Liberia

Impact of annual vs. semiannual MDA for elimination of LF in areas co-endemic for onchocerciasis in Liberia

Optimization of Mass Drug Administration with Existing Drug Regimens for Lymphatic Filariasis and Onchocerciasis for Liberia

The objective of this study is to compare the treatment effect of MDA with Albendazole and Ivermectin delivered once per year to MDA delivered twice per year. At the Foya study site, S. mansoni infection rates are extremely high, so in coordination with the Liberian Ministry of Health Praziquantel has been added to the MDA study in order to evaluate once and twice per year MDA on schistosomiasis. The final follow-up survey at the Harper site was completed in 2016 and the results are currently prepared for publication. The Ebola crisis interrupted our work at our Foya site. Subsequent DOLF surveys showed that high compliance treatment may resume after the outbreak and that the project can be restarted (Bogus et al. 2016). The study in Foya/ Kolahun has been completed in 2017 and the results are currently being analyzed.

Comparison of Binax Filariasis Now Test (ICT) and Alere Filariasis Test Strip (FTS) for the detection of circulating W. bancrofti antigens

The initial side by side comparison of the two tests were performed in a field study done in Lofa County and showed for the first time that FTS is more sensitive than the ICT (Weil et al. 2013). A subsequent study from Harper and other study areas in Africa confirmed these findings (Chesnais et al. 2017).

Soil-transmitted helminth research

Within the framework to measure the impact of MDA to eliminate LF on soil-transmitted helminths (STH) a number of add-on studies were performed:
• Microbiome signature of subjects infected with STH (Rosa et al. 2018).
• Presence of Capillaria eggs in stool confound the diagnosis of whipworm infection by Kato Katz smear (Fischer et al. 2018).

Capillaria Ova and Diagnosis of Trichuris trichiura Infection in Humans by Kato-Katz Smear, Liberia
Emerg Infect Dis. 2018;24(8):1551-1554

Differential human gut microbiome assemblages during soil-transmitted helminth infections in Indonesia and Liberia
Microbiome. 2018;6(1):33

A multi-center field study of two point-of-care tests for circulating Wuchereria bancroftiantigenemia in Africa
PLoS Negl.Trop. Dis. 2017;11(9): 1-15

Community Attitudes Toward Mass Drug Administration for Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases After the 2014 Outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Lofa County, Liberia
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016;94(3):497-503

Laboratory and field evaluation of a new rapid test for detecting Wuchereria bancrofti antigen in human blood
Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 2013;89(1):11-15

Research Collaborator

Dr. Fatorma Bolay (PI), Lincoln Gankpala (research coordinator)
Department of Public Health and Medical Research
National Public Health Institute of Liberia
Charlesville  LIBERIA