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Tag: Patrick Lammie

Towards a comprehensive research and development plan to support the control, elimination and eradication of neglected tropical diseases

Donna Huber on November 11, 2020

To maximise the likelihood of success, global health programmes need repeated, honest appraisal of their own weaknesses, with research undertaken to address any identified gaps. There is still much to be learned to optimise work against neglected tropical diseases. To facilitate that learning, a comprehensive research and development plan is required. Here, we discuss how such a plan might be developed.

David Mabey, Ellen Agler, John H Amuasi, Leda Hernandez, T Déirdre Hollingsworth, Peter J Hotez, Patrick J Lammie, Mwelecele N Malecela, Sultani H Matendechero, Eric Ottesen, Richard O Phillips, John C Reeder, Célia Landmann Szwarcwald, Joseph P Shott, Anthony W Solomon, Andrew Steer, Soumya Swaminathan. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Nov 11;traa114. doi: 10.1093/trstmh/traa114.

Diagnostics and the neglected tropical diseases roadmap: setting the agenda for 2030

Donna Huber on November 9, 2020

Accurate and reliable diagnostic tools are an essential requirement for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) programmes. However, the NTD community has historically underinvested in the development and improvement of diagnostic tools, potentially undermining the successes achieved over the last 2 decades. Recognizing this, the WHO, in its newly released draft roadmap for NTD 2021-2030, has identified diagnostics as one of four priority areas requiring concerted action to reach the 2030 targets. As a result, WHO established a Diagnostics Technical Advisory Group (DTAG) to serve as the collaborative mechanism to drive progress in this area. Here, the purpose and role of the DTAG are described in the context of the challenges facing NTD programmes.

Ashley A Souza, Camilla Ducker, Daniel Argaw, Jonathan D King, Anthony W Solomon, Marco A Biamonte, Rhea N Coler, Israel Cruz, Veerle Lejon, Bruno Levecke, Fabricio K Marchini, Michael Marks, Pascal Millet, Sammy M Njenga, Rahmah Noordin, René Paulussen, Esvawaran Sreekumar, Patrick J Lammie. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Nov 9;traa118. doi: 10.1093/trstmh/traa118.

Fine-scale heterogeneity in Schistosoma mansoni force of infection measured through antibody response

Donna Huber on August 31, 2020

Schistosomiasis is among the most common parasitic diseases in the world, with over 142 million people infected in low- and middle-income countries. Measuring population-level transmission is centrally important in guiding schistosomiasis control programs. Traditionally, human Schistosoma mansoni infections have been detected using stool microscopy, which is logistically difficult at program scale and has low sensitivity when people have low infection burdens. We compared serological measures of transmission based on antibody response to S. mansoni soluble egg antigen (SEA) with stool-based measures of infection among 3,663 preschool-age children in an area endemic for S. mansoni in western Kenya. We estimated force of infection among children using the seroconversion rate and examined how it varied geographically and by age. At the community level, serological measures of transmission aligned with stool-based measures of infection (ρ = 0.94), and serological measures provided more resolution for between-community differences at lower levels of infection. Force of infection showed a clear gradient of transmission with distance from Lake Victoria, with 94% of infections and 93% of seropositive children in communities <1.5 km from the lake. Force of infection increased through age 3 y, by which time 65% (95% CI: 53%, 75%) of children were SEA positive in high-transmission communities—2 y before they would be reached by school-based deworming programs. Our results show that serologic surveillance platforms represent an important opportunity to guide and monitor schistosomiasis control programs, and that in high-transmission settings preschool-age children represent a key population missed by school-based deworming programs.

Benjamin F. Arnold, Henry Kanyi, Sammy M. Njenga, Fredrick O. Rawago, Jeffrey W. Priest, W. Evan Secor, Patrick J. Lammie, Kimberly Y. Won, and Maurice R. Odiere. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Aug 31;202008951. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2008951117.

Combination of Serological, Antigen Detection, and DNA Data for Plasmodium Falciparum Provides Robust Geospatial Estimates for Malaria Transmission in Haiti

Donna Huber on May 21, 2020

Microscopy is the gold standard for malaria epidemiology, but laboratory and point-of-care (POC) tests detecting parasite antigen, DNA, and human antibodies against malaria have expanded this capacity. The island nation of Haiti is endemic for Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria, though at a low national prevalence and heterogenous geospatial distribution. In 2015 and 2016, serosurveys were performed of children (ages 6-7 years) sampled in schools in Saut d’Eau commune (n = 1,230) and Grand Anse department (n = 1,664) of Haiti. Children received malaria antigen rapid diagnostic test and provided a filter paper blood sample for further laboratory analysis of the Pf histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) antigen, Pf DNA, and anti-Pf IgG antibodies. Prevalence of Pf infection ranged from 0.0-16.7% in 53 Saut d’Eau schools, and 0.0-23.8% in 56 Grand Anse schools. Anti-Pf antibody carriage exceeded 80% of students in some schools from both study sites. Geospatial prediction ellipses were created to indicate clustering of positive tests within the survey areas and overlay of all prediction ellipses for the different types of data revealed regions with high likelihood of active and ongoing Pf malaria transmission. The geospatial utilization of different types of Pf data can provide high confidence for spatial epidemiology of the parasite.

