Project Listing

Expansion of Networks

Title: International Circumpolar Surveillance of Emerging Infectious Diseases - Progress update (pdf)

Summary of Activity

The goal of the International Circumpolar Surveillance (ICS) project is to establish an integrated surveillance network linking hospitals and public health laboratories throughout the Arctic for the purpose of monitoring emerging and reemerging infectious disease problems within Arctic communities, and assist in the formulation of preventive strategies. The current network monitors invasive bacterial diseases in the U.S. Arctic (Alaska) and northern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Finland, and northern Sweden. Data is shared and the impact of interventions such as vaccines can be monitored over time. While ICS provides a model for international cooperation on infectious disease prevention and control, the model can be applied to the prevention and control of non infectious diseases and health conditions of concern to Arctic residents and these can be added to this system as the need and resources allow. Proposed ICS IPY 2007-2008 activities include: 1) Expansion of ICS to include the northern and far eastern regions of the Russian Federation. 2) The convening of infectious disease working group meetings with infectious disease specialists from northern regions and far eastern of the Russian Federation, to assess the infectious disease problems, surveillance methods, interventions and the training needs of infectious disease specialists in these regions. 3) The development of collaborative arrangements for infectious disease information exchange and inclusion of northern and far eastern regions of the Russian Federation in ICS system 4) Initiate an ICS International Fellowship program(2007-2008) 5) Expansion of ICS to monitor tuberculosis in circumpolar countries. 6) Expansion of ICS to include non infectious diseases, such as injuries, chronic diseases, and birth defects 7) Initiation of research projects to evaluate the long term sequellae of chronic hepatitis b infections indigenous populations of the Arctic, the investigation of the natural history of Helicobacter pylori in Arctic communities, the investigation of the emergence and potential control of invasive bacterial diseases caused by non vaccine serotypes of Haemophilus influenzae. 8) Initiation of a community based monitoring system for the detection of zoonotic diseases in subsistence animal species.

Contact:

Dr Alan Parkinson
Arctic Investigations Program
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
4055 Tudor Centre Drive. Anchorage Alaska
99508
USA
Tel: 907 729 3407
Mobile: no
Fax: 907 729 3429
Email: ajp1@cdc.gov