Das Projekt "Emerging Diseases in a Changing European Environment (EDEN)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Heidelberg, Hygiene-Institut, Abteilung für Tropenhygiene und öffentliches Gesundheitswesen durchgeführt. These last years, several vector-borne, parasitic or zoonotic diseases have (re)-emerged and spread in the European territory with major health, ecological, socio-economical and political consequences. Most of these outbreaks are linked to global and local changes resulting of climatic changes or activities of human populations. Europe must anticipate, prevent and control new emergences to avoid major societal and economical crisis (cf. SARS in Asia, West Nile in US). EDEN (Emerging Diseases in a changing European Environment) offers a unique opportunity to prepare for uncertainties about the future of the European environment and its impact on human health. EDEN's aim is to increase preparedness by developing and coordinating at European level a set of generic investigative methods, tools and skills within a common scientific framework (Landscapes, Vector and Parasite bionomics, Public Health, Animal Reservoirs). EDEN has therefore selected for study a range of diseases that are especially sensitive to environmental changes. Some of these diseases are already present in Europe (West Nile, Rodent-born, Tick-born, Leishmaniosis), others were present historically (Malaria) and so may re-emerge, whilst finally Rift Valley Fever is either on the fringes of Europe. EDEN integrates research between 42 leading institutes from 23 countries with the combined experience and skills to reach their common goals. EDEN is organised into a series of vertical Sub-Projects led and managed by an internationally recognised expert and linked by a series of Integrative Activities that include biodiversity monitoring, environmental change detection, disease modelling, remote sensing and image interpretation, information and communication. The proposed management structure, including a Scientific Board and a User Forum, takes into account both the diversity of the partners and the size of the project. Specific links with third world countries will be achieved through an Africa platform. Prime Contractor: Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Developpement; Paris; France.
Das Projekt "Teilprojekt: Gefährdung durch vektorübertragene Infektionen: Einschleppung von Krankheitserregern aus dem mediterranen Raum" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Zoologie, Fachgebiet Parasitologie durchgeführt. Teilprojekt a: 'Dermacentor/Zecken als Überträger von Q/Fieber (Coxiella burnetii) und Mittelmeerfleckfieber (Rickettsia conorii)' - Ziel: Um die Gefährdung durch zeckenübertragene Infektionen in Zukunft abschätzen zu können, ist es von entscheidender Bedeutung, den 'status quo' zu kennen, d.h. die heutige Verbreitung von Pathogenen in Zecken zu erfassen. - Methode: In der vorliegenden Studie wurde daher mit molekularbiologischen und serologischen Methoden das Vorkommen von Coxiella burnetii und Rickettsia spp. in Süddeutschland in Zecken der Gattung Dermacentor sowie in Nagern untersucht. Teilprojekt b: 'Sandmücken als Überträger von Leishmaniosen (Leishmania infantum) und Sandmückenfieber (Phleboviren)' - Ziel: Vektorkompetenz der Sandmücken erkennen Methode: Sandmückenzucht und Sandmücken-Fallenfang, um eine ausreichend große Anzahl an Sandmücken für Testverfahren zu erhalten.
Das Projekt "Sichere Produktion eines Impfstoffs geegn Leishmaniose: Expression eines Leish-111 Antigens, lokalisiert im Plastom" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Institut für Pflanzenbau und Pflanzenzüchtung durchgeführt. Production of pharmaceutics in plants is up to 50 times more cost effective than in fermenters through micro organisms. Plant derived drugs are an interesting alternative for developing countries where people cannot afford sufficient medical treatment. Therefore it makes sense to use this approach for synthesis of vaccines. Vaccines can be delivered as antigens either for peripheral or oral immunization. Transformation of plants with genes carrying selected antigens of the respective pathogen allows producing immunogenic proteins on the field with high yields. However, transformation of the nucleus leads to transgenic pollen which is spread to the environment. Our solution to this ecological problem consists in the alternative to transform the chloroplasts. In contrast to the nucleus tobacco plastids are not contained in the pollen, and thus can not be dispersed in the vicinity. Our goal is the production of an antigen vaccine against Leishmaniasis. According to the World Health Organization Leishmaniasis is one of the most serious, endemic parasitic infections afflicting the poor and disadvantaged in many countries of the world, particularly in North Africa, most of Asia, parts of the Middle East and much of South America. 12 million cases worldwide and an estimated 350 million people at risk for acquiring infection are assumed. In order to produce the antigenic Leish-111 epitope a chloroplast transformation vector will be constructed, which will contain a synthetic expression cassette for increased transcription conferred by two different promoters and synthetic ribosomal binding sites. Further the Leish-111 gene will be N-terminally fused to the sequence codons of a peptide which confers an increased translation efficiency. On transcriptional level this construct is followed by a selection cassette containing the aadA gene. Following selection on a medium containing spectinomycin positive transformants will be identified by PCR and Southern analysis. Further Western blot analysis will prove successful expression of the Leish-111 protein. Novel transformants are then tested on correct folding of the fusion protein. Depending on the upcoming results the next step will be to proof the immunogenicity and protectivity. The further work is aimed to set up an inducible antigen expression system, which is regulated through chemical induction.
