A Survey of the Impact of
H1N1 Infection in Patients
with Cystic
FibrosisFrom: Prof. Eitan
Kerem and Prof. Baroukh M.
Assael
Dear colleague,
In spring 2009 the WHO
declared the H1N1 flu a
pandemic. The rates of
infection are increasing
worldwide, and in the
northern hemisphere the peak
is expected to be reached
this winter. The full impact
of the current pandemic is
not yet clear.
Patients with CF are
considered at high risk for
severe sequelae and death
caused by the H1N1 virus.
However, no data exist on
the real consequences of
H1N1 on CF lung disease.
The purpose of this survey
is to collect information on
documented cases of patients
with CF infected with the
H1N1 virus, which includes
general characteristics of
CF and data on the clinical
status prior to and post
infection, including
hospitalizations and
mortality.
We hope that this will be
helpful for planning
prevention, vaccination and
tretments program in the
future, since we will have
to face yearly, seasonal and
periodical pandemic
influenza outbreaks.
We prepared a short
anonymous questionnaire,
accessible via the ECFS
website, in order to collect
relevant data. We hope that
all CF centers will
collaborate for this
important survey. We did our
best to make it simple, but
still informative. Data will
be stored at the server of
the CF Center in Verona,
Italy, and the results will
be available to all of you
via the ECFS website and its
newsletter.
All instructions to enter
data are available on the
ECFS website (www.ecfs.eu).
We are indebted to the
president of ECFS, Prof.
Stuart Elborn and the ECFS
board for their cooperation
and for making available the
ECFS site for this important
project.
All the collaborating
centers will be acknowledged
and we hope to be able to
present a preliminary
analysis of the data at the
next ECFS meeting in
Valencia.
From the ECFS Diagnostic
Network Working Group
The ECFS Diagnostic Network
Working Group will hold
their next meeting in Paris,
12-13 February 2010. There
will be awards of 500 Euro
each for 4 young
investigators who orally
present their work in the
field of CF diagnosis at the
meeting. Interested young
researchers are invited to
send an informal abstract by
December 18, 2009 to:
Prof. Michael Wilschanski
Director, Pediatric
Gastroenterology Unit
Hadassah University Hospital
Mount Scopus POB 24035
Jerusalem, Israel 91240
michaelwil4@gmail.com
2010 ECFS Conferences Information about the 2010 ECFS conferences is now
available on the Society's
website:
www.ecfs.eu
If
you have not already done
so, please remember to renew
your membership subscription
for 2010 to ensure continued
receipt of the Journal of
Cystic Fibrosis. Membership
subscriptions can be paid
online via the Society's
website.
European Cystic Fibrosis Society
A Survey of the Impact of H1N1 Infection in Patients with Cystic
FibrosisFrom: Prof. Eitan Kerem and Prof. Baroukh M. Assael
Dear colleague,
In spring 2009 the WHO declared the H1N1 flu a pandemic. The rates of infection are increasing worldwide, and in the northern hemisphere the peak is expected to be reached this winter. The full impact of the current pandemic is not yet clear.
Patients with CF are considered at high risk for severe sequelae and death caused by the H1N1 virus. However, no data exist on the real consequences of H1N1 on CF lung disease.
The purpose of this survey is to collect information on documented cases of patients with CF infected with the H1N1 virus, which includes general characteristics of CF and data on the clinical status prior to and post infection, including hospitalizations and mortality.
We hope that this will be helpful for planning prevention, vaccination and tretments program in the future, since we will have to face yearly, seasonal and periodical pandemic influenza outbreaks.
We prepared a short anonymous questionnaire, accessible via the ECFS website, in order to collect relevant data. We hope that all CF centers will collaborate for this important survey. We did our best to make it simple, but still informative. Data will be stored at the server of the CF Center in Verona, Italy, and the results will be available to all of you via the ECFS website and its newsletter.
All instructions to enter data are available on the ECFS website (www.ecfs.eu). We are indebted to the president of ECFS, Prof. Stuart Elborn and the ECFS board for their cooperation and for making available the ECFS site for this important project.
All the collaborating centers will be acknowledged and we hope to be able to present a preliminary analysis of the data at the next ECFS meeting in Valencia.
From the ECFS Diagnostic Network Working Group
The ECFS Diagnostic Network Working Group will hold their next meeting in Paris, 12-13 February 2010. There will be awards of 500 Euro each for 4 young investigators who orally present their work in the field of CF diagnosis at the meeting. Interested young researchers are invited to send an informal abstract by December 18, 2009 to:
Prof. Michael Wilschanski
Director, Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit
Hadassah University Hospital
Mount Scopus POB 24035
Jerusalem, Israel 91240
michaelwil4@gmail.com
2010 ECFS Conferences
Information about the 2010 ECFS conferences is now available on the Society's website: www.ecfs.eu
7th Basic Science Conference - Carcavelos, Portugal 7 - 10 April.
33rd European Cystic Fibrosis Conference - Valencia, Spain 16-19 June.
2010 Membership Subscriptions
If you have not already done so, please remember to renew your membership subscription for 2010 to ensure continued receipt of the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. Membership subscriptions can be paid online via the Society's website.
ECFS, Kastanieparken 7, 7470 Karup, Denmark www.ecfs.eu