Committee Chair. ICC-09 is a major international infectious diseases congress; the AMMI-CACMID annual conference is Canada’s primary infectious diseases meeting. Symposia will also address a broad spectrum of issues related to human infection including the evolution and global epidemiology, pathogenesis, new therapies and controversies in the management of HIV.

This joint international conference is being held in conjunction with:

For further information and media inquiries please visit www.ICC-09 or contact:

Scientific Secretariat
Gwen Lovagi
c/o Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (AMMI) Canada
101-298 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K2P 1M3
T: + 1 613-260-3233 x.102
F: + 1 613 260 3235
E: communications@ammi.ca

Climate Change Projected To Profoundly Impact Human Health.
World Experts meet in Toronto June 18th to the 21st, 2009

June 8, 2009 (Ottawa) - “The Changing Climate of Infectious Diseases” is the theme for the upcoming 26th International Congress of Chemotherapy and Infection (ICC-09) to be held in Toronto at the Sheraton Centre from June 18th to the 21st, 2009.  This enhanced programme line-up promises to be nothing less than outstanding as medical experts from around the world provide state-of-the-art clinical reviews, share their findings on human infectious diseases such as H1N1 influenza and explore how climate change impacts the emergence of new and old infectious diseases and their effect on human health.

"By unifying forces of national and regional scientific societies, the ICC-09 will improve international collaboration on clinical research for the future benefit of our patients suffering from emerging infectious diseases," says Dr. Kurt Naber, President of the International Society of Chemotherapy Infection and Cancer, Germany.

“Humans are still at the mercy of new infectious diseases”.
Margie Beilharz, Climate Change Raises The Disease Threat. Article in ScienceAlert December 18, 2008

“12 pathogens could spread into new regions as a result of climate change”
The Wildlife Conservation Society, Human Disease Threats in the Age of Climate Change.
IUCN World Conservation Congress, Barcelona, Spain October 7, 2008

Headlines such as these indicate the need for experts to take advantage of opportunities to collaborate on the global challenges we face. This is the platform for the 26th ICC-09, a joint international conference held in collaboration with the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada, the Canadian Association for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases  and the International Society of Chemotherapy.

Medical specialists from more than 20 countries will confront global health challenges with the latest research on topics such as Swine-origin H1N1 influenza, Climate Change and Implications for Waterborne Disease in Canada and Abroad and Challenges in Forecasting Patterns of Zoonotic Disease in Response to Climate Change. “The focus is on current information and how our efforts now, will predict and impact future outcomes,” says Dr. Raphaël Saginur, President of the 26th ICC‑09 and Chief of the Division of Infectious Disease at the Ottawa Hospital-Civic Campus. 

This clinical congress is devoted to microbiology, epidemiology, diagnosis and therapy of human infectious diseases as well as antimicrobial chemotherapy. Original presentations focused on our evolving understanding of these rapidly changing fields will be complemented by overviews from world authorities. An estimated 1500 delegates from around the world will attend.

Download press release PDF format

For further information and media inquiries please visit www.ICC-09 or contact:

Scientific Secretariat
Gwen Lovagi
c/o Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (AMMI) Canada
101-298 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K2P 1M3
T: + 1 613-260-3233 x.104
F: + 1 613 260 3235
E: icc09@ammi.ca

Public Health Concerns Surrounding the Swine Influenza

Ottawa, April 29, 2009 – In an effort to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information that is available, the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (AMMI) Canada wishes to respond to the many public health concerns surrounding the swine influenza.

At this time, Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq has verified 13 confirmed cases of human swine influenza in Canada. The Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg has confirmed four cases of influenza A:H1N1 swine flu from Nova Scotia, two from Alberta and four from Ontario. The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control identified three additional cases from British Columbia. All 13 cases are the same strain of human swine influenza that has been found in the U.S. and Mexico. Although there have been no fatalities in Canada, this strain of human swine influenza is a new, or novel, influenza virus and people are less likely to have developed a natural immunity.

In Mexico, more than 800 cases of a respiratory illness in 3 clusters, including 61 deaths, have been noted since mid-March, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It is important to note, it has not yet been concluded that all these respiratory illnesses are the same. However, seven viral isolates from Mexico have been identified as swine flu at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US and another eighteen have been confirmed as swine flu by Canadian laboratories.

The scope of this outbreak is under intense investigation and soon we should be able to provide accurate details on the epidemic curve in Mexico, modes of transmission or exposure, range of clinical manifestations, complications, and response to treatment. At this time, epidemiologic investigations indicate person-to-person contact is primarily responsible for transmission.

This novel swine influenza virus is an influenza A:H1N1 that is a recombinant including gene segments of chiefly swine and human origin. Laboratory studies indicate susceptibility to neuraminidase inhibitors (oseltamivir, zanamivir) but resistance to the adamantanes (amantadine, rimantidine). It is not known whether the sensitivity of rapid tests for human influenza A:H1N1 will be equivalent for swine influenza A:H1N1. Because the current cases are dispersed over a fairly wide geographic area, containment is not a feasible option, and attention is focusing on other tools to slow the spread of infection.