Background<BR>The Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013) aims to bring together all available epidemiological data using a coherent measurement framework, standardised estimation methods, and transparent data sources to enable comparisons of health loss over time and across causes, age-sex groups, and countries. The GBD can be used to generate summary measures such as disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and healthy life expectancy (HALE) that make possible comparative assessments of broad epidemiological patterns across countries and time. These summary measures can also be used to quantify the component of variation in epidemiology that is related to sociodemographic development.<BR><BR>Methods<BR>We used the published GBD 2013 data for age-specific mortality, years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLLs), and years lived with disability (YLDs) to calculate DALYs and HALE for 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2013 for 188 countries. We calculated HALE using the Sullivan method; 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) represent uncertainty in age-specific death rates and YLDs per person for each country, age, sex, and year. We estimated DALYs for 306 causes for each country as the sum of YLLs and YLDs; 95% UIs represent uncertainty in YLL and YLD rates. We quantified patterns of the epidemiological transition with a composite indicator of sociodemographic status, which we constructed from income per person, average years of schooling after age 15 years, and the total fertility rate and mean age of the population. We applied hierarchical regression to DALY rates by cause across countries to decompose variance related to the sociodemographic status variable, country, and time.<BR><BR>Findings<BR>Worldwide, from 1990 to 2013, life expectancy at birth rose by 6ı2 years (95% UI 5ı6-6ı6), from 65ı3 years (65ı0-65ı6) in 1990 to 71ı5 years (71ı0-71ı9) in 2013, HALE at birth rose by 5ı4 years (4ı9-5ı8), from 56ı9 years (54ı5-59ı1) to 62ı3 years (59ı7-64ı8), total DALYs fell by 3ı6% (0ı3-7ı4), and age-standardised DALY rates per 100?000 people fell by 26ı7% (24ı6-29ı1). For communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders, global DALY numbers, crude rates, and age-standardised rates have all declined between 1990 and 2013, whereas for non-communicable diseases, global DALYs have been increasing, DALY rates have remained nearly constant, and age-standardised DALY rates declined during the same period. From 2005 to 2013, the number of DALYs increased for most specific non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and neoplasms, in addition to dengue, food-borne trematodes, and leishmaniasis; DALYs decreased for nearly all other causes. By 2013, the five leading causes of DALYs were ischaemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, cerebrovascular disease, low back and neck pain, and road injuries. Sociodemographic status explained more than 50% of the variance between countries and over time for diarrhoea, lower respiratory infections, and other common infectious diseases; maternal disorders; neonatal disorders; nutritional deficiencies; other communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases; musculoskeletal disorders; and other non-communicable diseases. However, sociodemographic status explained less than 10% of the variance in DALY rates for cardiovascular diseases; chronic respiratory diseases; cirrhosis; diabetes, urogenital, blood, and endocrine diseases; unintentional injuries; and self-harm and interpersonal violence. Predictably, increased sociodemographic status was associated with a shift in burden from YLLs to YLDs, driven by declines in YLLs and increases in YLDs from musculoskeletal disorders, neurological disorders, and mental and substance use disorders. In most country-specific estimates, the increase in life expectancy was greater than that in HALE. Leading causes of DALYs are highly variable across countries.<BR><BR>Interpretation<BR>Global health is improving. Population growth and ageing have driven up numbers of DALYs, but crude rates have remained relatively constant, showing that progress in health does not mean fewer demands on health systems. The notion of an epidemiological transition-in which increasing sociodemographic status brings structured change in disease burden-is useful, but there is tremendous variation in burden of disease that is not associated with sociodemographic status. This further underscores the need for country-specific assessments of DALYs and HALE to appropriately inform health policy decisions and attendant actions.<BR>Quelle: http://www.thelancet.com