11^th International Conference on Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases February 07-08, 2022 London, UK

Biography:

Aisha Alamri obtained her BSc in clinical laboratory sciences in Dammam, Saudi Arabia and her PhD in medical microbiology from the University of Bristol, UK in 2012. Dr. Alamri is currently working as an Assistant Professor of Medical Microbiology at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia and she is also researcher in the field of Antimicrobial Resistance and Human Microbiome.

Abstract:

The discovery of antibiotics a century ago was a game changer in the face of infectious diseases, However, the world witnessed a dramatic drop in antibiotics efficacy in the last few decades due to superbugs emergence and dissemination. With an estimated 10 million deaths per year by 2050, the world health organization has declared that antimicrobial resistance is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity.

The use of antibiotics in non-clinical fields such as food industry, livestock and for environmental purposes have complicated the picture and made proposed solutions to combat resistance hard to achieve. The rise of COVID-19 as a pandemic on the other hand has magnified the scope of the problem as many COVID-positive cases were prescribed extended spectrum antibiotics to manage suspected secondary bacterial infections.

The novel antibiotics industry is not coping with the global demand because of complex factors related to the cost and business logistics. The future solution must include implementing strict infection control measures improving pathogen detection technologies adherence to antibiotics stewardship guidelines and supporting novel antimicrobial research and discoveries at national and international levels.

Biography:

Eshetu Nigussie (MSc) is an Assistant Professor of Diagnostic and Public Health Microbiology Head, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Madda Walabu University Goba Referal Hospital, Ethiopia.

Abstract:

Background: Dengue Fever (DF) is a re-emerging public health threat in Ethiopia. Yet, little is known about the epidemiology and risk factors of dengue infection in the region. In this study, the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of dengue virus infection were assessed in the Borena Zone health facilities.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to August 2016. A total of 519 consecutive acute febrile patients attending the outpatient departments of Teltelle Health Center, Yabello and Moyale Hospital were enrolled. Data on socio-demographic and environmental risk factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. Three to five-milliliter blood samples were collected from all participants and screened for dengue virus exposure using an indirect immunofluorescent assay.

Results: The overall prevalence of anti-DENV IgG and IgM was 22.9% and 7.9%, respectively. DF serostatus was influenced by gender (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=1.72; 95% CI 1.01-2.94), place of residence (AOR=2.69; 95%CL 1.55-4.64) that had a higher rate of exposure and recalling of a recent mosquito bite (AOR=2.98; 95% CI 1.51-5.89) probably imply recent and/or ongoing active transmission.

Conclusion: This study showed that DF could potentially emerge as a public health threat in the study area. In addition to that, the observed low awareness of participants underlines the urgent need for further communitybased studies to determine the environmental and host factors that determine the extent of exposure to dengue virus infection in the area for appropriate control and prevention planning.

Biography:

Amr Mohamed Zaghloul is an Associate Professor of Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology Sohag University, Egypt.

Abstract:

Background: Tumor necrosis factor gene polymorphisms are suggested to affect the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection natural course. TNF family includes Lymphotoxin-alpha (LTA) as a pro-inflammatory cytokine and is an important mediator of hepatic fibrogenesis. LTA gene polymorphisms are shown to play a role in different inflammatory and immunomodulatory diseases including cancers.

Aim: Study the contribution of LTA gene polymorphism in different stages of chronic Hepatitis C viral (CHC) infection and risk of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in these patients.

Patients and Methods: Our study included 108 chronic HCV patients grouped according to the disease clinical stage. Group (A): CHC, Group (B): Liver Cirrhosis (LC), Group (C): LC with HCC and Group (D): Healthy Controls. Routine laboratory investigations, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for quantification of HCV, abdominal ultrasonography and Liver Stiffness Measurement (LSM) were done. Child-Turcotte-Pugh, Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Fibrosis index based on 4 (FIB-4) scores were calculated. We used the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique for Lymphotoxin-α genotyping.

