Monitoring invasive bacterial diseases in the North American Arctic via the International Circumpolar Surveillance Project

Abstract

This paper summarizes the most recent Invasive Bacterial Diseases (IBD) Working Group meeting of the International Circumpolar Surveillance (ICS) project. The ICS is a population-based surveillance network for invasive bacterial diseases that provides a mechanism to determine changes in incidence rates and antimicrobial resistance. The meeting took place in Montreal, Canada on February 12-13, 2014. Data were included from participating Canadian provincial and territorial jurisdictions as well as from the State of Alaska. This report is based on the audio records of the meeting as well as the meeting presentations.The ICS IBD Working Group focuses on invasive diseases caused by: Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp), Neisseria meningitidis (Nm), Haemophilus influenzae (Hi), Group A Streptococcus (GAS) and Group B Streptococcus (GBS). Data on invasive disease caused by each of these organisms were reviewed through December 2012-2013. Although the incidence of some of these vaccine-preventable invasive diseases has decreased, emergence of H. influenzae serotype a (Hia) in both Alaska and Northern Canada was noted. An interlaboratory quality control (QC) program is ongoing to monitor laboratory proficiencies for serotyping.

The emerging Haemophilus influenzae serotype a infection and a potential vaccine: Implementation science in action

“…At the time, laboratory surveillance activities at the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) had identified a significant percentage of serotype a isolates that were responsible for invasive H. influenzae disease (20). Consultation with the Council of Provincial and Territorial Medical Officers of Health and the subsequent review of invasive Hia data from the northern Canadian territories collected via the International Circumpolar Surveillance System confirmed that Hia was a significant emerging pathogen (21,22) causing severe invasive disease for which no vaccine was currently available. Building on the success of the Hib conjugate vaccine developed in the 1980s for control of invasive Hib disease, the similarities of the biology of Hia and Hib, and the diseases they cause, research was initiated to lay the foundation for developing a Hia conjugate vaccine.…”