Communicable Diseases Control Conference 26-28 June 2017

The Communicable Diseases Control (CDC) Conference 2017, convened by the Communicable Diseases Network Australia, the Public Health Laboratory Network and the Public Health Association of Australia, is to be held in Melbourne from Monday 26 to Wednesday 28 June
2017.

In 2017 the Conference theme will be ‘Infectious Diseases: a global challenge’, the theme will allow consideration of the threats to health security from old and new infectious agents, and the increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance. In particular, the conference will examine how the interconnected world facilitates spread of infection.

We are entering a new phase where genome sequencing data on human pathogens offers exciting potential to reveal novel insights into transmission, pathogenicity and emergence. This opportunity is accompanied by challenges, including appropriate skills and approaches to analyse and interpret the meaning of unprecedented quantities of data. Moreover, the introduction of new technology in laboratories and primary care threatens the ability to conduct high-quality laboratory-based surveillance. These new technologies have also stimulated debate in Australia and internationally about the importance of different microbiological agents as potential pathogens.

The conference theme will allow attendees to take stock of international attempts to control and eliminate infectious diseases, and the potential role that Australia and other countries in the region play in this endeavour.

More information can be found here.