Human Swine Flu Update

Update on June 11th, 2009. The WHO has raised its H1N1 alert level to 6, the highest possible. The increase in the alert level is a reflection of the geographic spread of the virus and not of its severity. The WHO is not advocating any travel bans or trade restrictions. Thus, we expect that all conference activities will proceed as planned.

As you may be aware, there is a health alert in Canada concerning the H1N1 virus (Human Swine Flu). A number of cases have been reported in Canada, including Montreal. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has taken a number of actions to slow down the spread of the disease.

At this time, the outbreak of the virus appears to have been controlled and the situation is stable. All business, social and personal activities in Montreal and in Canada are proceeding as normal and unaffected by the health alert.

ICDCS 2009 organizers are aware of the situation and are monitoring the developments. At the present time, we expect no changes to the conference plans or activities due to the health alert. Please monitor the conference's web pages for any updates.

For more information on the H1N1 health alert, please consult your local health organization. Also feel free to consult the web site of the Public Health Agency of Canada:

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-alerte/swine_200904-eng.php

This web site details the actions taken by PHAC to control the virus outbreak and has daily updates on the situation in Canada, including the number of cases reported in Quebec.