From pole to tropics: a festive parasitic tour
Monthly Archives:December 2020
The impact of mass drug administration onSchistosoma haematobiuminfection: what is required to achieve morbidity control and elimination?
Using an individual based stochastic model and data from two different age-intensity profiles of infection prevalence and intensity, we explore the effect of mass drug treatment (MDA) onS. haematobiumand examine whether we can achieve the WHO goals of morbidity control and elimination as a public health problem by using the current guidelines.
Can we predict where arboviruses will emerge?
Over the past decades, viruses transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes have expanded their distribution and caused an increasing number of human outbreaks. Spatial modelling of ecological risk factors for virus circulation can help identify areas of potential emergence.
How should we measure face washing in trachoma elimination programmes?
Researchers from the UK and Senegal assessed the reliability of facial cleanliness indicators used to measure a key component of the “SAFE” trachoma elimination strategy. The results presented highlights the need for further research into a reliable marker for face washing to guide trachoma and WASH campaigns.
Investigating the importance of the Schistosome digestive tract in host immune evasion, parasite survival and novel vaccine development
An investigation into schistosome digestive tract development reveals that the oesophageal gland, a site of protein secretion and entrance to the gut, could be a key organ for host immune system evasion and a site of substantial host-parasite interactions. New vaccine candidates on the horizon?
What are the best treatment options for schistosomiasis? Case study from Niger
In this study, researchers explored the benefits and outcomes of different treatment strategies in reducing schistosomiasis in communities in Niger.
Trapping sandflies using sex pheromones
Field studies, conducted in Brazil, have been investigation the distance sand flies will fly to a trap baited with the sex-aggregation pheromone that the males produce.
Evaluation of DjinniChip, a simple, fast, and low-cost diagnostic assay for the detection of ocular Chlamydia trachomatis
In this study in Tanzania researchers evaluated a novel rapid diagnostic test for the detection of trachoma in near-elimination settings.