As always, the #TropMed24 conference was an excellent opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, partners, and experts from around the world to discuss the progress we’re making to #EndMalaria and NTDs and plan the exciting work ahead. (11/11)
@globalhealthnow.bsky.social & @ghm-podcast.bsky.social are two of the leading sources sharing/discussing key topics, research, and events relevant to the global health community. Don't miss out! A meeting of minds at #TropMed24 in New Orleans, Louisiana @garryaslanyan.bsky.social
Was one of the winners for the #TropMed24 #ACME_Challenge!
19/20 isn’t bad!
(Feeling pretty darn pleased honestly since I haven’t worked with many of the vectors since 2011!)
It was a pleasure meeting outgoing ACME chair Dr Adriana Troyo (finally!) as well! #ticktalk #medentoAF
Reflections BlueSky post #TropMed24: Great lots of ID & public health people here but very much both from & focused on global north. Very few global south colleagues here. May of course change but not sure have same incentive to move platforms as their Twitter experience likely quite different.
#TropMed24 Age de-escalation study in Kenya going all the way down to 5 months. This appeared safe & efficacious. A second dose at 6 months is needed to extend the protection out to a year. 5/n
#TropMed24 More potent L9LS mAb trialled in Malian children & very efficacious.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Re-randomised people to more doses. Efficacy slightly lower in Y2 (but still good) ?as kids were older & so got lower dose/kg weight. No evidence people developed anti-drug antibodies. 4/n
#TropMed24 Follow-up phase 2 RCT used qPCR not blood-smear. Demonstrated that CIS43LS mAb provides sterilising protection & that it resulted in big reductions in gametocyte carriage - means these mAbs may not only protect the individual from disease but also contribute to reducing transmission 3/n
#TropMed24 The CIS43LS mAb was the first to demonstrate protection against malaria. In this study malaria was detected by blood smear. 2/n
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
#TropMed24 Last session - Monoclonals against malaria. Sporozoites an attractive target for mAbs because a) relatively few get injected per bite b) can't replicate in humans so risk of evolving resistance is low. Current & emerging candidates target antigens within the circumsporozoite protein. 1/n
If you’re still around on this last day of #TropMed24 and looking for a a great session on this fine morning, come to room 357! Important session on integrated control skin NTDs @drmichaelmarks.bsky.social speaking!
This work on the workload among Nigerian doctors as a factor influencing the japa syndrome was presented at the #ACGH lightning presentation. The audience found the term amusing, but not the excessive workload of physicians #TropMed24
#TropMed24 Building off the classic approach of Leishmanization people have developed genetic knock-out leishmania strains as candidate 'vaccines'
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Appears protective in animal models against both visceral & cutaneous Leishmania species
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
#TropMed24 As we reach 'elimination' Kala-Azar in Asia seeing more cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in region. Some astonishing things happening including in Sri Lanka where some L. donavani strains picked up genes from L. major effectively becoming hybrid strains:
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
#TropMed24 Ethiopia is predicted to have the majority of persistent & recrudescent Trachoma. WASH variable appear predictive of risk of both persistence & recrudescence.
Skipped out on #ASTMH #TropMed24 this year but getting so excited by the science on my feed! My one claim to ASTMH fame is when I missed the group photo for ACME travel awards in Seattle and someone decided to add my headshot to the big screen for the entire conference.
Fascinating session at #TropMed24 on post ebola sequelae. I am interested in the persistently positive PCR in breast milk - we still don't know what it really means and what these women should be advised as formula may not be a great option in an outbreak. #AtTheEquatorUG
My former PhD student Dr. Erik Turner giving his poster at #TropMed24 as a CDC ORISE Fellow.
Proud lab mom!
Really cool poster presentation from Dr Seth Addo, the 2024 @wakeforest.bsky.social Pennell Global Health Fellow award winner on VBD geospatial risk in Ghana #tropmed24 #astmh
There is something so beautiful about sunrise - a new morning, new hope. And so my first post on this platform, during my morning run at #TropMed24. It's an intense conference - I wonder whether you have top tips for people attending large meetings for the first time? #AtTheEquatorUG
Come check out poster LB-9402 at Poster session C today, and I can tell you about making maps into useful tools, and how we handled the CMIP6 hot model issue. #tropmed24
#TropMed24 I think evidence is building but probably not yet a complete case to support adopting Loa as a WHO NTD. 6/6
#TropMed24 In a prospective study in Congo there was a dose-response between Microfilarial density and worsening renal function www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Also emerging evidence of associations with arterial stiffness, cognitive function and functional hyposplensim
5/n
#TropMed24 Retrospective studies have suggested associations between Loa MF load and mortality although drivers of this association are unclear. Loa has been associated with a range of other abnormalities. Drivers and causality still not 100% clear 4/n
#TropMed24 A range diagnostic approaches - from classic RAPLOA approach based on identification of eye worms, blood films and then a range of serological / antigen / NAAT based tests. Difficult to evaluate each of these tests until the scope of any Loa based programme are more clearly defined. 3/n
#TropMed24 In Loa endemic areas SAEs related ivermectin strongly associated with microfilarial loads >30,000ml. To facilitate interruption of transmission of Oncho the 'test and not-treat' strategy was developed.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
2/n
#TropMed24 Should Loa Loa be classified by WHO as a Neglected Tropical Disease? Vector borne filarial nematode, restricted to West & Central Africa. Traditionally have considered clinical features transitory so main thinking on Loa has been as a barrier to LF & Oncho programmes. 1/n
#TropMed24 Still huge treatment access gap for Visceral & Cutaneous Leishmaniasis. Children remain most affected by VL associated mortality. Sadly the complete disaster that is the UK withdrawal of global aid funding with no warning massively undercut East African VL programmes. @msf.bsky.social 3/n
Another great poster session at #ASTMH2024 today! You can still find our poster from yesterday's session online: IMV: Innovations in Malaria Vaccine Development Program. www.researchgate.net/publication/... #malaria #TropMed24 #PATH
#TropMed24 @dndi.bsky.social Sleeping sickness trials are amazing.
Original NECT RCT www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Fexinidazole RCT & paediatric studies
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Now acoziborole 1 dose treatment!!
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
2/n
#TropMed24 Despite fact that Chagas predominantly acquired in childhood there were not paediatric friendly formulations. In collaboration with @dndi.bsky.social PedCHAGAS consortium helped develop paediatric friendly formulation of Benznidazole (2017) & subsequently also Nifurtimox (2020) 1/n
