X INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON EPIDEMIOLOGY CONTROL OF VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES

The great convening of this meeting was a
benchmark in vector-borne disease control

On August 21 and 22, the X International Symposium on Epidemiology Control of Vector-Borne Diseases -organized every year by Mundo Sano Foundation-, was held at the Sheraton Hotel. More than 800 people from Latin America, United States and Spain gathered along with the best Argentinean and regional vector-borne disease specialists.

During the opening ceremony, Salón Libertador meeting room was crowded with more than 800 participants from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Spain, United States, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, who shared different conferences with the main national and regional experts.

Rodent-related issues were the main topics tackled in the morning of the first day with the participation of Héctor Coto, Alfredo Seijo, Francisco Polop and Daniel Salomón. In the afternoon, Jorge Bolpe and Eduardo Zerba continued with the presentation of epidemiology and vectors, and then Marcelo Scavuzzo, Ricardo Gürtler and Felipe Gulh, a molecular biologist from the University of Los Andes, did their presentation on dengue disease.

The second day continued with the approach on the mosquito vector presented by Héctor Masuh, Daniel Merino, Manuel Díaz and Manuel Espinosa. Said presentation referred to Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and community programs. The morning session was closed by Alvaro Moncayo from Latin American Network for vector control (RELCOV).

On the final day, Chagas disease was the last major issue tackled by Roberto Salvatella, David Gorla, Héctor Freilij, Ricardo Gúrtler and Joaquim Gascón. The latter is Chief of Tropical Medicine Division at Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, and he presented for the first time in this symposium, the experience of Chagas disease in a non-Latin America country.

The institutions joining this event were Pan American Health Organization, the Government of the City of Buenos Aires, the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Centro de Investigaciones en Plagas e Insecticidas (CONICET-CITEFA), and the Scientific Research and Technology Transfer Center, an institution dependent on CONICET [National Scientific and Technical Research Council]. On other hand, Chemotécnica, CHEMO Group, ELEA and Biogénesis were the event sponsors.

Summing up, the tenth edition of this scientific meeting ended with highly satisfactory results, and was a benchmark in vector-borne diseases for Argentina as well as for other regional countries.