The Health Sciences Center at Texas Tech University has announced a two-year, $2.85 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in support of efforts to develop an effective vaccine for schistosomiasis. (WTH??)
The grant will fund a proof-of-concept trial for a vaccine developed by Afzal A. Siddiqui, a Grover E. Murray Distinguished Professor at the TTUHSC School of Medicine. A parasitic disease that is contracted through contact with contaminated water, schistosomiasis currently affects more than two hundred million people in developing countries, while another eight hundred million are at risk of infection. In seventy-four countries where the disease is endemic, infection rates continue to rise despite mass treatment with drugs; long-term reductions in infection rates can be achieved only through vaccination.
Siddiqui, who also serves as the director of the TTUHSC Center of Tropical Medicine & Infectious Diseases, collaborated on the vaccine with researchers at the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle.
"Dr. Siddiqui's approach is to develop a vaccine that resolves the pathology," said TTUHSC president Tedd L. Mitchell. "This vaccine is intended to prevent infections as well as treat existing infection and has the potential to impact the lives of one billion people."
The grant will fund a proof-of-concept trial for a vaccine developed by Afzal A. Siddiqui, a Grover E. Murray Distinguished Professor at the TTUHSC School of Medicine. A parasitic disease that is contracted through contact with contaminated water, schistosomiasis currently affects more than two hundred million people in developing countries, while another eight hundred million are at risk of infection. In seventy-four countries where the disease is endemic, infection rates continue to rise despite mass treatment with drugs; long-term reductions in infection rates can be achieved only through vaccination.
Siddiqui, who also serves as the director of the TTUHSC Center of Tropical Medicine & Infectious Diseases, collaborated on the vaccine with researchers at the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle.
"Dr. Siddiqui's approach is to develop a vaccine that resolves the pathology," said TTUHSC president Tedd L. Mitchell. "This vaccine is intended to prevent infections as well as treat existing infection and has the potential to impact the lives of one billion people."
Schistosomiasis /ˌʃistəsɵˈmaɪəsəs/ (also known as bilharzia)[1] is a disease caused by parasitic worms of the Schistosoma type. It may infect the urinary tract or intestines. Symptoms may include: abdominal pains, diarrhea, bloody stool, or blood in the urine. In those who have been infected a long time, liver damage, kidney failure, infertility, or bladder cancer may occur. In children it may cause poor growth and difficulty learning.[2]
The disease is spread by contact with water that contains the parasites. These parasites are released from freshwater snails that have been infected. The disease is especially common among children in developing countries as they are more likely to play in infected water. Other high risk groups include farmers, fishermen, and people using infected water for their daily chores. Diagnosis is by finding the eggs of the parasite in a person's urine or stool. It can also be confirmed by finding antibodies against the disease in the blood.[2]
Methods to prevent the disease include improving access to clean water and reducing the number of snails. In areas where the disease is common entire groups may be treated all at once and yearly with the medication praziquantel. This is done to decrease the number of people infected and therefore decrease the spread of the disease. Praziquantel is also the treatment recommended by the World Health Organization for those who are known to be infected.[2]
Schistosomiasis affects almost 210 million people worldwide,[3] and an estimated 12,000[4] to 200,000 people die from it a year.[5] The disease is most commonly found in Africa, Asia and South America.[2] Around 700 million people, in more than 70 countries, live in areas where the disease is common.[6][5] Schistosomiasis is the parasitic disease that has the second greatest economic impact, the first being malaria.[7]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schistosomiasis
Praziquantel (Biltricide) is an anthelmintic (read WORM MEDICINE) effective against flatworms. Praziquantel is not licensed for use in humans in the UK; it is, however, available as a veterinary anthelmintic, and is available for use in humans on a named-patient basis.
The disease is spread by contact with water that contains the parasites. These parasites are released from freshwater snails that have been infected. The disease is especially common among children in developing countries as they are more likely to play in infected water. Other high risk groups include farmers, fishermen, and people using infected water for their daily chores. Diagnosis is by finding the eggs of the parasite in a person's urine or stool. It can also be confirmed by finding antibodies against the disease in the blood.[2]
Methods to prevent the disease include improving access to clean water and reducing the number of snails. In areas where the disease is common entire groups may be treated all at once and yearly with the medication praziquantel. This is done to decrease the number of people infected and therefore decrease the spread of the disease. Praziquantel is also the treatment recommended by the World Health Organization for those who are known to be infected.[2]
Schistosomiasis affects almost 210 million people worldwide,[3] and an estimated 12,000[4] to 200,000 people die from it a year.[5] The disease is most commonly found in Africa, Asia and South America.[2] Around 700 million people, in more than 70 countries, live in areas where the disease is common.[6][5] Schistosomiasis is the parasitic disease that has the second greatest economic impact, the first being malaria.[7]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schistosomiasis
Praziquantel (Biltricide) is an anthelmintic (read WORM MEDICINE) effective against flatworms. Praziquantel is not licensed for use in humans in the UK; it is, however, available as a veterinary anthelmintic, and is available for use in humans on a named-patient basis.
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