The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (and other cosponsors) will convene a conference to 1) encourage the exchange of scientific and public health information on global emerging infectious disease issues, 2) highlight programs and activities that address emerging infectious disease threats, 3) identify program gaps, 4) increase emerging infectious disease awareness in the public health and scientific communities, and 5) enhance partnerships in addressing emerging infectious diseases.

The meeting will host plenary sessions and symposia with invited speakers as well as oral and poster sessions based on accepted abstracts. Major topics will include current work on the surveillance, epidemiology, research, and prevention of emerging infectious diseases as well as on emergency preparedness and response. Abstracts should address new, reemerging, or drug resistant infectious diseases that affect human health, e.g., foodborne, tropical, sexually transmitted, and respiratory diseases; diseases transmitted by animals and arthropods or acquired in health care settings; diseases in infants and children, immunodeficient persons, and minority and other populations at risk; and diseases related to blood safety and xenotransplantation.

Conference attendance will be limited to 2,500 participants. Deadline for abstract submission is October 31, 1997. Proceedings of the conference will be published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal.

For additional information on registration and abstract submission go to http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/ncid.htm or call 202-942-9248.