Knowledge Exchange by ISID

Chikungunya with Focus on Recent Outbreaks and the Effects of Climate Change – Part III
  • Chair: Neelika Malavige (Sri Lanka)
  • Speaker: Seth Gibson (USA)
  • Speaker: Andrew Fiateide (Nigeria)
  • December 13, 2024

Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus that causes acute fever and acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain in humans. Chikungunya virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, most commonly Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti and Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus. These mosquitoes bite primarily during daylight hours. With the absence of definitive treatment and widespread vaccination, the main method to reduce transmission of CHIKV is through control of the mosquito vectors. This requires mobilization of communities, particularly to destroy breeding sites of the mosquitoes. There is a need to better understand the epidemiology of chikungunya for better prevention and control measures to be implemented. Due to the challenges in reporting and diagnosis, the number of people affected by chikungunya is underestimated. It is important for health care workers to have a high index of suspicion to request for the right diagnostic tests since chikungunya, dengue and zika have similar symptoms.

This webinar is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Valneva.
Chikungunya with Focus on Recent Outbreaks and the Effects of Climate Change – Part II
  • Chair: Neelika Malavige (Sri Lanka)
  • Speaker: David Hamer (USA)
  • Speaker: Nicola Petrosillo (Italy)
  • November 11, 2024

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an RNA virus in the alphavirus genus of the family Togaviridae. In August 2007, an outbreak of autochthonous chikungunya virus infections was declared in Italy for the first time in Europe. For international travelers, people traveling to areas of active CHIKV transmission should apply basic precautions, including the prevention of mosquito bites by the use of insect repellents, wearing long sleeves and trousers, and ensuring rooms are fitted with nets to prevent mosquitoes from entering their rooms and houses. Prevention of infection by avoiding mosquito bites is the best protection. According to the World Health Organization, patients suspected of having CHIKV infection should avoid getting mosquito bites during the first week of illness to prevent further transmission to mosquitoes, who may, in turn, infect other people. This measure is crucial for preventing the spread of chikungunya to areas with little or no transmission.

This webinar is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Valneva.
Understanding Tuberculosis: Diagnosis, Management, and Global Impact
  • Chair: Delia Golleti (Italy)
  • Speaker: Nadia Atiya (Malaysia)
  • Speaker: Sadia Shakoor (Pakistan)
  • August 29, 2024

TB is a re-emerging disease. According to the WHO, about a quarter of the global population is estimated to be infected with Mycobacteria tuberculosis. About 5-10% of those infected develop symptomatic TB which they can spread to others. In 2022, TB was the second leading infectious cause of death after COVID-19. TB is preventable and curable. TB can be prevented by use of the vaccine BCG. BCG is usually given at birth as part of routine immunization for children in most low resource settings. Antibiotics are available for the treatment of TB, however the development of Multidrug Resistant TB may necessitate use of second line antibiotics in the treatment of TB. Prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of at-risk groups like those co-infected with HIV is necessary for effective control and management of TB.

This webinar is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from bioMérieux.
Chikungunya with Focus on Recent Outbreaks and the Effects of Climate Change
  • Chair: Neelika Malavige (Sri Lanka)
  • Speaker: Mauricio Nogueira (USA)
  • Speaker: Sujatha Sunil (India)
  • July 10, 2024

Chikungunya is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus. Since its emergence in Africa in 1953, the global distribution has rapidly expanded, and the disease has spread to most continents. In the past 20 years, chikungunya has reemerged in the Indian Ocean region and emerged in new areas, including Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific. The spread to new areas is possible due to the travel of infected persons and mosquitoes in these new areas that can spread the disease. The spread is more in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Dengue and Zika have similar symptoms to chikungunya, making chikungunya easy to misdiagnose in countries where these infections occur. Due to the challenges in reporting and diagnosis, the number of people affected by chikungunya is reported to be underestimated.

This webinar is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Valneva.
Exploring Solutions: Insights from One Health's Leading Experts
  • Chair: Dr. Lucille Blumberg
  • Speaker: Prof. Wanda Markotter
  • Speaker: Prof. Alessandra Scagliarini
  • Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Bloodgood

This webinar is designed for researchers, healthcare professionals, students, and anyone passionate about the critical intersection of infectious diseases, human health, and environmental health.

