Scientific Session Topics

The Scientific Organizing Committee encourages you to submit abstracts that support the theme of the conference: Public Health Action towards Awareness, Prevention and Treatment. Preference will be given to abstracts that address public health issues and initiatives that pertain to the following areas of interest:

Epidemiology

This session will discuss recent epidemiologic results that impact awareness, prevention and treatment of congenital CMV. Topics may include:

• Prevalence of infection
• Frequency of symptomatic and asymptomatic sequelae and impairments
• Epidemiologic similarities and differences between and within countries
• Passive and active surveillance systems
• Treatment registries

Pathogenesis

This session will address the biology of CMV infection in the pregnant woman and fetus, and explore ways in which CMV infection in the pregnant woman causes injury at the placental level and damage to the fetus. Topics may include:

• CMV replication at the uterine-placental interface
• Primary and recurrent infections during pregnancy
• Correlates of maternal immunity and fetal protection

Public Awareness/Behavioral Interventions

This session will explore ways to enhance awareness of congenital CMV among women, health care providers, policy makers and other priority groups. The session will also discuss methods and strategies to promote behavioral change among women through effective behavioral interventions. Topics may include:

• Research needs and goals
• Applications of behavioral change theories
• Collaborations and partnership opportunities for interventions
• Development of prevention messages, communications and strategies including new media (e.g. social networks, blogs, podcasts, etc.)
• Methods of evaluation

Vaccines

This session will provide an overview of CMV vaccine programs and an update on current clinical trials. Topics may include:

• Correlates of immunity for protection of the fetus
• Logistics, barriers, and designs of vaccine trials
• Selection of priority populations for a vaccine
• Current developments
• Cost-benefit analysis

Prenatal Diagnosis and Treatment

This session will explore the current methodologies, interpretations, use and controversies related to prenatal diagnosis and treatment options for pregnant women. Topics may include:

• Potential benefits and drawbacks of prenatal diagnosis and treatment
• Available tests and interpretations
• Testing algorithms
• New treatments

Newborn Screening

This session will focus on the potential benefits, risks and challenges of newborn screening to detect potential hearing loss and identify appropriate treatments. Topics may include:

• Laboratory methods
• Healthcare implications
• Clinical management
• Costs of screening
• Policy considerations

Postnatal Treatment

This session will focus on medical and nonmedical treatments for children born with congenital CMV. Topics may include:

• Benefits and risks of treatments
• Considerations when selecting treatments according to patient need
• Lifelong management of a child with congenital CMV (e.g. sensory, neurological, developmental, family and lifestyle challenges)
• Antiviral drug therapies