Grant: Fellowship - PA: First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis Health

Studies have documented a higher prevalence of disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae in several Aboriginal populations compared to the general population. Indeed, recent studies at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine have documented this phenomenon in Aboriginal populations in Northern Ontario. At this time the basis of an increased susceptibility of Aboriginal individuals to this pathogen are unknown. One possibility is that Aboriginal individuals do not possess adequate natural antibodies to prevent disease. We propose to survey the immune status of Aboriginal populations in Northern Ontario. If a lack of natural antibodies is the basis of the increased disease burden then the development of a vaccine could address the issue.