This multidisciplinary project examines the transmission dynamics of multiple parasite species and their interactive effect on human populations in developing areas of coastal Kenya. In this ecological setting, transmission of Schistosoma haematobium, Plasmodium spp., filarial nematodes, and geohelminths is common, resulting in high levels of human urinary schistosomiasis, malaria, lymphatic filariasis, and hookworm infection. These infections, because of their combined long-term effects, appear to play a significant but, as yet, incompletely defined synergistic role in the causation of chronic clinical and subclinical human disease and poverty. In this context, transmission patterns and risk factors for these diverse parasitic infections often appear to be linked and to overlap extensively. However, to date, most studies have not approached the complexity of multi-parasite ecology because of limitations on data availability and accuracy and because of variable heterogeneities of infection risk that are found across physical and social space, and over time. The project's underlying hypothesis is that environmental factors are the key determinants of transmission potential for these parasites, and that these interact with demographic and socio-economic factors in determining the observed spatial/demographic patterns of parasitic disease. Recent research findings on parasite eco-epidemiology indicate that these effects all need to be reconsidered on multiple levels-individual, household, village, and district-wide-separately for each parasite, and for the combined suite of infections. Transmission processes and disease patterns vary across these multiple levels, and will also vary spatially and temporally within each level. The combined impact of these endemic infections has not been well studied, and may prove to have additive or more complex non-linear interactive effects. Consequently, optimal control strategies may prove to require local reduction of both transmission (preventing infection) and disease manifestations through the integrated targeting of one, some, or all of these parasitic infections in concert.
Specific Aims of this project are to detect spatial and demographic patterns of transmission and infection for schistosomiasis, malaria, filariasis, and hookworms in coastal Kenya through integration of parasitological data with landscape, land use, and socioeconomic risk factors; to develop network- and individual-based models to identify the critical features of transmission and predict the potential impact of integrated control programs on distribution of malaria, filaria, schistosomes, and hookworm, and their related community disease impact; and strengthen training in infectious disease ecology for health problems in Africa. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Fogarty International Center (FIC)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01TW008067-01
Application #
7438356
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-BDA-K (50))
Program Officer
Jessup, Christine
Project Start
2007-09-20
Project End
2012-07-31
Budget Start
2007-09-20
Budget End
2008-07-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$488,208
Indirect Cost
Name
Case Western Reserve University
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
077758407
City
Cleveland
State
OH
Country
United States
Zip Code
44106
Abbasi, Ibrahim; Webster, Bonnie L; King, Charles H et al. (2017) The substructure of three repetitive DNA regions of Schistosoma haematobium group species as a potential marker for species recognition and interbreeding detection. Parasit Vectors 10:364
Bisanzio, Donal; Mutuku, Francis; LaBeaud, Angelle D et al. (2015) Use of prospective hospital surveillance data to define spatiotemporal heterogeneity of malaria risk in coastal Kenya. Malar J 14:482
Chang Cojulun, Alicia; Bustinduy, Amaya L; Sutherland, Laura J et al. (2015) Anemia Among Children Exposed to Polyparasitism in Coastal Kenya. Am J Trop Med Hyg 93:1099-105
Bustinduy, Amaya L; Sutherland, Laura J; Chang-Cojulun, Alicia et al. (2015) Age-Stratified Profiles of Serum IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-? Cytokines Among Kenyan Children with Schistosoma haematobium, Plasmodium falciparum, and Other Chronic Parasitic Co-Infections. Am J Trop Med Hyg 92:945-51
King, Charles H (2015) Health metrics for helminth infections. Acta Trop 141:150-60
Bisanzio, Donal; Mutuku, Francis; Bustinduy, Amaya L et al. (2014) Cross-sectional study of the burden of vector-borne and soil-transmitted polyparasitism in rural communities of Coast Province, Kenya. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 8:e2992
DuVall, Adam S; Fairley, Jessica K; Sutherland, Laura et al. (2014) Development of a specimen-sparing multichannel bead assay to detect antiparasite IgG4 for the diagnosis of Schistosoma and Wuchereria infections on the coast of Kenya. Am J Trop Med Hyg 90:638-45
Bustinduy, Amaya L; Parraga, Isabel M; Thomas, Charles L et al. (2013) Impact of polyparasitic infections on anemia and undernutrition among Kenyan children living in a Schistosoma haematobium-endemic area. Am J Trop Med Hyg 88:433-40
Mutuku, Francis M; Khambira, Maureen; Bisanzio, Donal et al. (2013) Physical condition and maintenance of mosquito bed nets in Kwale County, coastal Kenya. Malar J 12:46
Onyango, Shirley A; Kitron, Uriel; Mungai, Peter et al. (2013) Monitoring malaria vector control interventions: effectiveness of five different adult mosquito sampling methods. J Med Entomol 50:1140-51

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