Chikungunya Vaccines Development
  • Chair: Fingani Mphande-Nyasulu (Thailand)
  • Speaker: Diana Rojas Alvarez (Switzerland)
  • September 26, 2023

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has been identified as a priority pathogen and as an emerging infectious disease requiring special action by the World Health Organization (WHO). Its reemergence is rapid and geographically extensive, it has caused large outbreaks with high attack rates in Africa, Asia, Europe, Americas, and islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. 
Although Chikungunya fever is a self-limiting disease and the associated fatality rate is low, chikungunya-related death has been reported in certain populations, specially in people with pre-existing conditions.

Since there is no specific treatment, there is a medical need for prophylaxis against CHIKV infection. Some promising preclinical and clinical vaccine candidates have been developed during recent years, involving a wide range of technology platforms including: inactivated Viruses and Subunit Vaccines, Live-Attenuated Viruses, Virus-Like Particles, Viral Vector Vaccines and Nucleic Acid-Based Vaccines. Advancing developments in current candidates in the pipeline as well as further R&D work required is crucial as it is understanding the epidemiological gaps and modeling needs to perform further efficacy trials; in this webinar some of these aspects will be presented and questions welcomed from the audience.

This webinar is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Valneva.
The Value of a Multidisciplinary Approach to Sepsis Management
  • Chair: Jaffar Al-Tawfiq (Saudi Arabia)
  • Co-Chair: Vrinda Nampoothiri (India)
  • Speakers: Nesrine Rizk (Lebanon), Saleh Zein-El-Dine (Lebanon), and Imad Bou Akl (Lebanon)
  • September 12, 2023

Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. Despite recent progress in the understanding and treatment of sepsis, few data or recommendations exist that detail effective approaches to sepsis care in resource-limited low-income and middle-income countries. Although few data exist on the burden of sepsis in LMICs, the prevalence of HIV and other comorbid conditions in some LMICs suggest that sepsis is a substantial contributor to mortality in these regions. In well-resourced countries, sepsis management relies on protocols and complex invasive technologies not widely available in most LMICs. However, key concepts and components of sepsis management are potentially translatable to resource-limited environments. Health personnel in LMICs should learn how to recognize sepsis and the importance of early and appropriate antibiotic use and laboratory diagnosis of sepsis. Simple and low-cost standardized laboratory testing should be emphasized to allow accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of treatment response. Evidence-based interventions and treatment algorithms tailored to LMIC ecology and resources should thus be developed and validated.

This webinar is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from bioMerieux.
Treatment Strategies for Dengue Infection
  • Chair: Neelika Malavige (Sri Lanka)
  • Co-Chair: Muhammed Niyas (India)
  • Speakers: Ashley St. John (Singapore) and Eng Eong Ooi (Singapore)
  • July 25, 2023

Dengue is a public health problem that continues to increase globally. Dengue is spreading to new areas, including Europe, with some countries reporting first-time local transmission cases. As treatment options are limited, public health control measures include strengthening national programs to meet objectives through coordinated efforts inside and outside the health sector. There is currently no definitive treatment for dengue; only supportive treatment is available for patients with the infection.

However, there have been recent advances in the development of promising drugs for dengue therapeutics, including direct antivirals and host-targeted drugs for reducing inflammation and vascular pathologies. Developing novel vector control methods and new approaches to case management are important for prevention and control. A safe and efficacious vaccine remains the foundation of a comprehensive countermeasure strategy. Recent advances in host-targeted pathways and novel therapeutic approaches are crucial and should be integrated into the research agenda with current vector control tools and vaccination developments.

This webinar is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Takeda.
Chikungunya: Forecasting, Risk Mapping and Clinical Trials
  • Chair: Nicola Petrosillo (Italy)
  • Co-Chair: Theresa Ochoa (Peru)
  • Speakers: Assaf Anyamba (USA) and Lin Chen (USA)
  • March 28, 2023

Chikungunya is a mosquito transmitted alpha virus. Since its emergence in Africa, the global distribution is rapidly expanding, the disease has spread to most continents. The spread to new areas is possible due to the travel of infected persons and presence of mosquitoes in these new areas that are able to spread the disease. The spread has been found to be more in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Several data driven empirical approaches and spatiotemporal forecasting have been used to forecast chikungunya spread in places like the Americas. Some of these forecasting methods have been used to predict infected cases and locations based on machine learning. Although there is currently no specific treatment and vaccine in use, there are several vaccine candidates in different stages of clinical trials that have shown promising results.


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This webinar is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Valneva.
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