PHAC’s National Microbiology Laboratory is leading the diagnostic testing in Canada in collaboration with other provincial laboratories. Canadian laboratories are implementing guidelines for diagnostic testing and it is important for Infectious Disease specialists to learn the details of the target population for testing, specimen collection, handling and transport in accordance with the respective province or territory. At this time of year, local influenza activity is quite varied and provinces will vary in their local recommendations on testing.

The US CDC is prioritizing its testing queue to test those specimens that are most informative to the epidemiologic investigation and it is actively working on making diagnostic reagents for swine influenza available to other laboratories.

Canadian public health authorities emphasize that early detection has a direct impact on our ability to control the spread of emerging diseases. If the WHO pandemic influenza level is raised further, national pandemic preparedness measures will go into effect immediately. AMMI Canada urges you to reflect on steps you can take personally and professionally to be better prepared during this evolving situation. Please think proactively about finding the right balance of concern and preparedness.

AMMI Canada members are already working to ensure that influenza testing is performed on patients hospitalized with severe acute respiratory illness, and that clinical microbiology laboratories are able to provide specimens confirmed as influenza A to public health laboratories if requested. You should review your hospital’s pandemic plan and urge appropriate partners within the hospital (infection control, ED, laboratory, pharmacy, employee health office, administration, etc.) to do the same.

AMMI Canada members are likely to be seen as resources for their colleagues, institutions and communities, and we are committed to working together with other clinical, public health and international partners in support of our mutual goal to take the appropriate actions to prevent the spread of this virus.

Gerald A. Evans, MD FRCPC
President, AMMI Canada

For further information and media inquiries, contact:

Gwen Lovagi
Association of Medical Microbiology
and Infectious Disease (AMMI) Canada
101-298 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K2P 1M3
T: + 1 613-260-3233 x.104
F: + 1 613 260 3235
communications@ammi.ca
www.ammi.ca

Canadians to Feel the Impact of Infectious Disease Specialists Shortage

Ottawa, February 16, 2009 -- – The recent announcement that Newfoundland & Labrador will soon become another Canadian province without an infectious disease specialist has once again raised the threat posed by shortages in medical manpower. Infectious disease specialists and medical microbiologists diagnose and provide expertise in the management of human infections. These specialists are called upon to lead the fight against a host of serious health problems including: HIV/AIDS, hospital-acquired infections, pandemic influenza, food-borne infections, viral hepatitis and life-threatening infections like septic shock and flesh-eating disease. They also play a key role in vaccine preventable diseases, public health measures to prevent infections and infection control in health care settings.

The Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (AMMI) Canada is concerned about the shortage of specialists in Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology needed to maintain advances in the care of patients with infections, and the viability of infection control measures now mandated by public concerns surrounding C. difficile-associated disease and multi-drug resistant superbugs like MRSA. AMMI Canada, whose members are ID specialists and microbiologists, work to reduce the risk of infectious disease transmission in health-care settings and in the community. They do so by diagnosing and caring for patients with infections, running microbiology laboratories and participating in international, national and governmental panels and expert advisory groups in an effort to provide the needed knowledge and expertise on these threats to the health of Canadians.

With these front line specialists already pushed to capacity, what does the current and projected shortage of infectious disease doctors and medical microbiologists mean in the event of an emergency?

Influenza experts agree that another pandemic is likely to happen and when it does, it will occur quickly. It has been calculated that the world will face up to 233 million medical visits, 5.2 million hospital admissions and 7.4 million deaths globally, within a very short period¹. Canada will not be immune to this and its impact will be substantial.

The level of preparedness will have a dramatic influence on the outcome. “ID physicians will be at the forefront of our response to pandemic influenza, much as they were with SARS. A shortage of ID specialists and medical microbiologists will have a devastating effect on our ability to protect and care for Canadians from the impact of pandemic influenza when that occurs”, says Dr. Gerald Evans, President of AMMI Canada.

AMMI Canada specialists are pushing for continued preparedness in the upcoming fight against pandemic influenza and other infectious threats to human health. Research in other areas such as antibiotic resistance is another important contribution of AMMI Canada specialists. The ability to analyze and predict emerging trends in antibiotic use and resistance is essential to the health of Canadians. The effects of antibiotics are societal, in that antibiotic resistant organisms can also spread to individuals never even exposed to an antibiotic . AMMI Canada is working to develop an antimicrobial stewardship curriculum for Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease training programs, to provide new specialists with the skills to help other doctors use antibiotics appropriately. More doctors are urgently needed in these training programs, which take six years (after medical school) to produce a qualified ID specialist. Canada only produces 8-12 new ID specialists and medical microbiologists each year.

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) is aware of these challenges and is taking steps to reach a solution. In November 2008 the RCPSC held a consultation with the Canadian Medical Association, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, and the Federation of National Specialty Societies of Canada to address the problems facing the medical workforce. AMMI Canada was one of the participating specialty societies at that meeting. As initiatives such as the ones undertaken by RCPSC and the Pan-Canadian Health Human Resource Strategy continue to address these issues, the Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments must make funding available to safeguard the future of the Canadian Health Care System.

Download press release (pdf)

For further information and media inquiries, contact:

Gwen Lovagi
Association of Medical Microbiology
and Infectious Disease (AMMI) Canada
101-298 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K2P 1M3
T: + 1 613-260-3233 x.104
F: + 1 613 260 3235
communications@ammi.ca
www.ammi.ca