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www.denguetools.net DengueTools Newsletter – Issue 1, June 2013

The project is funded under the Health theme of the 7th Framework Programme of the European Community, Grant Agreement No. 282589

Welcome to DengueTools first newsletter!

This newsletter gives an overview of the consortium activities over the last 21 months.

The consortium came together and gathered at a number of important meetings, including two general assemblies (Umeå, Sept 2011 and Heidelberg, Sept 2012) and in a number of smaller working group workshops.

Scientific work is now well underway as documented in the first periodic report of months 1 to 18 that was filed to the EU in Feb. 2013.

More exciting events are coming up and we are looking forward to outstanding scientific exchanges and challenges while working together as a consortium in the next couple of years.

Comprehensive Control of Dengue Fever under Changing Climatic Conditions – DengueTools

Upcoming events of interest in 2013: Copenhagen, Denmark – Sept. 9: “3D” meeting of the three EU-

funded consortia working on dengue, o Followed by the European Congress on Tropical Medicine and

International Health (ECTMIH) with DT special session – Sep 10-13.

Colombo, Sri Lanka – Oct 17-19: DengueTools general assembly Bangkok, Thailand – Oct 21-23: Third International Conference on

Dengue and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever 2013 (Dengue 2013): “Global Dengue: Challenges and Promises”.

Washington DC, USA – Nov 13-17: American Society of Tropical

Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) annual meeting



Major research gaps continue to hamper the control of dengue. The European Commission launched a call under the 7th Framework Programme with the title of 'Comprehensive control of Dengue fever under changing climatic conditions'. Fourteen partners from countries in Europe, Asia, and South America formed a consortium named 'DengueTools' to respond to the call to achieve better diagnosis, surveillance, prevention, and predictive models and improve our understanding of the spread of dengue to previously uninfected regions (including Europe) in the context of globalization and climate change. The hosting institution is the Umeå Centre for Global Health Research (UCGHR) at Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.

The consortium comprises 14 partners working within 12 work packages (WP) to address a set of research questions in three areas: Research area 1 –

Develop a Surveillance: comprehensive early warning and surveillance system that has predictive capability for epidemic dengue and benefits from novel tools for laboratory diagnosis and vector monitoring.

Research area 2 –

Develop novel Prevention: strategies to prevent dengue in children.

Research area 3 – Risk of introduction in uninfected regions: Understand and predict the risk of global spread of dengue, in particular the risk of introduction and establishment in Europe, within the context of parameters of vectorial capacity, global mobility, and climate change.

DengueTools overview

UmU Sweden

FUSP Brasil

SRL Sri Lanka

DKNS Singapore

MU Thailand

ISCIII Spain

OXTC UK

TDX UK

LSHTM UK

STPH Switzer

land IP

France EID

France

UKL-HD German

y

http://www.globalhealthresearch.net/

http://www.denguetools.net/wp.html

http://www.denguetools.net/wp.html



The Principal Investigator and coordinator is Professor Annelies Wilder-Smith (Umeå University, Sweden). The partner institution and work package leaders are: Hasitha Tissera (WP1, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka), David Brooks (Twistdx, UK), Sazaly Abu Bakar (WP2, University of Malaya, Malaysia), Luke Alphey (WP3, Oxitec Ltd, UK), Pattamaporn Kittayapong (WP4, Mahidol University at Salaya, Thailand), James Logan (WP5, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), UK), Christoph Hatz (WP6, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (STPH), Switzerland), Paul Reiter (WP7, Pasteur Institute, France), Joacim Rocklöv (WP8, Umeå University, Sweden), Peter Byass (WP9, Umeå University, Sweden), Valérie Louis (WP10, Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany), Yesim Tozan (WP11, Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany), Duane Gubler (Duke-NUS (DKNS), Singapore), Eduardo Massad (University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil), Antonio Tenorio (Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Spain), Christophe Lagneau (Entente Inter-Départementale pour la Démoustication du littoral méditerranéen (EID), France), Raman Preet (Scientific Project Manager, WP12, Umeå University, Sweden). In addition the consortium team includes a number of PhD students, postdocs, technical and administrative assistants and senior advisors. The scientific advisory board (SAB) consists of six external members advising on the overal startegic plan of the project, namely: Donald S. Shepard (Phillips Academy, Andover, MA, USA), Jan Semenza (European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC), Sweden), Gilbert Burnham (John Hopkins University, USA), Rosanna Peeling ( London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, UK), David Heymann (Health Protection Agency, UK).

http://www.denguetools.net/index.html

http://www.denguetools.net/partners.html

http://www.denguetools.net/WPLgallery1.html

http://www.denguetools.net/SABgallery1.html



DengueTools kick-off meeting took place in Umeå, Sweden, shortly after the official start of the project on September 1st, 2011. The first annual assembly happened a year later in Heidelberg. Members of the scientific advisory board were present to give feedback.