Results: A/A genotype was the most frequent one in the control group (50%) and the A/G genotype was the predominant variant in all patients groups. In HCC patients, G/G genotype was more frequent (31.8%) than in the LC group (19.4%), CHC group (17.8%) and healthy controls (4.17%). No significant association was found between the three genotypes and LSM, FIB 4 and viral load. A significant association was found between LTA genotypes and the Child classes in HCC but not in LC patients. HCC patients carrying A/G genotype had higher MELD scores than other genotypes. There was no statistically significant difference between the three genotypes regarding liver cancer stages, ultrasonography findings or alpha-fetoprotein levels in patients group with HCC. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis confirmed that LTA G/G genotype and low platelet count were independent predictors for HCC development in patients with HCV-related LC.

Conclusion: Detection of LTA G/G genotype in patients with HCV-related chronic liver diseases could help to recognize high-risk patients for disease progression and HCC development.

Biography:

Jean Bosco Mbonigaba is a public health expert in NTDs control and elimination. He joined the national NTD programme in 2016 and from May 2017 he is serving as acting director of NTDs and other parasitic diseases unit within Rwanda Biomedical Centre. He coordinated different initiatives including the first ever approved Rwanda NTD strategic plan 2019-2024; Initializing and coordinating the multi-sectoral collaboration response to NTDs and the decentralization and integration of NTD control and elimination plans under district; He coordinated the decentralization and integration of Mass Drug Administration within existing community and school platforms which resulted in ownership of MDA implementation costs. He has coordinated NTDs mapping, surveillance and elimination projects. His current focus is to have Rwanda validated for elimination of 7 targeted NTDs by 2024 and the reduction of NTDs burden to alleviate sufferings of affected individuals and communities.

Abstract:

By 2030, numbers of people requiring interventions for neglected tropical diseases is targeted for reduction by 90% (Sustainable Development Goals 3.3). Partners mainly for the mass drug administration support most of neglected tropical diseases programmes in endemic countries. On the other hand, there is a decline of partners financial support. In the road towards achieving the above target and eliminate neglected tropical diseases available in Rwanda according to strategic plans in place, in addition to the mass drug administration supported mainly by partners to control soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis more comprehensive interventions needed to be strategically oriented and implemented in a sustainable manner. Since 2012, the specific neglected tropical diseases unit was in place at national level for the national coordination. In 2019, Rwanda adopted a decentralization and integration approach down to village (lower administrative entity in Rwanda) level under coordination of administrative district in order to maximize benefits of available resources and opportunities and to improve community and local leadership engagement and ownership.

As a result, local administration integrated neglected tropical diseases control interventions in their plans by collaborating with health sector. At village and school level, both the leadership and community members are engaged during weekly gatherings by (1) Health education for behavior change and (2) Community engagement in seeking homegrown solutions: Identification of local risk factors and local-feasible preventive measures (related to water, sanitation, hygiene and environmental health) with implementation timelines to eliminate them in their community. Furthermore, (3) Mass drug administration is now owned by the country where in each village it is integrated with the malnutrition screening while in schools the teacher of each class administers the medicines to his/her respective children. This practice of integrating and owning the neglected tropical diseases program can inspire other countries sharing similar context with Rwanda.

Biography:

Edmund Ilimoan Yamba is a Lecturer and an Early Career Research Scientist at the Meteorology and Climate Science Unit in the Department of Physics, KNUST. He has a PhD in Meteorology and Climate Science, an MPhil in Geophysics and a BSc in Physics under his belt. He has research interest in Biometeorology with expert focus on modeling weather-driven infectious diseases in humans and animals, climate change and human health, urban bio-climates and climate modeling. He seeks to use his expertise to inspire positive change, mentor upcoming scientists and make the world a better place than he came to meet it.

