Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control
(Smittskyddsinstitutet, abbr. 'SMI'), Stockholm, Sweden
Contact person
Professor Annika LindeEPI/SMI
SMI
SE - 171 82 Solna, Sweden
Tel +46 8 457 23 60
Fax +46 8 30 06 26
Description of the institute
SMI is situated in north central Stockholm. It is a government institute under the Ministry for Health and Social Affairs.There are seven five departments, five of which are mainly laboratory-based: bacteriology, virology, immunology, parasitology, and the bio-preparedness programme. The sixth is epidemiology, where the EPIET fellows are based. There are also one administrative department
The laboratories serve as reference laboratories for microbiology in Sweden, and are also research intense. Important sub-typing for epidemiology is carried out there, e.g. salmonella, VTEC, tuberculosis, MRSA, HIV, hepatitis, etc. Some 250 people work at the institute, and there are another 100 researchers on 'soft money'. The Institute is situated at the campus of the Karolinska Institute Medical University, and can use its academic facilities. Connections are also close with the veterinary organisation in Sweden, with the National Veterinary Institue, Swedish Food Administration, with the Medical Products Agency (esp. concerning vaccines and antibiotic resistance problems), and with the 21 regional offices for communicable disease control. Much epidemiological work is carried out in consort between one of the lab units and the epidemiology unit.
In Sweden, the legal authority for communicable disease control lies with the 21 Consultants in Communicable Disease Control (CCDCs), one for each county. Localised outbreaks are usually handled at this level, and the active support from the CCDC's for any trainee of the EPIET programme is well established since several years. The continuing education, up dating and support of the CCDC's and their staff are some of the main responsibilities of the SMI.
Staff
6 medical doctors
2 post-doc
8 epidemiologists
6 statisticians
4 general office staff
2 coordinators
5 systems programmers, hired from the Administrative Department serve the web-bases surveillance system
At present, three PhD students are linked to the unit.
Training opportunities
The Department of Epidemiology is also the Unit for Infectious Disease Epidemiology of the Karolinska Institute Medical University, with a responsibility for teaching and research. Courses are taught at the basic medical student level, as part of continuing medical education for infectious disease clinicians/microbiologists, and as components of PhD programmes. Connections with other epidemiology and public health departments of the Karolinska are close and informal. The main projects of the Department of Epidemiology are (no particular order)-
Surveillance of all reportable and other
important infectious diseases, in particular;
- surveillance of water-borne and food-borne outbreaks (much co-operation with other EU countries and the Swedish Food Administration)
- detailed STD surveillance
- continuing surveillance and detailed analyses of the HIV epidemic, including risk behaviour and transmission patterns
- surveillance of influenza and viral gastrentrits
- surveillance of and work plans against antibiotic resistance
- continuing work on improving criteria for reporting (clinical and laboratory)
- mathematical models for epidemics (together with Dept. of Mathematical Statistics, Stockholm University)
- continuing up-grading of the electronic network for all clinical and laboratory reporting of infectious diseases in Sweden (SmiNet2)
- organising and educating outbreak investigation teams for national and international purpose
- conducting case-control and cohort studies based on information from routine surveillance
- development of GIS system
Excellent library with full-time staff at Karolinska Institute, 3 minutes walk. Access to own PC (SMI support) with connection to internal mail system and Internet. Full possibility to take part in SMI seminars (usually in English), and lectures at the Karolinska Institute (often in English).
Training supervision
- Annika Linde, MD, PhD, professor of Virology. State Epidemiologist for Sweden
- Anders Blaxhult, MD, PhD, associate professor of infectious diseases. Primarily involved in issues concerning STD and antibiotic resistance.
- Yvonne Andersson, epidemiologist, M.P.H. Background as microbiologist and public health inspector. Long experience with food-borne and water-borne outbreaks, also from developing countries.
Language requirements
English will go a long way in Sweden. Departmental meetings held in English when required. For hands-on experience in outbreak investigations, a working knowledge of Swedish is necessary. (Most of the non-Scandinavian EPIET fellows so far have been able to function well in Swedish after 3-5 months.)Training history
Number of EPIET fellows trained at institute: 12 (1995, 1996 [2], 1997, 1998,2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 [2], 2006, 2007)Number of alumni at institute: two
Available as a training site for cohort 14: Yes