The executive board met every six months (14 Feb 2012, 28 Sept 2012, and 28 Mar 2013) to discuss administrative, ethical and scientific issues and evaluate progress of the overall project.

A number of smaller working group meetings and workshops were organized by members of the different institutions to fine tune work package tasks and milestones.

In April 2012, scientists of the three EU funded dengue consortia funded met in France to foster scientific exchange and synergies among the research teams - coined the ”3D” meeting. The meetings and workshops are presented in more details below, in chronological order.

DengueTools kick-off meeting – Umeå, Sweden; 21-23 Sep 2011 This was the first meeting of the consortium. Partners got to know each other, exchange expertise, and define strategic plans and collaborations for the projects

Main meetings and workshops



ASTMH annual meeting – Atlanta, GA, USA; 11-15 Nov 2012

The conference gave the opportunity for an informal DT meeting.

Duane, Annelies, Eduardo, Joacim, Yesim and Pat met to discuss work packages 1 and 4. Later, Joacim, Eduardo and Annelies had a working group meeting related to work package 8.

DengueTools partners meeting – Colombo, Sri Lanka; 13-17 Feb 2012 The meeting was hosted by the Epidemiology Unit of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health. In particular Dr. Paba Palihawadana (Director of the Epidemiology Unit), Dr. Hasitha Tissera (consultant epidemiologist), and Dr. Ananda Amarasinghe (consultant epidemiologist) were instrumental.

The travelling DT delegation included Annelies Wilder-Smith (Project PI), Duane Gubler (project senior advisor), Johannah Wegerdt (project scientific manager), Valérie Louis(work package PI, project manager), Yesim Tozan (work package PI), Göran Lönnberg (statistician), Andreas Ekholm (accountant), Peter Dambach (geographer ). On the first day the visitors had the opportunity to meet high ranking government officials to better understand the country dengue control strategy. The press was invited and reported in a newspaper article and with a short TV spot shown later that day on national TV. Subsequent visits included meeting with the Medical Research Institute (MRI), Genetech, and the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC). The researchers had also the opportunity to interact with scientists of Duke University working on a dengue project in Galle, Sri Lanka.

http://youtu.be/aUzTmoU5fX8

http://www.genetechsrilanka.com/#!__about-us



Sri Lanka- June 2012 Technical meeting with Joacim Rocklöv, Wolfgang Lohr, Valerie Louis Official opening of DT section in the Epidemiology Unit of



Thailand – July 2012 James Logan, Sarah Banks, Adam In the field at Chaochengsao, schools



DengueTools annual general assembly – Heidelberg, Germany; 12-17 Sep 2012 The consortium convened in a plenary session for one and a half day, after which the SAB gave feedback and recommendations. Research area 2 met prior to the consortium to address specific issues relating to the trial undergoing in Thailand with impregnated uniforms. Research area 3 had a separate meeting for half a day after the consortium meeting. The meeting also coincided with the 50 year jubilee of the Institute of Public Health of Heidelberg University that culminated with a dinner at the Heidelberg castle.

http://www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de/Nachlese.129096.0.html

http://www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de/Nachlese.129096.0.html

http://www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de/Institute-of-Public-Health.5358.0.html

http://www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de/Fotos15Dinner.130148.0.html



Thailand – Nov 2012



Workshop, Research area 3 June 2013 – Umeå



A description of the work performed since the beginning of the project and the main results achieved so far.

Research area 1:

WP 1 has successfully set up a laboratory-enhanced sentinel disease surveillance system in Colombo municipality, Sri Lanka. At the end of the first year, we also added a cohort in Ward 33 of Colombo for active surveillance. Furthermore, we held various consultation meetings with entomologists during the first year and are in the process of setting up an entomological survey at Ward 33 to enhance our integrated surveillance system in Sri Lanka.

