Prof. Daniel Achukwi from IRAD Wakwa is now in Germany to evaluate serum samples from the project cattle herd. He is following training in parasitological, immunological and molecular biology methods at the Tübingen University and the Bernhard-Nocht-Institute in Hamburg.
These photos show Issek, a Cameroonian artist receiving his new wheelchair. A big thank you to Dr. Irmgard Schreier from Tübingen, Germany for donating the wheelchair and Air France for priority transportation of the chair.
Issek is an artist based in Cameroon. He designed the logo for Programme Onchocercoses with Dr. Renz.
DFG-Meeting in Accra, Ghana, 23rd – 27th of March 2011.
The second meeting of German-African research partners in Accra brought together more than 25 research projects. Our work was presented by an oral talk and 5 posters.
Julia Hildebrandt, MPI, awarded the EvE Förderpreis für Evolutionsbiology for her studies on molecular genetics of Onchocerca ochengi. For more information, please click here.
DAAD-grant received for Stephanie in November 2010
Starting in January 2012, they will stay for 2 (or three months) in Cameroon to work in our project and to collect data for the thesis of diploma. Their work shall focus on the population biology of Onchocerca worms and their arthropod vectors.
This is likely for the first time that you see a microfilaria moving in its natural way, as it wanders through the skin. It was made posible by embedding the living microfilariae in a medium soft enough to allow movement and strong enough to provide a solid ground for its movements. One can see how it uses its tail to move ahead. Any macrophages etc. trying to attack on its cuticula, can easily be sweeped off.
In most cases one sees a living microfilaria, it is in a drop of saline, and the microfilaria moves on the spot by helpless wrigglings, but without making any distance.
Am Donnerstag, den 14. Oktober berichtet Albert im Zoologischen Kolloquium über seine Arbeit in Kamerun:
“Charakterisierung der Filarien des Zebu-Rindes in Zentralafrika, sowie deren Vektoren mittels morphologischer, genetischer und epizootiologischer Analyse”
Im Hörsaal E3A07 im E-Bau (Zoologie); Auf der Morgenstelle: 9.15-10.00 Uhr
Gäste herzlich willkommen!
David Ekale has been trained as a laboratory assistant in our various research projects since 1984. He is now a part-time student in Nsukka, Nigeria and reports of his experiences there.
During wor work with the Programme Onchocercoses in Cameroon (1984 to 1987 in Kumba, then in Ngaoundere) I learned many entomological and parasitological techniques, like dissections of Simulim damnosum flies, morphometric description of adult flies, identification of third stage larvae and microfilaria species. cryopreservation of microfilaria species, intra-thoracic injection of microfilaria in vector flies, cytotaxonomy of the Simulium damnosum complex, embryogram analysis etc. To enlarge my scientific background and to learn more about biology and research methods, I inscribed as a part-time student at the Nsukka-University in Nigeria. Here are my impressions as a student of an African university:
My experience in Nigeria
My study destination Nigeria is a huge country with over 150 million inhabitants. Amazing indeed, because despite the huge oil deposits making it one of the richest country in Africa it is still rated a poor country with less than a dollar per person per day; problems arising mainly from leadership style, poor management and especially corruption has a negative impact in the country’s economy. It is like a magnified version of what is happening in most African countries.
Auftakt-Treffen im Rahmen der „DFG-Afrika-Initiative”
http://www.dfg.de/dfg_magazin/aus_der_wissenschaft/infektiologie_afrika/index.jsp
Insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund des Austauschs ist nun das Auftakt-Treffen in Berlin initiiert und gestaltet worden. Neben den Fachvorträgen gehört auch ein Besuch der gemeinsam von DFG und Robert Koch-Institut entwickelten Ausstellung „MenschMikrobe – Das Erbe Robert Kochs und die moderne Infektionsforschung” zum Programm. Im Anschluss daran findet am Dienstag, 22. Juni 2010, um 18 Uhr im Thaer-Saal der Humboldt-Universität, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, eine Podiumsdiskussion in englischer Sprache zum Thema „Armutskrankheiten in Afrika” statt.
Just published, see:
http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/3/1/53
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Onchocerca volvulus, the causative agent of river blindness, is transmitted through the black fly Simulium damnosum s.l., which breeds in turbulent river waters. To date, the number of flies attacking humans has only been determined by standard fly collectors near the river or the village. In our study, we counted the actual number of attacking and successfully feeding S. damnosum s.l. flies landing on individual villagers during their routine day-time activities in two villages of the Sudan-savannah and rainforest of Cameroon. We compared these numbers to the number of flies caught by a standard vector-collector, one positioned near the particular villager during his/her daily activity and the other sitting at the nearest Simulium breeding site.
Results
Using these data obtained by the two vector-collectors, we were able to calculate the Actual Index of Exposure (AIE). While the AIE in the savannah was on average 6,3%, it was 34% in the rainforest. The Effective Annual Transmission Potential (EATP) for individual villagers was about 20 fold higher in the rainforest compared to the savannah.
Conclusions
Here we show for the first time that it is possible to determine the EATP. Further studies with more subjects are needed in the future. These data are important for the development of future treatment strategies.
