Re: Travel to Brazil for the World Congress, 2016
Dear Colleagues,
As you know the local and International committees have been working hard to bring together what promises to be an excellent ISSHP World Congress in Sao Paulo this October.
Needless to say the Zika virus issue has come at a bad time for us. We have done much soul searching about how to manage this issue, even considering whether or not we should cancel the meeting.
However, being good scientists we have looked at the facts rather than the front page media stories; the WHO and CDC sites in particular are helpful. Overall, the likelihood of Zika being a significant issue in Sao Paulo is quite small. The areas that are currently affected within Brazil are a long way from Sao Paulo.
Nevertheless, each of us needs to decide on balance whether we wish to attend and I feel that the responsible view for our Society is not to pretend the issue isn’t happening but rather offer some balanced public health facts that will allow each of us to make up our own mind.
I have attached below a summary of the information the Local Organising committee has placed on the conference website. I hope this provides balanced information and that we have a great attendance at the meeting. I look forward to seeing you there.
Best wishes,
Mark Brown
ISSHP President
Our Local Organising Committee is keenly aware of the concerns you may have about Zika virus, due to growing media attention about this subject. We have been working to provide the best factual knowledge to our delegates.
Like all tropical areas of the world, Brazil has areas that favour the presence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The past six months have seen reported cases of microcephaly possibly associated with Zika. While this warrants a worldwide alert situation, the WHO has not made recommendations to avoid travel to Brazil or other affected areas.
It is important to note that the vast majority of Zika and microcephaly reported cases are located in the northeast of Brazil, thousands of miles from Sao Paulo.
Summer and periods of rain favour the proliferation of mosquitoes. In Sao Paulo October we will be in the spring and this time the rains are scarcer. In addition, the congress venue is fully urbanized and the risks, if any, are minimal.
We feel it is in your best interest to have access to the most accurate and objective medical information about this, as opposed to sensationalized media coverage or personal rumours. As such, we provide you with links below that clarify the situation from credible medical and public health perspectives.
Given the medical facts available to us, we are convinced that our Congress can be conducted in a safe manner.
With our best wishes
Organizing Committee:
Nelson Sass, MD, PhD – Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP).
Leandro G. De Oliveira, MD, PhD – State University of São Paulo (UNESP).
José Geraldo Lopes Ramos, MD, PhD – Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).”
