29./30.10.2026

The local organizing committee is pleased to announce the next PIGS Training Course. This two-day course highlights essential topics in pediatric infectious diseases.

State-of-the-art lectures will update participants on the diagnosis and treatment of important infectious diseases. Topics will cover the broad field of pediatric infectious diseases. Finally, interactive case presentations will allow for vivid discussions.

Please save the date!

FLYER

Admissions are open for the Postgraduate Certificate, the Postgraduate Diploma, and the Master of Science in Paediatric Infectious Diseases, which are run in Oxford and are supported by the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Disease (ESPID). The courses bring leaders in the field from around the world to teach a comprehensive syllabus to inspire and educate a new generation of paediatricians, and ultimately improve Child Health.

Postgraduate Certificate in PID

The Postgraduate Certificate is a one-year, part-time course taught primarily online providing you with an in-depth understanding of both the theoretical and practical aspects of paediatric infection. The course will appeal to doctors who have experience in paediatrics, including trainees in paediatrics who have an interest in specialist knowledge in the field of paediatric infectious diseases, for example those training for the RCPCH paediatric infectious diseases special interest (SPIN) module. It is also suitable for GPs with an interest in paediatric infectious diseases.

Postgraduate Diploma in PID

The Postgraduate Diploma is a two-year, part-time course taught primarily online, providing you with an in-depth understanding of both the theoretical and practical aspects of paediatric infection. It also places the practice of paediatric infectious diseases in the broader context of applied sciences, such as pathogenesis, population biology and epidemiology. The course will appeal to doctors who have experience in paediatrics, including trainees in paediatrics who have a specialist qualification equivalent to the Membership Examination of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (MRCPCH), specialist trainees in paediatric infectious diseases or relevant medical subspecialties, and clinical research fellows. It will provide in-depth knowledge and is aimed at those working in specialist PID centres.

Master of Science in PID

The MSc in Paediatric Infectious Diseases can be taken part-time over one year as an extension to the Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric Infectious Diseases. It is for those who wish to broaden their knowledge about paediatric infection and develop research skills in the subspecialty. The MSc is intended to assess your capacity to formulate research questions, and select, design and manage a research project. You will complete a research project of between eight and fourteen weeks and write a dissertation. The research can be carried out in Oxford or locally, making the programme suitable for overseas as well as UK residents.

You can find more information at Study – Department of Paediatrics (ox.ac.uk)

Congratulations to Patrick Meyer Sauter on winning the SSI Research Award 2025 at the annual meeting in Interlaken. This is a well-deserved recognition for his outstanding research in the field of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

We are pleased to announce the election of PD Dr. Christian Kahlert from St. Gallen as the new President of the PIGS. The election took place on June 4, 2025. We are confident that Christian will successfully continue the efforts of the previous president, Prof. Ulrich Heininger from Basel, in positioning PIGS as an active, agile, and strong society.

At the same time, we would like to sincerely thank Uli for his commitment and dedication over the past eight years—years that were particularly challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the iGAS outbreak.

Congratulations to Christian on his new role. We look forward to an exciting chapter ahead.

It is our great pleasure to share the PIGS annual report 2024 with you!

Jahresbericht 2024

Rapport annuel 2024

We would like to draw your attention to this publication in the Lancet Microbe.

Global spatiotemporal dynamics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae re-emergence after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions: an epidemiological and transmission modelling study

and on linkedin

We are happy to announce that the results of a 15-year retrospective cohort study investigating the clinical characteristics and serological profiles of Lyme disease in Switzerland haven been published in the Lancet Regional Health Europe.

Congratulations to the team!

Clinical characteristics and serological profiles of Lyme disease in children: a 15-year retrospective cohort study in Switzerland – The Lancet Regional Health – Europe

Publication of the handbook for the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASP) in Swiss hospitals

Swissnoso is working together with the Swiss Society for Infectiology (SSI), the Swiss Society for Hospital Hygiene (SSHH), the Swiss Association of Official and Hospital Pharmacists (GSASA), the Swiss Society for Microbiology (SSM), ANRESIS and the Swiss Medical Association (FMH) on the project StAR-3: Implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes in Swiss Hospitals.

The common goal is to develop a handbook to support hospitals in the implementation of ASP programmes. Numerous stakeholders – doctors, hospital pharmacists, microbiologists and social scientists – are involved in the realisation of the project in interdisciplinary working groups. We are pleased to share the first version of this handbook with you.

Link to handbook: https://swissnoso.ch/forschung-entwicklung/umsetzung-star/handbuch-erste-ausgabe-pdf

Link to video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPycH623ScA