Ending the neglect – setting the platform for strongyloidiasis elimination in Australia
Role
Chief Investigator
Description
Strongyloidiasis is caused by parasitic nematodes (roundworms) of the genus Strongyloides and is considered to be one of the most neglected of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). There are two main Strongyloides species that cause human infection; S. stercoralis and S. fuelleborni. In Australia, S. stercoralis is the infecting species that disproportionately affects remote Indigenous communities, with the prevalence ranging from 10-60%. The lifecycle and transmission is complex with both a parasitic cycle and a free-living cycle. This is further complicated by autoinfection and the possibility of zoonotic transmission– recent genetic evidence suggests the possibility of a dog reservoir. These factors coupled with less than ideal diagnostics and treatment options (Ivermectin and Albendazole) where there is evidence of treatment failures, the spectre of emerging resistance and their inability to prevent reinfection, all have implications for control and elimination efforts. It is our central thesis that strongyloidiasis is a zoonotic neglected tropical disease of public health importance in Australia and that an integrated interdisciplinary “One Health” approach is required for its elimination.
Date
01 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2028
Project Type
N/A
Keywords
Strongyloidiasis, Aboriginal Health, Diagnostics, Zoonotic Diseases, Parasitology
Funding Body
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Amount
5000000
Project Team
CIA Professor Darren Gray CIB Professor Beverley-Ann Biggs CIC Doctor Mick Adams CID Doctor Richard Bradbury CIE Doctor Catherine Gordon CIF Associate Professor Siddhartha Mahanty CIG Associate Professor Kirstin Ross CIH Ms Tamara Riley CII Doctor Bronwyn Rossingh