Abstract:

The biology of the malaria parasite and the mosquito that transmits it is influenced by the weather and climate of a place. Any change in weather and climate conditions will have an impact on anopheles mosquito activity, hence, malaria transmission. In Sub-Saharan Africa, information on the climate drivers of seasonal malaria and their relative importance is limited. Clinical malaria case counts are commonly used to study the impact of weather and climate on malaria transmission seasonally. But this data has vulnerability to large errors due to out-of-sample generalization over space and time, erroneous diagnosis and under-counting due to varying health-seeking behavior and policy. Since Entomological Inoculation Rate (EIR) can directly quantify parasite-infected mosquitoes and their proclivity to transmit parasites to humans, it was used as a feasible alternative to malaria case count in this study. Applying a statistical mixed model framework to monthly EIR data, the climate drivers of malaria seasonality and their relative importance was determined for different climate settings in Sub-Saharan Africa. The results showed that EIR has a seasonal response to temperature ranges between 16 and 40 degrees Celsius, implying that seasonal malaria transmission is not viable below or above this range. In west central Africa, climate variables were insignificant drivers of malaria seasonality. In Equatorial East Africa, temperature (minimum, mean and maximum) was the important determinant at altitudes below 500m whiles at above 1000m, rainfall was the significant driver. In the Sahel and Guinea Savannah zones, rainfall and maximum temperature were important determinants at elevations below 500m. The lag between rainy season onset and malaria season onset was observed exclusively at climate zones where rainfall is markedly seasonal such as the Sahel. The findings of this work are crucial for future malaria modeling efforts and refinement of existing weather-driven malaria models. It can also help describe seasonal malaria transmission heterogeneity and burden across Sub-Saharan Africa. Taking in to account the seasonality in malaria control, this could translate to substantial public health gains as it can be used to determine when, where and how to apply vector and parasite control measures.

Biography:

Shabani Kiyabo Motto is a master candidate at Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) and Livestock Research Officer (LRO) at Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency (Central Veterinary Laboratory) Department of Microbiology (Molecular Section) in Dar es Salaam since 2016. His role is to promote animal health and welfare through animal disease diagnosis, surveillance of infectious and neglected tropical diseases, vector and food borne disease control to improve livestock production and enhance food safety and security for better human wellbeing. At the moment, Shabani is researching the epidemiology of leptospirosis infections in small holder dairy cattle in highly raising farming system in the northern and southern highland of Tanzania.

Abstract:

Problem Statement: Leptospirosis causes a serious fever and abortion in humans and the dairy industry respectively. Small Holder Dairy Farmers (SHDF) are among the group ranked at higher risk of contracting leptospirosis during milking, feeding, cleaning animal waste, disposing of aborted or placental materials. In recent years, the Northern and Southern Highland Zones of Tanzania become the foremost raising dairy cattle and milk-producing core areas. Despite many studies that have reported leptospirosis in various hosts yet the epidemiology of leptospirosis in dairy cattle especially in SHDF is not well studied. We conducted this study to explore the epidemiology of leptospirosis in small holder dairy cattle.

Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study among small holder dairy cattle in Tanzania. Only 2045 dairy cattle were sampled for serological testing. We further interviewed farmers to get epidemiological information for predictive risk factors. The sera were tested for antibodies against leptospira hardjo serovars

Results: 13.1% of total animals showed seropositive and higher seropositive showed in Iringa 32.02% and Tanga 18.93% region. Considering multivariate analysis, animal age (OR=1.292, 1.124-1.485, 95% CI), herds size (OR=1.425, 1.215-1.671, 95% CI) were statistically significant to leptospirosis in cattle and the years of experience farmers in managing animals (OR=1.194, 1.407-1.407, 95% CI). Keeping dairy cattle in Iringa and Tanga regions likely in a position of animal fond with leptospirosis at (OR=4.267, 1.72-10.573, 95% CI) and (OR=2.205, 0.968-5.022, 95% CI) respectively.

Conclusion: The consequences of leptospirosis may be higher as the disease continues spreading and it is likely to cross to dairy farmers. As the test method used is limited to one serovar detection, it is important to typify the most common serovars circulating in cattle for appropriate vaccine of use to reduce risks.