Adan Oviedo, Alaine Knipes, Caitlin Worrell, LeAnne M Fox, Luccene Desir, Carl Fayette, Alain Javel, Franck Monestime, Kimberly Mace, Michelle A Chang, Venkatachalam Udhayakumar, Jean F Lemoine, Kimberly Won, Patrick J Lammie, Eric Rogier. Scientific Reports volume 10, Article number: 8443 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65419-w

Elimination of onchocerciasis in Africa by 2025: the need for a broad perspective

Donna Huber on July 15, 2019

In response to the recent publication “Is onchocerciasis elimination in Africa feasible by 2025: a perspective based on lessons learnt from the African control programmes” by Dadzie et al., it is important to clarify and highlight the positive and unequivocal research and operational contributions from the American experience towards the worldwide elimination of human onchocerciasis (river blindness).

Main text

The strategies of twice or more rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin per year, as well as the use of OV-16 serology have allowed four American countries to be verified by World Health Organization to have eliminated transmission of Onchocerca volvulus, the etiological agent. These advances were also implemented in Sudan and Uganda; currently, both are the only African countries where ivermectin MDA was safely stopped in several transmission zones.

Conclusions

Programmatic treatment and evaluation approaches, pioneered in the Americas, are the most efficient among the existing tools for elimination, and their broader use could catalyze the successful elimination of this disease in Africa.

Ed Cupp, Mauricio Sauerbrey, Vitaliano Cama, Mark Eberhard, Patrick J. Lammie and Thomas R. Unnasch. Infect Dis Poverty. 2019 Jul 15;8(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s40249-019-0557-1.

Priority use cases for antibody-detecting assays of recent malaria exposure as tools to achieve and sustain malaria elimination

Donna Huber on February 12, 2019

Measurement of malaria specific antibody responses represents a practical and informative method for malaria control programs to assess recent exposure to infection. Technical advances in recombinant antigen production, serological screening platforms, and analytical methods have enabled the identification of several target antigens for laboratory based and point-of-contact tests. Questions remain as to how these serological assays can best be integrated into malaria surveillance activities to inform programmatic decision-making. This report synthesizes discussions from a convening at Institut Pasteur in Paris in June 2017 aimed at defining practical and informative use cases for serology applications and highlights five programmatic uses for serological assays including: documenting the absence of transmission; stratification of transmission; measuring the effect of interventions; informing a decentralized immediate response;  and testing and treating P. vivax hypnozoite carriers.

Greenhouse B, Daily J, Guinovart C, Goncalves B, Beeson J, Bell D, Chang MA, Cohen JM, Ding X, Domingo G, Eisele TP, Lammie PJ, Mayor A, Merienne N, Monteiro W, Painter J, Rodriguez I, White M, Drakeley C, Mueller I, Malaria Serology Convening. 2019. Gates Open Res.; doi: 10.12688/gatesopenres.12897.1. eCollection 2019.

Evaluation of a Single Dose of Azithromycin for Trachoma in Low-Prevalence Communities

Donna Huber on December 13, 2018

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Trachoma, caused by repeated ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide and is targeted for elimination as a public health problem. We sought to determine whether a one-time azithromycin mass treatment would reduce trachomatous inflammation–follicular (TF) levels below the elimination threshold of 5% in communities with disease prevalence between 5 and 9.9%.

Methods: The study was conducted in 96 sub-village units (balozis) in the Kongwa district of Tanzania which were predicted from prior prevalence surveys to have TF between 5 and 9.9%. Balozis were randomly assigned to the intervention and control arms. The intervention arm received a single mass drug administration of azithromycin. At baseline and 12-month follow-up, ocular exams for trachoma, ocular swabs for detection of chlamydial DNA, and finger prick blood for analysis of anti-chlamydial antibody were taken.

Results: Comparison of baseline and 12-month follow-up showed no significant difference in the overall TF1-9 prevalence by balozi between control and treatment arms. In the treatment arm there was a significant reduction of ocular infection 12 months after treatment (p = 0.004) but no change in the control arm. No change in Pgp3-specific antibody responses were observed after treatment in the control or treatment arms. Anti-CT694 responses increased in both study arms (p = 0.009 for control arm and p = 0.04 for treatment arm).

Conclusion: These data suggest that a single round of MDA may not be sufficient to decrease TF levels below 5% when TF1-9 is between 5 and 9.9% at baseline.

Nana Wilson, Brook Goodhew, Harran Mkocha, Kahaliah Joseph, Claudiu Bandea, Carolyn Black, Joseph Igietseme, Beatriz Munoz, Sheila K. West, Patrick Lammie, Mabula Kasubi & Diana L. Martin. 2019. Ophthalmic Epidemiology; 26(1):1-6. DOI: 10.1080/09286586.2017.1293693

Patrick Lammie Awarded Donald Mackay Medal

Donna Huber on November 6, 2017

Pat LammiePatrick Lammie, CTEGD member and adjunct faculty in the Department of Cellular Biology, was awarded the Donald Mackay Medal during the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene’s (ASTMH) annual meeting in Baltimore, MD.

The Donald Mackay Medal recognizes outstanding work in tropical health, especially relating to improvements in the health of rural or urban workers in the tropics. In a long-standing partnership with the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH), the Donald Mackay Medel is awarded in odd years by ASTMH and in even years by RSTMH.