Dr. Athena McConnell MD, FRCPC
Interim Provincial Head & Associate Professor Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Dr. Athena McConnell is a Pediatric Infectious Disease specialist who provides clinical care related to general infectious disease problems and vaccine-preventable diseases.

• General Infectious Disease problems
• Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

1.  Tan B, Bettinger A, McConnell A, Scheifele D, Halperin S, Vaudry W, Law B. The effect of funded varicella immunization programs on varicella-related hospitalizations in IMPACT centers, Canada, 2000-2008. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal. 2012;31:956-63.

2.  Himsworth CG, Jenkins E, Hill JE, Nsungu M, Ndao M, Andrew Thompson RC, Covacin C, Ash A, Wagner BA, McConnell A, Leighton FA, Skinner S. Emergence of sylvatic Echinococcus granulosus as a parasitic zoonosis of public health concern in an indigenous community in Canada. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2010;82:643-5.

3.  Vanderkooi O, McConnell A, Church DL, Kellner JD. Antimicrobial susceptibility of invasive and lower respiratory tract isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, 1998 to 2007. Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology. 2009;20:e139-44. Epub 2009.

4.  McConnell A, Tan B, Scheifele D, Halperin S, Vaudry W, Embree J, the Canadian Immunization Monitoring Program Active (IMPACT). Invasive infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae serotypes in twelve Canadian IMPACT centers, 1996-2001. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal. 2007;26:1025-31.

5.  Davies HD, Leusink GL, McConnell A, Deyell M, Cassidy SB, Fick GH, Coppes MJ. Myeloid leukemia in Prader-Willi syndrome. Journal of Pediatrics. 2003;142:174-8.

6.  Deodari S, McConnell A, Tan KK, Jadavji N, Ma D, Church D, Katzko G, Gall DG, Jadavji T, Davies HD. Differential yield of pathogens from stool testing of nosocomial versus community-acquired diarrhea. Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology. 1999;10:421-8.

 Conference Presentations:

1.  McConnell A, Karras B, Selveraj S, Trinder K, Andres D, McKague M. Student perceptions of the care of children: Impact on pre-clerkship paediatric and primary care clinical teaching[abstract]. Paper presented at: Annual Symposium for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning; 2012; University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK

2.  Hammond KH, Persaud M, Larios OE, McClean K, McConnell A, Sanche S, Takaya S, Tan B, Williams K, Skinner S. Increasing burden of HIV/AIDS on hospitals in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada[abstract]. Poster session presented at: 49th Infectious Diseases Society of America Conference; 2011; Boston, MA

3.  Redgate L, Garner M, McConnell A, Adhikari B, Holt T, Robichaud S, Jones A, Brindamour M, Tan B. Children hospitalized with pandemic influenza A H1N1 (pH1N1) infection in Saskatoon, SK, Canada, 2009-2010[abstract]. Poster session presented at: 50th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy; 2010; Boston, MA

4.  Rajakumar D, Tan B, McConnell A, Andreychuk B. Effects of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in central and northern Saskatchewan, 2000-2008[abstract]. In: Paediatrics and Child Health. 2010;15 Suppl A: 37A. 87th Annual Canadian Pediatric Society Conference; 2010; Vancouver, BC.

5.  Himsworth CG, Jenkins E, Nsungu M, Ndao M, McConnell A, Skinner S. Monitoring and mitigating parasitic risks to human health in an indigenous community from northern Saskatchewan[abstract]. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Circumpolar Health. International Conference on Circumpolar Health; 2009; Yellowknife, NWT.

6.  Kurji A, Tan B, Bodani J, Janzen B, Bodani R, Rajakumar D, Sharma A, Zhu T, McConnell A, Kalapurackal M, Sankaran K. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) disease in Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU).[abstract]. In: Acta Paediatrica. 2009; 98 Suppl 460: 174. European Society for Paediatric Research 50th Annual Meeting; 2009.

7.  Rajakumar D, Tan B, Bodani J, Kurji A, Sharma A, McConnell A, Kalapurackal M, Sankaran K. Children hospitalized with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSH) infection after Palivizumab prophylaxis in two large paediatric tertiary care centers[abstract]. In: Acta Paediatrica. 2009; 98 Suppl 460: 214. European Society for Pediatric Research 50th Annual Meeting; 2009.

8.  Kim J, McConnell A, Byrne B, Ward L, Alsubaie S, Louie JT. Outpatient decolonization of community associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at one Canadian center[abstract]. Poster session presented at: 19th Annual Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Meeting; 2009; San Diego, CA

9.  McConnell A, Lockyer J. Communication skills training in vaccine related issues during pediatric residency[abstract]. In: Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology. 2008; 19: 334. 8th Canadian Immunization Conference; 2008; Toronto, ON.

10.  McConnell A, Amin H, Kuhn S, Lockyer J. Knowledge regarding childhood immunizations of Canadian Pediatric residents[abstract]. In: Paediatrics and Child Health. 2007; 12 SupplA: 59A. 84th Annual Canadian Pediatric Society Conference; 2007; Montreal, QC.

11.  McConnell A, Tan B, Scheifele D, Halperin S. Invasive disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae species in 12 IMPACT centers, 1996-2001[abstract]. In: Paediatrics and Child Health. 2004; 9 SupplA: 55A. Canadian Pediatric Society 81st Annual Conference; 2004; Montreal, PQ.

12.  Ali K, McConnell A, Riddell B, Mpofu C, Robson D. Impact of ICD reclassification of cancer registry data sets[abstract]. Poster session presented at: North American Association of Central Cancer Registries 2003 Conference; 2003; Honolulu, HI