Diagnostics

For all neglected tropical diseases, the need for improved diagnostics comes into much sharper focus as infection prevalence declines and elimination becomes a possibility. COR-NTD diagnostics research focuses on neglected tropical diseases amenable to preventive chemotherapy, or PC-NTDs. For diseases targeted by mass drug administration, programs need tests to provide data to guide programmatic decisions on the transition from mass treatment to targeted or no treatment, and then for some, verification of transmission elimination. Programmatic decisions on when to stop mass drug administration are based on surveys to document that infection levels have been reduced below a given threshold, using clinical, parasitologic, or serologic measures.

While the operational research supported by COR-NTD does not focus on test development as a specific goal, testing and validating new tools to support program decision making is an important and overarching objective. COR-NTD supports field evaluations of both newly developed or improved rapid diagnostic tests, as well as laboratory diagnostics designed to improve the effectiveness of program decision making. This work will not only inform efforts of organizations collaborating to develop and commercialize new tools, but it will also support the World Health Organization (WHO) and ministries of health to achieve control and elimination targets.

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Studies

Added 13 October 2021

Monitoring migrant groups as a post-treatment surveillance approach to contain the potential risk of lymphatic filaraisis re-emergence after stopping mass drug administration in Togo

University of Lomé
Lymphatic filariasis
Research question

In March 2016, the Republic of Togo submitted an application for validation of the elimination of LF as a public health problem. However, healthcare facility managers in some health regions – especially in the Savanes Region, have reported the presence of migrant groups from neighboring countries which are still endemic to LF – i.e. Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria. Migrants arrive and reside temporarily but recurrently in some localities of these regions. They constitute hotspots that can be source of resurgence, mainly because the nationwide passive surveillance has been stopped in 2016. 

In order to track all population movements that constitute a potential risk to the Republic of Togo, the country proposes to set up a strategy for the identification of these groups, with the contribution of Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Focal Points, followed by the research of potential parasite carriers. Isolated cases discovered will be investigated in order to track all imported W. bancrofti. They will be treated, but if an effective hotspot is discovered, rounds of Albendazole and Ivermectin MDA will be implemented a follow up of infected individuals will be maintained. 

The purpose of this study is to contribute maintaining the end of LF transmission across the country.

Added 24 October 2021

Life on the edge: tackling Africa HAT on the edge of wilderness areas

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM)
Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
Research question

Our proposal will study the interaction between humans, livestock and wildlife and the role of this transition zone in the transmission of trypanosomes at the edge of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. To assess whether focussed control of tsetse is effective, we will develop mathematical models of the transmission of trypanosomes in the transition zone from wildlife-dominated areas on the park boundaries through to livestock-dominated areas outside the parks. The models will enable us to predict the likely extent, duration and cost of interventions required to interrupt the transmission of trypanosomes at boundary areas. 

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