Emerging Infectious Diseases: Understanding, Prevention, and Response

Event Description

ESCMID Foundation Course:

This three-day interactive course on "Emerging Infectious Diseases: Understanding, Prevention, and Response" is topical for the broad ESCMID membership as it addresses the dynamic and evolving nature of infectious diseases, a core concern for clinical microbiologists and infectious disease specialists. The course is appropriate for public health practitioners, practicing microbiology, virology, travel medicine, intensive care and infectious diseases clinicians and researchers, regardless of where they reside in the world. This course will provide participants with the knowledge and skills that are essential in an era marked by frequent outbreaks and global health threats such as COVID-19, antimicrobial resistance, and zoonotic diseases. Importantly, the course emphasizes a One Health approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. By equipping participants with advanced understanding and practical strategies, the course enhances their capacity to contribute to public health, and advance the field through research and collaboration, aligning with ESCMID's mission to promote excellence in clinical microbiology and infectious disease management. Participants in this course will gain a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of emerging infectious diseases, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify, prevent, and respond to new and re-emerging pathogens.

Intended audience:

Scientists, Medical Practitioners and Specialists, and Clinical and Laboratory Staff interested in Public Health (prevention, surveillance, policy making), Infectious Diseases, Intensive Care, Travel Medicine, Microbiology or Virology. The course is designed to educate early career researchers, medical trainees and those established in related topic areas as building a robust network to respond to emerging infections is essential. Delegates from academic, industry, and other backgrounds are welcome.

Objectives:

• Identify the defining features and criteria of emerging infectious diseases and differentiate between emerging, re-emerging, and endemic infectious diseases.
• Analyse the historical impact of major outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics and extract lessons learned to inform current practices.
• Assess the role of environmental changes and socioeconomic conditions in the emergence and spread of infectious diseases.
• Explore mechanisms of microbial evolution and their implications for disease emergence.
• Investigate how global travel and trade facilitate the spread of infectious diseases.
• Integrate One Health approaches to understand and manage human, animal, and environmental health interfaces.
• Articulate the critical role of surveillance in managing EIDs and evaluate various surveillance methods and limitations of laboratory-based techniques.
• Analyse example surveillance systems and tools for real-time disease tracking and prediction.
• Incorporate molecular epidemiology into surveillance and response strategies and develop early warning systems for prompt outbreak response.
• Evaluate the outcomes of host-pathogen interactions, considering factors like age and immune status, and the impact this can have on transmission dynamics.
• Identify diseases spread through direct contact, indirect transmission, zoonotic transmission, and vector-borne diseases, along with their preventative strategies and control measures.
• Analyse the emergence, clinical features, epidemiology, management, and public health impact of recent outbreaks (e.g., COVID-19, zoonotic influenza, Ebola, Zika, Chikungunya, MERS, dengue fever).
• Develop Evidence-based policies and strategies for infectious disease prevention and control, considering ethical, legal, and cultural aspects.
• Evaluate the role of international health regulations and policies in managing EIDs and propose improvements for future challenges.

Course coordinator:

Nitin Gupta
Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India

Organiser:

Emerging Infections Subcommittee, ESCMID

Supported by:

ESGCIP - Critical Ill Patients,
ESGEM - Epidemiological Markers,
EFWISG - Food and Water-borne Infections,
ESGMD - Genomic and Molecular Diagnostic,
ESGIE - Infections in the Elderly,
ESGPHM - Public Health Microbiology,
ESGREV - Respiratory Viruses,
EVASG - Vaccines,
ESGVM - Veterinary Microbiology

Accreditation:

The ESCMID Education team will apply for accreditation to the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME®).

Certification:

Course organisers will monitor attendance. Only participants attending live sessions will be able to receive the certification.

Each participant can only receive the number of credits according to actual participation in the event and upon completion of the feedback survey.

Course Venue:

Hotel ILUNION Alcora Sevilla
41920 San Juan de Aznalfarache, Seville, Spain 
www.ilunionalcorasevilla.com

Accommodation:

The registration fee includes accommodation for the nights of 20, 21 and 22nd of October at the venue hotel:
Hotel ILUNION Alcora Sevilla
41920 San Juan de Aznalfarache, Seville, Spain 
www.ilunionalcorasevilla.com

Downloads

• Programme

Registration Fees

The registration fee includes full access to the course and accommodation at the venue hotel for 3 nights.

The ESCMID Attendance Grant does not cover travel expenses.