Congenital Cytomegalovirus Conference - Congenital CMV ...

Welcome to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, the host of the
2008 Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Conference!
The 2008 Conference represents the largest gathering ever of clinicians and researchers focused on
the prevention and control of congenital CMV disease. This truly interdisciplinary Conference includes
pediatricians, obstetrician/gynecologists, epidemiologists, virologists, immunologists, vaccinologists,
as well as experts in laboratory diagnostics, newborn screening, health promotion, and advocacy.
Participants hail from over 20 countries and nearly 30 U.S. states. We applaud your efforts to fight this
prevalent and serious disease.
The 2008 Conference continues the tradition started by the first Congenital CMV Conference, held in
Orvieto, Italy in 2006. The theme of the 2008 Conference is “Public Health Action Towards Awareness,
Prevention, and Treatment”. The purpose is to bring together researchers and clinicians from various
fields to discuss the latest research on congenital CMV infection and how these findings can be
translated into public health action to improve outcomes among women and children.
Significant advances have been made in congenital CMV research, including a better understanding
of virus transmission and disease outcomes, promising treatments for pregnant women and infected
newborns, and novel vaccine candidates. We are confident that this Conference will generate new ideas
and better implementation of existing ideas.
An exciting feature of the 2008 Conference is a parallel program for families with children affected by
congenital CMV. Planned for Thursday, November 7th, this program includes talks by family members
and specialists in the fields of congenital CMV research and clinical care, as well as experts in fundraising
and advocacy. We are pleased to offer this opportunity for knowledge-sharing and networking among
families and the researcher community.
Despite the high disease burden of congenital CMV, prevention and control efforts have faced the
persistent challenge of low public awareness. A highlight of the Conference is a lunchtime forum on
Thursday, November 7 th , where two renowned experts will discuss the role of advocacy in the prevention
of childhood diseases and disabilities: Dr. Godfrey Oakley, instrumental in the introduction of folic acid
supplementation for the prevention of neural tube defects, and Dr. Jennifer Howse, the President of the
March of Dimes Foundation, which has played a major role in improving children’s health in the U.S. We
encourage all to attend this special forum.
Thank you for participating in the 2008 Congenital CMV Conference. We hope you have a wonderful
experience that sets the stage for the 2010 conference!
Sincerely,
Michael Cannon & Lenore Pereira
Co-organizers