title: London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: public health surveillance and epidemiology.
abstract: Mass gatherings are regarded as potential risks for transmission of infectious diseases, and might compromise the health system of countries in which they are hosted. The evidence for increased transmission of infectious diseases at international sporting mass gatherings that attract many visitors from all over the world is not clear, and the evidence base for public health surveillance, epidemiology, and response at events such as the Olympics is small. However, infectious diseases are a recognised risk, and public health planning is, and should remain, a crucial part of the overall planning of sporting events. In this Series paper, we set out the planning and the surveillance systems that were used to monitor public health risks during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2012, and draw attention to the public health issues-infectious diseases and chemical, radiation, and environmental hazards-that arose. Although the absolute risk of health-protection problems, including infectious diseases, at sporting mass gatherings is small, the need for reassurance of the absence of problems is higher than has previously been considered; this could challenge conventional public health surveillance systems. Recognition of the limitations of health-surveillance systems needs to be part of the planning for future sporting events.
authors.affiliation: Global Center for Mass Gathering Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Global Health and WHO Collaborating Centre on Mass Gatherings, London, UK. Electronic address: Brian.McCloskey@phe.gov.uk.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McCloskey
authors.affiliation: Global Health and WHO Collaborating Centre on Mass Gatherings, London, UK.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Endericks
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control, London, UK.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Catchpole
authors.affiliation: Reference Microbiology, London, UK.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zambon
authors.affiliation: Food, Water, and Environmental Microbiology Services, London, UK.
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McLauchlin
authors.affiliation: Public Health England, London, UK.
authors.forename: Nandini
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.affiliation: Public Health England, London, UK.
authors.forename: Rohini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manuel
authors.affiliation: Public Health England, London, UK.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Turbitt
authors.affiliation: Real-time Syndromic Surveillance Team, London, UK.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Field Epidemiology Services, London, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crook
authors.affiliation: European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training, London, UK.
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Severi
authors.affiliation: Travel and Migrant Health Section, London, UK.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: PHE Centre West Midlands, London, UK.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ibbotson
authors.affiliation: North East PHE Centre, London, UK.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: Global Capacities, Alert and Response, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Catherine A H
authors.initials: CAH
authors.lastname: Smallwood
authors.affiliation: Global Preparedness, Surveillance and and Response, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Isla
authors.affiliation: Global Center for Mass Gathering Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Al-Faisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ziad A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Memish
authors.affiliation: Global Center for Mass Gathering Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdullah A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al-Rabeeah
authors.affiliation: Global Center for Mass Gathering Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Global Capacities, Alert and Response, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barbeschi
authors.affiliation: Global Center for Mass Gathering Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Public Health England, London, UK; Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London, UK; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Heymann
authors.affiliation: Global Center for Mass Gathering Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK; University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Alimuddin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zumla
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D003441:Crowding; D006285:Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D062486:Public Health Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D013177:Sports; D013577:Syndrome; D014195:Travel