Title: Beware of Mosquito-borne diseases

Contents 
-  Chikungunya outbreak in New Caledonia in 2011 - status report as at 22 August 2011 
- Seroprevalence of pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 infection among pregnant women in New Caledonia, 2011 
- Syndromic surveillance system in Palau
- Syndromic surveillance in French Polynesia
- Syndromic Surveillance in the Pacific as at June 2011
- North Pacific Lab Managers addressing trends in healthcare
- Dengue Vaccine is main topic of the 2011 Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Dengue Prevention Board
- Aedes vectors in Tonga: identification for improved surveillance and control
Access all the articles on line...

A workshop aimed at reviewing and strengthening current influenza surveillance systems in the Pacific Island region was held in Fiji in September 2011.

Outbreaks of influenza can occur at any time of the year in Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs), with the continual movement of people in and out of the region. The disease can also spread easily between PICTs, as demonstrated during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.

‘We try to make sure that all PICTs, including the most remote islands, can send samples for testing to laboratories for detection and identification of influenza viruses,’ said Salanieta Elbourne, Laboratory Specialist at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).

Dr. Yvan Souarès was recently appointed Manager of SPC’s Public Health Division’s Disease Control, Surveillance and
Research Unit. He is very familiar with the region since he served as SPC Epidemiologist from 1993 to 2002. He is also
one of the founders of the Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network (PPHSN).

In his new role, and on behalf of the PPHSN Coordinating Body Secretariat, Dr Souarès intends to make PPHSN a key instrument for strengthening ties with SPC’s PICT members, Coordination Body partner members and network associates. He will put both his experience and convictions to work for PPHSN, by placing the coordination, effectiveness and sustainability of services to the PICTs at
the very heart of his new duties.

Contents:
- H1N1 influenza vaccination campaign in American Samoa,
- Diarrhoeal disease outbreak investigation in Guadalcanal and Honiara Provinces
- Success and lessons learned from DDM training in Solomon Islands
- Fiji sharpens skills on vector mosquito identification, surveillance and control
- Training/EpiNet team capacity building on the agenda of the 17th PPHSN Coordinating Body meeting
- Regional Workshop LabNet 2010 promoting the ‘One Health’ approach
- Post-pandemic H1N1 2009 message from PRIPPP
Access these articles on line