Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Pandemic Field and Epidemiologic Investigations

 

 

 

# 5145

 

While not terribly severe, the pandemic of 2009 has been perhaps the most intently studied infectious disease outbreak in the history of medical science.

 

Although there is still much to learn, studies conducted over the past 18 months have helped to bring much needed insight to the field of influenza research.

 

Yesterday the CDC, in a press release, announced the availability of more than two dozen research articles in the January, 2011 supplemental issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

 

New Articles Highlight the Science Behind Government's Response to 2009 H1N1 Pandemic

For Immediate Release: December 14, 2010
Contact:
CDC Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

WHAT

A series of studies published today in a supplement to the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID) provide a unique look at the science that guided the Federal Government's response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.

Topics covered include the impact of the pandemic on society, disease transmission and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies, historical perspectives on the significance of the pandemic compared to prior pandemics, and assessments of preparedness efforts made prior to and following the pandemic.

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To view the table of contents, and to view the abstracts or complete full texts, follow this link:

 

The 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic: Field and Epidemiologic Investigations

Volume 52 suppl 1 January 1, 2011

 

Cover

 

For an excellent overview, I can think of no better place to start than with last night’s report by  Lisa Schnirring at CIDRAP

 

Studies show science behind CDC pandemic response

Lisa Schnirring * Staff Writer

Dec 14, 2010 (CIDRAP News) – The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today published a detailed look at the early field and epidemiologic studies it used to guide its response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, such as spread among household contacts, disease severity, and the impact on high-risk groups.

 

The 29 reports, all of which are freely available, appear today in an early online supplement of Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID) that is sponsored by the CDC. Topics range from epidemiologic and surveillance methods used by the CDC to clinical characteristics and disease burden.

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Since the weather outside has been frightful, I fully expect to spend some quality time over the holidays catching up with my scientific reading – starting with these articles.