ESCAIDE 2008

European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology (ESCAIDE)
Berlin from 19-21 November, 2008
Jointly organised by:
ECDC, EPIET; EAN, TEPHINET EUROPE

More information will be published as it becomes available

Newsletter April 2008

Update on the EPIET programme office

The EPIET inside ECDC programme office is now complete. Anna Bohlin and Claudia Metz-Ruffer, the administrators and Viviane Bremer, the EPIET chief coordinator, are based at ECDC in Stockholm.

The other coordinators, Marion Muehlen (100%), Alicia Barrasa (100%), and Brigitte Helynck (50%) are based in Germany, Spain and France. From April 2008, Richard Pebody will move to a full position in the Centre for Infections, UK. Thank you Richard and we will miss you!!

Arnold Bosman is now working as a senior expert in training at ECDC. He is not involved in the supervision of fellows anymore.

Selection cohort 14

The selection process of EPIET cohort 14 is in full swing and in the previous week all candidates have been informed about the result of the first selection round. In total 35 out of 93 candidates have been selected for the second round, which is to decide on the three most preferred training sites. The final selection interviews will take place between May12 -14 in Stockholm.

Past and upcoming modules

• The Computer tools in outbreak investigation module for cohort 13 was held in Sesimbra, Portugal in January 2008. Cohort 13, PAE and FETP fellows as well as external participants from Portugal, Finland and Slovenia participated in this module.

• The Multivariate Analysis module for cohort 12 and 13 will be held in Stockholm 7th -11th of April. Topics of the module include an introduction to linear, logistic and Poisson regression. No available seats for external participants.

• The Time Series Analysis module will be held in June. This module is optional for cohort 12 and 13. No available seats for external participants.

• The Project Review module will be held in the first week of September. This module is compulsory for cohort 12 and 13. No available seats for external participants.

International Assignments

WHO-Europe mission in Moldova
Helen Bernard (PAE cohort 12) and Norbert Schwarz (EPIET cohort 12) supported a WHO-Europe mission in Moldova. Moldova is experiencing a large outbreak of mumps, though the majority of cases are vaccinated. The objectives of the assignment were to describe the mumps outbreak and define risk factors and population at risk. Helen and Norbert carried out a cohort study in several affected schools to identify risk factors for mumps vaccine failure. The results will be made available soon to the Moldavian Ministry of Health.

Oscar Kamga-Wambo (PAE cohort 13) has left on March 30 for a WHO mission in Burkina Faso. The terms of reference include a descriptive study of the 2008 meningitis epidemics as well as the estimation of vaccine effectiveness to investigate reasons for the recurrent outbreaks and provide recommendations for further studies. He will be supervised by Alice Crosier, EPIET alumnus.

International Courses

The WHO-GSS and MVN Advanced Workshop-II for Central and Eastern Europe was held in Warsaw, Poland from February 24-29, 2008. Camelia Savulescu (EPIET cohort 13) and Werner Espelage (PAE cohort 12) participated as facilitators in this course.

EPIET coordinators (Alicia Barrasa, Viviane Bremer), EPIET (Ariane Halm, cohort 13) and PEAC fellows (Jaume Gimenez-Duran) supported the 2nd Introduction to Epidemiology Training Courses, held between 2nd and 22nd of March in Turkey. The course covered outbreak investigation, epidemiological methods and surveillance.