Lymphovenous Canada: Canadian Tropical Disease Specialists

With Canadians traveling around the world and individuals immigrating to Canada from tropical countries, there is a growing awareness of filariasis - a type of lymphedema caused by parasites found in warm areas in the world. Below is a list of Canadian centres and specialists in this area.

The Canadian Society for International Health -
Travel Information (and treatment centres)

The Canadian Society for International Health (CSIH) is committed to the promotion of international health and development. Through the mobilization of Canadian resources, CSIH advocates and facilitates research, education and service activities in international health.

Health Canada - Travel Medicine Program

Health Canada provides the following travel health information for persons travelling outside Canada:

• current information on international disease outbreaks
• immunization recommendations for international travel
• general health advice for international travellers
• disease-specific treatment and prevention guidelines

Toronto

Centre for Travel and Tropical Medicine

Examinations for filariasis is covered by OHIP. The clinic requires that all patients obtain a Toronto General Hospital Card from Patient Registration BEFORE the appointment time - allow at least 15 min for this. They also need a record of past immunizations.

Montreal

McGill University Centre for Tropical Diseases

National Centre for Parasitology (Serology)

The National Centre for Parasitology (NCPS) is a unit in the McGill University Centre for Tropical Diseases funded in part by the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control and by the Montreal General Hospital, McGill Centre for Tropical Diseases

Mission

• To provide reference diagnostic services in Serology for Parasitic Diseases
• To provide consulting services to the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, provincial laboratories, and clinical parasitologists
• To develop a research and development program

For immunodiagnostic services link to: http://www.medicine.mcgill.ca/tropmed/txt/services.htm

Canadian Research Chair in Biology of Parasites and Disease Vectors

Dr. Carl Lowenberger
Simon Fraser University
Biological Sciences
Simon Fraser University
Room B8280
Office (604) 291-3985 / Lab (604) 291-4391
clowenbe@sfu.ca

Dr. Carl Lowenberger is working to stem the spread of insect-borne diseases to urban areas. Such diseases include West Nile Fever, Malaria, and Chagas disease. The West Nile Virus has surfaced recently in the eastern United States and Canada, while there are 400 reported cases of malaria in Canada annually. Researching insect immune systems may help scientists create new drugs and antibiotics to treat tropical diseases.

Advisory Committee on Epidemiology (ACE)/ Committee to Advise on Tropical Medicine and Travel (CATMAT)

CATMAT's mandate is:

• to provide recommendations relating to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and other health hazards that may be encountered by Canadian travelers outside of Canada;
• to suggest mechanisms for the widespread dissemination and utilization of such recommendations and other travel or tropical medicine-related health information; and
• to advise on priorities for epidemiological research and other activities related to travel or tropical medicine.

The current committee is comprised of experts from across Canada from such disciplines as tropical medicine, travel medicine, and infectious disease medicine and epidemiology.