WP2: Optimal primers were identified, RT-LAMP was developed, and validated against qRT-PCR and IgM and IgG ELISA, resulting in a first paper submitted early 2013. The development of the RT-RPA is still on-going.

WP3: We have developed a new technique, Polymerase Chain Displacement Reaction (PCDR), which uses multiple nested primers in a rapid, capped, one-tube reaction that increases the sensitivity of normal real-time PCR assays. Candidate ovitrap attractants have been selected. Field assays have been developed and evaluated for comparative evaluation of ovitrap attractants.

Research area 2:

WP4: Ten schools were selected for a trial of insecticide impregnated school uniforms as an intervention against dengue transmission. Awareness seminars were conducted and cross-over randomisation by school was performed. More than 1800 children were recruited, had baseline blood tests taken, and all their school uniforms (4 sets per child) were collected and sent to the InsectShield factory in China for either permethrin or placebo treatment. Blood samples were again taken at the end of the school term. Blood samples have yet to be analysed, and both investigators and children remain blinded to the randomisation. Waning efficacy of the impregnated school uniforms was noted in laboratory testing, in terms of knock-down effect and toxicity to mosquitoes. Qualitative studies were conducted to assess the acceptability of impregnated uniforms.

WP5: Several impregnated materials from different companies using different techniques were tested for their knock-down effect and mortality, showing that InsectShield clothing gave the best results. However, using WHO washing standards we documented a rapid decline in efficacy of the InsectShield clothes from 100% to only 12% after 30 washes

Research area 3:

WP6: Seventeen TropNet Study sites were recruited. The inclusion of travellers with laboratory confirmed dengue and the systematic collection of clinical, demographic, and travel itinerary data and the collection of the respective blood samples for full genomic analysis is on-going.

WP7: A study site in Southern France was identified and set up. We have begun testing the susceptibility of local mosquitoes to deltamethrin, the most commonly used

First periodic report



insecticide for Aedes albopictus adult control.

WP8: Using temperature data from 1901 to 2009, dengue epidemic potential was estimated based on relative vectorial capacity both globally as well as in Europe. An analysis of the dengue outbreak in Madeira in 2012 is underway.

WP9: We set up data management procedures, and conducted research workshops in Thailand and Sri Lanka (WP 1 and 4). Statistical support for the randomised controlled trial in Thailand and the surveillance study in Sri Lanka is on-going.

WP10: A Sri Lankan PhD student has been recruited. Training of local staff and obtaining data for GIS is on-going.

WP 11: We recruited PhD students from both Thailand and Sri Lanka for training in economic evaluations. Questionnaires for economic evaluation have been developed to assess the cost of dengue illness in Thai school children, as well as for costing studies in Sri Lanka. First meetings with policy makers in Sri Lanka have taken place.

Publication of the research design of DengueTools:

Wilder-Smith A, Renhorn K, Tissera H, Abu Bakar S, Alphey L, Kittayapong P, et al.

DengueTools: innovative tools and strategies for the surveillance and control of dengue.

Global health action. 2012;5:17273-.

PDF

Research area 1 publication:

Harris CL, Sanchez-Vargas IJ, Olson KE, Alphey L, Fu G. Polymerase chain displacement

reaction. BioTechniques 2013; 55:93-97.

PDF

Research area 2 publications:

Wilder-Smith A, Byass P, Olanratmanee P, Maskhao P, Sringernyuang L, Logan J G, et al.

The impact of insecticide-treated school uniforms on dengue infections in school-aged

children : study protocol for a randomised controlled trial in Thailand. BioMed Central;

Trials. 2012;13:212-.

PDF

Massad E, Amaku M, Antoio F, Coutinho B, Kittayapong P, Wilder-Smith A. Theoretical

impact of insecticide-impregnated school uniforms on dengue incidence in Thai

children. Global health action 2013; 6: 20473-.

PDF

DengueTools publications (as of June 2013)

http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/17273

http://www.biotechniques.com/archive/?year=2013

http://www.trialsjournal.com/content/pdf/1745-6215-13-212.pdf

http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/20473



Research area 3 publication:

Massad E, Rocklöv J, Wilder-Smith A. Dengue infections in non-immune travellers to

Thailand. Epidemiology and Infection. 2013;141(2):412-417.

PDF

Kindly be reminded that every publication that is a result of DengueTools should contain the following statement: The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007_ 2013) under grant agreement no. 282589,

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8802743&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0950268812000507

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