Project Details
Projekt
Cystic echinococcosis in sub-Saharan Africa Research Initiative (Epidemiology and clinical implications of the genetic diversity of Echinococcus spp. in eastern and southern Africa)
Applicants
Professor Dr. Peter Kern; Dr. Thomas Romig
Subject Area
Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens
Pneumology, Thoracic Surgery
Pneumology, Thoracic Surgery
Term
from 2015 to 2021
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 271533100
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a frequent and economically important zoonosis with a specific impact on disadvantaged pastoralist communities in remote areas. It is rated by WHO as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) with deficits in research and funding, which is particularly true for sub-Saharan Africa. Our network continues to establish research infrastructure and to obtain epidemiological data in representative countries of eastern and southern Africa, which can be used by policy makers to decide on strategies for control and prevention. General research objective is to understand the epidemiological and clinical implications of the genetic diversity of Echinococcus spp. in Africa. CE is caused by a highly diverse complex of species, previously assigned to Echinococcus granulosus. In Africa at least five species exist, with highly different life cycle patterns and impact on human health. Few data exist on the consequences of this diversity for public health, livestock production, or control. During the entire project period (phase 1-3), studies have been / will be conducted in 8 economically and ecologically diverse countries: Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Namibia and South Africa. Studies are conducted in three steps: (1) surveys to obtain basic data on frequency and distribution of the various Echinococcus species in humans, livestock and wildlife, (2) demonstration of transmission routes to livestock and humans via dogs or wild carnivores, (3) hypotheses on parasite dispersion and introductions, phylogenetic characterization and correlation of clinical features with species and genotypes of the parasite, estimation of public health and economic impact, and transmission modelling. For practical reasons, not all these aspects could / can be studied in all the countries, so the project is structured into core countries which are extensively and longitudinally covered (Sudan, Kenya, Zambia) and peripheral countries with a limited number of aspects studied. In the context of this research, new moleuclar tools have been / are being developed for on-site application. The establishment of laboratory capacities and of a training/support network including the German and African institutions will provide African scientists with molecular, clinical and epidemiological expertise that will enable them for independent studies on zoonotic diseases. Already, two centers in Sudan and Kenya, established by this project, act as reference laboratories and provide support for other African consortium members, thereby providing a long-term perspective for cooperative ties between the African, but also with the German applicants. Notably, the expertise obtain in this project is not limited to CE, but is also being actively applied to the study of other parasitic diseases (e.g. schistosomiasis, cysticercosis).
DFG Programme
Research Grants
International Connection
Ethiopia, Italy, Kenya, Namibia, Sudan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, Zambia
