Conference Service Mandl

abstract: The isirv International Symposium is envisioned as the first of an annual series of meeting to work toward identifying best practices in viral respiratory disease surveillance. The continuing occurrence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in humans and outbreaks of diseases such as SARS underscores the critical need to increase the exchange of information between epidemiologic and virologic human viral respiratory disease surveillance networks, and between human and animal surveillance networks. Various forms of unilateral and multilateral collaboration and assistance will be discussed with the goal of bringing developing countries closer to the international surveillance networks. Ongoing annual meetings are proposed to sustain the momentum towards achieving international consensus, as well as practical implementation of surveillance methods consistent with national and/or regional resources.