Abstract Submission Deadline Reminder and
Session Announcement
"Risks to Human Health from a Changing Arctic"
Arctic Science Summit Week
Bergen, Norway
23-28 March 2009
Abstract Submission Deadline: Monday, 5 January 2009
For further information, please go to:
http://www.imr.no/assw2009/start
Organizers of the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) invite abstracts for
the session "Risks to Human Health from a Changing Arctic." Organizers
would also like to remind the community that the deadline for abstract
submissions for this and all other sessions is Monday, 5 January 2009.
For more information, and to submit an abstract, please go to:
http://www.imr.no/assw2009/start.
Session Description:
Health is a central theme for human well-being. The increase of
contaminants in the Arctic has been documented for many years, and
continues to rise. How PCBs, PAHs, mercury and other pollutants are
affecting human health is only beginning to be understood. Another
increasing threat to human health is the transference of new diseases
from animal populations to humans, which is regarded as having the
highest potential to disrupt human societies. Many of these diseases
will originate in the tropics but spread over the world by migrating
humans and animals.
The Arctic is changing rapidly and will become more and more open to
diseases which formerly did not exist in the area. In the case of Avian
Influenza, the Arctic has been described as a meeting point for
different bird populations and a potential hub for vectors spreading the
disease over the entire northern hemisphere. All these arguments
necessitate the study of diseases in arctic wildlife and humans. These
studies are complex, because diseases are often species specific,
susceptibility differs between individuals and negative consequences of
diseases will disappear through selection: the survival of the fittest.
In this session, the consequences of diseases for arctic animals will be
discussed, along with expected changes in the near future and the
associated risks to human well-being.
For more information, or to submit an abstract, please go to:
http://www.imr.no/assw2009/start.