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Volume 4, Issue 6(Suppl) J Infect Dis Ther
ISSN: 2332-0877 JIDT, an open access journal Influenza 2016
September 12-13, 2016
Page 20
Notes:
conferenceseries.com
Influenza
September 12-13, 2016 Berlin, Germany
2nd International Conference on
Kevin Downard, J Infect Dis Ther 2016, 4:6(Suppl)
Improved molecular surveillance and new therapeutic responses to the influenza virus using mass spectrometry
The influenza virus is one of the deadliest pathogens known to man, responsible for the death of the equivalent of 1 in
1000 humans who have ever lived. Seasonal influenza accounts for about 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness requiring
hospitalization and 250,000 to 500,000 deaths worldwide each year. A worldwide surveillance network, overseen by the WHO,
assesses circulating strains and makes recommendations for the annual vaccine formulation ahead of the flu season in both the
northern and southern hemisphere. Yet unforeseen evolutionary events, and growing resistance to current antiviral inhibitors,
can lead the population unprotected. Furthermore, limitations in current screening technologies can delay and negatively
impact on the implementation of effective infection controls. New molecular based surveillance technologies employing
advanced mass spectrometry and bioinformatic approaches offer advantages for the characterization of circulating strains, the
study of viral evolution and the identification and development of new antiviral inhibitors, including those based on natural
products. This presentation will review these approaches that have attracted interest from global surveillance laboratories and
have broader application to the study of other biopathogens which threaten human health.
Biography
Kevin Downard has obtained his Postdoctoral studies and held a subsequent academic position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after completing his
PhD degree from the University of Adelaide, Australia. For the past 18 years he has held Professorial academic positions in the USA and Australia. He has over
100 publications including two books and is internationally recognized in his field.
Kevin Downard
University of New South Wales, Australia