International Influenza Conference to Convene in September

Online, June 10, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Due to the recent H1N1 outbreak, and the continually-evolving influenza A strains, comprehensive pandemic research and planning has never been more vital. Options for the Control of Influenza VII will allow for the free-exchange of ideas between government agencies, academia and industry to discuss, debate and mitigate influenza prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment.

"Influenza is a disease of global relevance caused by an unpredictable virus," said Malik Peiris, Conference Chair and Scientific Director at Hong Kong University-Pasteur Research Center. "A multi-disciplinary and international approach is required to mitigate its impact and this is what the Options meeting tries to foster. Being the first meeting of the Options series to occur in the aftermath of a pandemic, with over 800 scientific abstracts already submitted, this meeting promises to be a landmark event."

Inter-disciplinary communication efforts at the Conference are heightened by a variety of formats to keep every type of learner engaged: poster sessions, oral abstract presentations, keynote addresses, translational sessions, scientific workshops, satellite meetings and even off-site cultural excursions. Discussions and presentations will be cutting edge in nature and international in scope.

Speaking topics include the following:
• Vaccines for H1N1v: Lessons Learned and Ensuring Global Access
• Improving Vaccines for Influenza
• Controversies in Clinical Care
• Transmission and Infection Control

A number of prominent organizations continue to attend the Conference, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Already secured sponsors include Crucell, Novartis, PATH, Roche, Sanofi Pasteur, and Wellcome Trust.

Launched in 1985, Options for the Control of Influenza has grown into the largest international conference devoted exclusively to influenza, covering every imaginable topic from basic science to health care policy. The Options series is coordinated by the International Society on Influenza and other Respiratory Diseases, (isirv).

Options VII will take place in Hong Kong SAR, China, 3-7 September 2010 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Full conference information and registration details can be found online at www.controlinfluenza.com and updates are sent out via Twitter at www.twitter.com/controlflu.