Bjørn Gunnar Iversen

Responsibilities

Global health, global preparedness, Infection prevention and control, public health institutional strengthening, international collaboration in health.

Background

Medical Doctor with master’s in communicable disease epidemiology from LSH&TM and a PhD from Medical Faculty at UiO in outbreak epidemiology. Worked most of the career at NIPH with infection control, surveillance, guidance, pandemic preparedness and planning, and infection prevention and control (IPC). In recent years, worked more in global health and strengthening of public health institute functions in low- and middle-income countries, and in particular with organizational building, infection control and emergency preparedness.?

Projects and publications

Scientific articles and book chapters

Emily MacDonald, Bernardo Rafael Guzmán Herrador, Susanne Hyllestad, Vidar Lund, Karin Maria Nygård, Line Vold, Mohamed Lafi, Walaa Ammar, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, (2016). Water usage in the Gaza Strip: recommendations from a literature review and consultations with experts. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal s. 910-918.
Arild Vaktskjold, Mohammad Yaghi, Usama Balawi, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Wendy Venter, (2016). The mortality in Gaza in July-September 2014: a retrospective chart-review study. Conflict and Health s. 1-10. doi: 10.1186/s13031-016-0077-6
Jon Michael Gran, Oliver Kacelnik, Andrej Grjibovski, Preben Aavitsland, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, (2013). Counting pandemic deaths: comparing reported numbers of death from influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 with estimated excess mortality. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses s. 1370-1379. doi: 10.1111/irv.12125
Birgitte Freiesleben De Blasio, Yiting Xue, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Jon Michael Gran, (2012). Estimating influenza-related sick leave in Norway: Was work absenteeism higher during the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic compared to seasonal epidemics?. Eurosurveillance s. 15-25.
Petter Elstrøm, Oliver Kacelnik, Tone Bruun, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Siri Helene Hauge, Preben Aavitsland, (2012). Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Norway, a low-incidence country, 2006-2010. Journal of Hospital Infection s. 36-40. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2011.10.004
Birgitte Freiesleben De Blasio, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Gianpaolo Scalia Tomba, (2012). Effect of vaccines and antivirals during the major 2009 a(H1N1) pandemic wave in Norway – and the influence of vaccination timing. PLOS ONE doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030018
Agnes Hajdu, Hanne-Merete Eriksen, Nina Sorknes, Siri Helene Hauge, Hege Line Magnussen Løwer, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Preben Aavitsland, (2011). Evaluation of the national surveillance system for point-prevalence of healthcare-associated infections in hospitals and in long-term care facilities for elderly in Norway, 2002-2008. BMC Public Health doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-923
S Kalenic, B Cookson, R Gallagher, W Popp, A Asensio-Vegas, O Assadian, A Blok, S Brussafero, A Eastaway, Petter Elstrøm, M Girod Schreinerova, P Hartemann, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, B Jans, A Jul-Jorgensen, W Koller, A Kramer, D Laugesen, M Licker, K Mannerquist, B Nussbaum, P Parneix, T de Ruiter, E Tvenstrup Jensen, L Ummels, K-D Zastrow, (2010). Comparison of recommendations in national/ regional Guidelines for prevention and control of MRSA in thirteen European countries. International Journal of Infection Control doi: 10.3396/ijic.V6i2.016.10
Jon Michael Gran, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Olav Hungnes, Odd O. Aalen, (2010). Estimating influenza-related excess mortality and reproduction numbers for seasonal influenza in Norway, 1975-2004. Epidemiology and Infection s. 1559-1568. doi: 10.1017/S0950268810000671
Siri Helene Hauge, Susanne Gjeruldsen Dudman, Katrine Borgen, Olav Hungnes, Arne Broch Brantsæter, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Preben Aavitsland, (2009). Sykdom forårsaket av nytt A(H1N1)-influensavirus. Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening s. 1736-1739. doi: 10.4045/tidsskr.09.0748
AP Magiorakos, C Suetens, L Boyd, C Costa, R Cunney, V Drouvot, C Farrugia, MM Fernandez-Maillo, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, E Leens, S Michael, ML Moro, C Reinhardt, R Serban, R Vatcheva-Dobrevska, K Wilson, E Heisbourg, HC Maltezou, R Strauss, K Borocz, M Dolinsek, U Dumpis, S Erne, O Gudlaugsson, P Heczko, D Hedlova, J Holt, L Joe, O Lyytikainen, I Riesenfeld-Orn, M Stefkovikova, R Valinteliene, A Voss, DL Monnet, (2009). National hand hygiene campaigns in Europe, 2000-2009. Eurosurveillance s. 9-15.
M Hofshagen, B Gjerset, C Er, A Tarpai, E Brun, B Dannevig, T Bruheim, IG Fostad, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Olav Hungnes, B Lium, (2009). Pandemic influenza A(H1N1)v: human to pig transmission in Norway?. Eurosurveillance s. 15-17.
Petter Elstrøm, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Preben Aavitsland, (2008). Bør barn adoptert fra utlandet undersøkes for meticillinresistente stafylokokker?. Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening s. 291-293.
Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Arne Broch Brantsæter, Preben Aavitsland, (2008). Nationwide study of invasive Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in Norway: Importance of underlying disease. Journal of Infection s. 139-146. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2008.05.010
Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Bjørn Hofmann, Preben Aavitsland, (2008). Questions on causality and responsibility arising from an outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in Norway. Emerging Themes in Epidemiology doi: 10.1186/1742-7622-5-22
Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Hanne-Merete Eriksen, Gjermund Bø, Kristian Hagestad, Trond Jacobsen, Eva Louise Engeset, Jørgen Fr Lassen, Preben Aavitsland, (2007). Pseudomonas aeruginosa contamination of mouth swabs during production causing a major outbreak. Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials doi: 10.1186/1476-0711-6-3
Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Trond Jacobsen, Hanne-Merete Eriksen, Geir Bukholm, Kjetil K Melby, Kjetil K. Melby, Karin Maria Nygård, Preben Aavitsland, (2007). An outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection caused by contaminated mouth swabs. Clinical Infectious Diseases s. 794-801. doi: 10.1086/511644
Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, (2006). Seksuelt overførbare infeksjoner hos menn som har sex med menn. s. 134-147.
Marianne A Riise Bergsaker, Olav Hungnes, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, (2006). Influensavaksinering - hvorfor, for hvem og med hvilken vaksine?. Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening s. 2814-2817.
Georg Kapperud, Liv Marit Rørvik, Viggo Hasseltvedt, Ernst Arne Høiby, Bjørn Gunnar Iversen, Kristian Staveland, Gro Johnsen, J Leitao, Hallgeir Herikstad, Y Andersson, Gunnar Langeland, Bjørn Gondrosen, Jørgen Lassen, (1995). Outbreak of Shigella sonnei Infection Traced to Imported Iceberg Lettuce. Journal of Clinical Microbiology s. 609-614.