2012 London Olympics at the 2012 ISDS Conference

Expanding Collaborations to Chart a New Course in

Public Health Surveillance

Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina

1380 Harbor Island Drive | San Diego, California 92101

Image Source[2]: Flight patterns to London, UK.

Are you obsessed with the 2012 Olympic games in London? Maybe you’ve even called in sick to work in order to watch your favorite events? Well, come December, we will remind you of all the Olympic excitement and you can even bring the Olympics back to work! The 2012 ISDS Scientific Program Committee is developing a panel on Disease Surveillance for Mass Gatherings for this year’s Conference agenda and is pleased to announce that Dr. Brian McCloskey, Health Protection Agency (HPA), will present on this panel.

Dr. McCloskey is the Regional Director for the HPA in London and he has had the lead role in planning for the 2012 London Olympics. He has also worked with the World Health Organization’s Mass Gatherings Advisory Group since 2008, helping develop their guidance and toolkit. Dr. McCloskey was quoted in an article published in the Chicago Tribune, “There’s the potential to increase the importation and spread of disease we don’t normally see in London.” In order to prepare for this potential, Dr. McCloskey and his colleagues significantly increased disease surveillance activities throughout the country.

Dr. McCloskey will bring this wealth of experience to San Diego December 4-5^th so that you may bring this knowledge back to your public health agency to help inform preparations for the next mass gathering nearest you.   

Reference:

1. Hamzelou J. Crowded places like the Olympics breeding grounds for disease. Chicago Tribune. 25 July 2012. View here.
2. Image Source: BIO.DIASPORA AT ST MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL, TORONTO.

Additional Articles and Publications:

1. Heinsbroek E, Said B, Kirkbride H. A new surveillance system for undiagnosed serious infectious illness for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Eurosurveillance. 2012;17(31). Available here.
2. Cressey D and Callaway E. Science at the Olympics: Team science. Nature. 18 July 2012. View here.
3. Olympic Games draws in huge crowds… and germs. Metro News. 23 July 2012. View here.