Infectious Disease

The project seeks to develop a simple, fast, and accurate test to improve the number of sleeping sickness patients that are detected and thus increase the case management rate. When successful, tests will be conducted in the less equipped rural laboratories where needed. Sleeping sickness is a neglected disease that burdens rural populations in the tsetse fly belt.

This project will empower indigenous people in Sayaxche, Guatemala with knowledge and tools to use a modified "ovitrap" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovitrap) that effectively destroys mosquito eggs, thereby reducing malaria, dengue fever and other diseases. In a pilot study last year in Mexico that used only 50 modified ovitraps, more than 350,000 mosquito eggs were destroyed during one year, representing a reduction of 70–80% of mosquito eggs compared to unmodified traps.

Dengue, a disease transmitted mostly from mosquito bites, is a leading cause of serious illness and death in developing countries, including the Philippines. Dengue prevention and control solely depends on effective vector control measures and/or detection methods, but dengue detection kits are not affordable or always accessible.   Current techniques require a relatively high level of technical skill, equipment, and are time-consuming.

Project aims to develop a low-cost hand-held device for field diagnostic of dengue. This device should allow real-time detection of the disease. Follow Alexandre Brolo on Twitter @agbrolo"

Early detection of dengue fever is needed to determined which patient must acquire intensive monitoring. Lidya Chaidir from Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia will develop a rapid molecular assay for early detection of dengue fever in primary care. This tool would empower any field clinics to diagnose dengue promptly.

The project, “Development of a point of care test for the diagnosis of Buruli ulcer disease” at the Noguchi Institute aims at providing endemic communities with a simple, rapid, accurate and cost effective test for the detection of Buruli ulcer cases for early treatment initiation and prevention of disabling complications. Click HERE to Download the photos below. Follow Anthony Ablordey on Twitter @AAblordey  [caption id=""attachment_7964"align=""aligncenter"width=""492""] Star in Global Health Dr.

Over 6 000 diseases lack adequate treatments. In Africa, for example, malaria kills a child every minute. We re-purpose approved drugs for neglected diseases, since most drugs have multiple medical effects (such as the use of aspirin for heart disease as well as headaches). Repurposing reduces development time and cost, and makes treatments accessible to the developing world. Follow Chematria on Twitter @Chematria"

ctrl.para.site is a teleparasitology system linking peripheral labs to experts via a microscope-online-mobile phone interface, with an expected multiplier effect of improving access to diagnosis and treatment, capacity building, and new information.

Diseases affecting rural communities in the tropics co-exist and often share symptoms. Clinical diagnosis is the foundation for treatment. Consequently, deaths due to misdiagnosis and drug wastage occur. I intend to use silkworm to generate diagnostic proteins for multiple pathogens with overlapping symptoms and develop a multi-disease diagnostic kit.

Cryptococcal meningitis has emerged as a frequent and deadly infection in AIDS patients. High mortality is compounded by the high cost, toxicity, and limited repertoire of available antifungals. Researchers at the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, Uganda, will determine if adding the antidepressant sertraline to standard therapy will result in better treatment of cryptococcal meningitis.