The 2024/25 application process is now CLOSED
Visit the MRC DTP/CASE at LSTM pages for further information.
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Human strongyloidiasis is an important helminth infection and until recently has not been included in large-scale control interventions, in part to the lack of appropriate field-based diagnostics. It has also come to light that current PCR-based diagnostics conflate Strongyloides stercoralis and S. fuelleborni. The latter species is normally found in non-human primates and can infect man. Currently, there is a knowledge gap concerning the levels of co-infection of these species in routine diagnostics in the UK as well as in Europe. Their overlap in endemic areas of Uganda and Malawi, involving non-human primates is also under investigated. This project will build upon an exiting IAA award which is developing better TaqMan assays to detect and differentiate these helminths. It will also link with the USA Diagnostic Company, IVD Research, Inc. & SafePath Laboratories, LLC which supply ELISA kits for serological diagnosis of strongyloidiasis. The intention of this project is to apply these new DNA assays in endemic areas of strongyloidiasis e.g. Uganda and Malawi, screening human and non-human primate populations, developing a suitable POC assay based upon RPA technology. The methods will be compared against standard serological diagnostic methods. |
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Where does the project lie on the Translational Pathway? |
T1) Basic Research T2 Human / Clinical Research
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Expected Outputs |
Publications, external funding application e.g. BBSRC |
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Training Opportunities |
Molecular diagnostics, statistical epidemiology and spatial mapping |
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Skills Required |
A first degree in biomedical sciences |
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Key Publications associated with this project |
Cunningham LJ, Stothard JR, Osei-Atweneboana M, Armoo S, Verweij JJ, Adams ER. Developing a real-time PCR assay based on multiplex high-resolution melt-curve analysis: a pilot study in detection and discrimination of soil-transmitted helminth and schistosome species. Parasitology. 2018 Nov;145(13):1733- 1738. doi: 10.1017/S0031182018001361. Epub 2018 Aug 28. PMID: 30152296. |
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Kim SH, Rinamalo M, Rainima-Qaniuci M, Talemaitoga N, Kama M, Rafai E, Choi MH, Hong ST, Verweij JJ, Kelly-Hope L, Stothard JR. Short communication: Epidemiological assessment of Strongyloides stercoralis in Fijian children. Parasite Epidemiol Control. 2016 Sep 5;1(3):263-267. doi: 10.1016/j.parepi.2016.08.005. PMID: 29988183; PMCID: PMC5991857. |
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Sousa-Figueiredo JC, Day M, Betson M, Rowell C, Wamboko A, Arinaitwe M, Kazibwe F, Kabatereine NB, Stothard JR. Field survey for strongyloidiasis in eastern Uganda with observations on efficacy of preventive chemotherapy and co-occurrence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis/intestinal schistosomiasis. J Helminthol. 2011 Sep;85(3):325-33. doi: 10.1017/S0022149X10000623. Epub 2010 Oct 20. PMID: 20961473. |
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Cools P, van Lieshout L, Koelewijn R, Addiss D, Ajjampur SSR, Ayana M, Bradbury RS, Cantera JL, Dana D, Fischer K, Imtiaz R, Kabagenyi J, Lok J, McCarthy J, Mejia R, Mekonnen Z, Njenga SM, Othman N, Shao H, Traub R, Van Esbroeck M, Vercruysse J, Vlaminck J, Williams SA, Verweij JJ, van Hellemond JJ, Levecke B. First international external quality assessment scheme of nucleic acid amplification tests for the detection of Schistosoma and soil-transmitted helminths, including Strongyloides: A pilot study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020 Jun 16;14(6):e0008231. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008231. PMID: 32544158; PMCID: PMC7319349. |
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Soonawala D, van Lieshout L, den Boer MA, Claas EC, Verweij JJ, Godkewitsch A, Ratering M, Visser LG. Post-travel screening of asymptomatic long-term travelers to the tropics for intestinal parasites using molecular diagnostics. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014 May;90(5):835-9. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0594. Epub 2014 Mar 10. PMID: 24615130; PMCID: PMC4015574. |
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