ASSAf's relationship with Leopoldina is one of the most productive in the South African scientific community. The purpose of the conference is to assess the spread, monitoring and responses to infectious diseases. The theme of the conference is Surveillance and Response to Infectious Diseases and Comorbidities: An African and German Perspective.
One of the main concerns remains frequent travel between South Africa and other endemic areas. Several strains of the seventh cholera epidemic, imported from Indonesia in the 1960s, continue to spread across the African continent. Surveillance is facing funding challenges as the CDC's work is reduced, including its work on the African continent.
In countries where schistosomiasis is endemic, annual mass administration of the drugs takes place (ie, the drug is given to four million children in one week). This was a year ahead of the below 2% target set in the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for 2015.
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
Due to the implications of ABR, it has generated unprecedented political attention among the G8, G20 and G77, and was even presented at the UN General Assembly in 2016. AMR plays a role in Universal Health Coverage, International Health Regulations, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Health Security Agenda. The pace of new discoveries in the field of anti-infectives has slowed, especially since many large pharmaceutical companies have withdrawn from this research due to the low potential for profit.
The presentation will focus on efforts by the Department of Microbial Agents at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research to identify potential new lead structures from fungal and bacterial strains. The Department of Microbial Agents at the Helmholtz Center established a large-scale fermentation process and so far isolated 20 g of the natural products. After the identification of the biosynthetic gene cluster, alternative myxobacterial strains were used, which also produced derivatives of cystobactamides.
The surprisingly high prevalence of anti-infective activities in the culture extracts of these fungi has led the group to develop a phenotypic array-based workflow as a key strategy. Question (Dr. Norbert Heinrich) asked Dr. Olayanju's views on potential biases in his research (eg, the non-randomized manner in which the data are generated) that could lead to the conclusion that bedaquiline is effective. Due to the sporadic nature of post-discharge outpatient care, it was difficult to get a large group to consent to participate in the study.
Five flavonoids from the 22 isolated compounds showed moderate to significant antibacterial activity (MIC < 10 μg/ .. The tested compounds showed no toxic effect on MIN-6 and 3T3 cell mL). In 1928, when penicillin was discovered, scientists believed they had conquered pathogens, but Louis Pasteur had already realized that 'the microbe always has the last word'. This was the dominant idea for several decades until the dawn of the genomic era.
Refactoring the gene cluster with synthetic control elements and introducing it into the host will yield the new compound.
DINNER
This is relevant for preventive therapy before the onset of the clinical disease and transmission. The institute works very closely with universities, to the extent that it is almost part of the university system. Invasive aspergillosis infections are often associated with TB because of the defect of the lungs.
In addition to helping to infect fungi, it is active against a variety of other fungi including human pathogens such as A. The term 'One Health' was used in the 2017 G20 Summit Declaration, along with a commitment to strengthen the One Health Approach within the G20 fully respecting the specific mandates of WHO, OiE and FAO. The One Health concept recognizes that human health is linked to animal health and the environment.
In the first 30 years of the institute's existence, the focus was on haemoparasites (east coast fever and trypanosomiasis, which are cattle diseases). The development of a vibrant pharmaceutical industry in South Africa is part of DST's bioeconomy strategy. In the medical context, there is a gap in that doctors do not always appreciate the role of One Health.
Answer (Prof. Thumbi Ndung'u): One Health issues are well covered in veterinary curricula, but there may be a gap in the approach of humanistic medicine colleagues where there seems to be no emphasis on the interdisciplinary One Health issues. Answer (Prof. Rose Hayeshi): One of the gaps in the life and science curricula is that the translational aspects of basic research are not discussed, which may be why there is so little awareness of One Health. There may be a need for a tailored One Health subject in university curricula that covers the broad scope of the concept and shows how the issues are interconnected.
Question (Prof Thomas Mettenleiter): Almost no one in the audience has heard of the international One Health Day, which falls on 3 November. Teams working across the One Health continuum already exist and need to be strengthened. Thanks to the panel members for their participation and acting as multipliers to raise awareness of the One Health concept.
BIG FOUR: HIV, TB, MALARIA, HCV
There is limited knowledge of the effect of co-infection on the host's immune response. The seasonality in the activity of the mosquito vector (Culex spps) has a major influence on the activity of WNV. The fabrication of the hybrid PLGA NP-Pheroid® DDS by the premix method proved to be more stable through electrostatic interaction.
NP-Pheroid® showed no significant statistical difference on the PK parameters of the INH and RIF drugs in the plasma. Protein transport is responsible for the pathology of malaria when the parasite transports proteins to the surface of the cell. Any parasite protein that wants to move to the surface of the cell must cross the membrane.
Factors required on the trans side of the parasitophorous vacuolar membrane were then investigated. This allows changing the composition of the cell with the media placed on top. Thus, the composition of the trans side of the parasitophorous vacuolar membrane can be changed.
The unknown protein must be on the outside of the parasitophoric vacuolar membrane for proteins to be pulled through. When wild-type HSP70 is added, there is some decrease in parasite growth, probably because the endogenous chaperone system is out of balance. It is thought that there is a close interaction between parasite-exported proteins and human proteins, which is likely essential for parasite growth.
It should have been 'The Big Five' and included hepatitis B, which must be included in surveillance because hepatitis B virus (HBV) is responsible for 90% of hepatitis in Africa and there are 1.4 million deaths annually from HBV on worldwide, which corresponds to the mortality of HIV.
WRAP-UP, VOTE OF THANKS AND CLOSING OF THE SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE
For example, the response to the listeria outbreak in South Africa could have been significantly shortened with an information system that localized the occurrence of the disease and showed in which supermarkets those affected bought food. Mr. Acemah praised the excellent balance between German and African perspectives at the conference. Professor Karim repeated the thanks of the previous speakers to all those responsible for the partnership.
They have been magnanimous in sharing their lifelong experience and wisdom regarding their successes and failures, projects, institution building, programs and collaboration with colleagues. The conference involved a good mix of senior scientists, mid-level researchers and junior researchers (or rising stars). Africa is unique in that 65% of the continent's population is under the age of 35.
Young investigators should not be underestimated; they have much to teach the older generation, and the older generation so much to share with them, in a synergistic relationship. The supervision session did not take place the night before, so Prof Karim shared some ideas on this topic. Those working in infectious disease and disaster management must be smarter during the inter-epidemic period to build on the momentum created by the epidemic.
During the inter-epidemic period, we must nurture relations with the media and raise awareness among the general public. They should be informed how to react when they observe common patterns and death. There are many lessons to be learned from each epidemic that can be applied to subsequent epidemics to develop a critical mass of individuals with knowledge, expertise and capability for rapid responses.
Prof Karim thanked the leaders and organizers who were responsible for convening the conference, the speakers and the participants.
APPENDIX A: LIST OF ACRONYMS
MBC Minimum bactericidal concentration MD PhD Doctorate in Medicine and Philosophy MDR-TB Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. MERS Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome MIC Minimum Inhibitory Concentration MoU Memorandum of Understanding MS Mass Spectrometry. NMIMR Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research NMR Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy NNRTI Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor.
OiE World Organization for Animal Health OPSCC Oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma OSCC Oral squamous cell carcinoma. SAMRC South African Medical Research Council SARChI South African Research Chairs Initiative SARS Severe acute respiratory syndrome. TDF Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate TEM Transmission electron microscopy TLC Thin layer chromatography TWAS The World Academy of Sciences.
VHF Viral hemorrhagic fever VPM Vakzine Project management WHO World Health Organization WHO-AFRO WHO Regional Office for Africa WNV West Nile virus.
APPENDIX B: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
