Tropical Disease News and Research

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Tropical diseases encompass all diseases that occur solely, or principally, in the tropics. In practice, the term is often taken to refer to infectious diseases that thrive in hot, humid conditions, such as malaria, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, Chagas disease, African trypanosomiasis, and dengue.

Brazil achieves milestone in eliminating lymphatic filariasis

The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates Brazil for having eliminated lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem.

1 Oct 2024

Olympic games could fuel spread of tropical diseases, warn health experts

Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya could spread via the Olympics to countries where they are not normally prevalent, warn global health experts, as authorities step up disease monitoring in the French capital.

7 Aug 2024

Pioneering study brings leishmaniasis vaccine development closer

Scientists have developed a new, safe and effective way to infect volunteers with the parasite that causes leishmaniasis and measure the body's immune response, bringing a vaccine for the neglected tropical disease a step closer.

2 Aug 2024

Obese children infected with dengue appear to be at higher risk of hospitalization

Very overweight children infected with dengue appear to be at higher risk of hospitalization, according to researchers who say more public awareness is needed about the risks of obesity and severe disease.

23 Jul 2024

Hybrid schistosomes from cattle complicate human disease control

Effective control of bovine schistosomiasis will be required to meet disease elimination targets in humans, new research shows.

26 Jun 2024

WHO commends Chad for eradicating sleeping sickness

The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates Chad for having eliminated the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, as a public health problem.

20 Jun 2024

New discovery could lead to a treatment for visceral leishmaniasis

A discovery by Simona Stäger's team could help come up with a treatment to the most serious form of leishmaniasis.

21 May 2024

Drug repurposing breakthrough: varespladib curbs snakebite-induced necrosis

Researchers discovered that venom toxins from African spitting cobras cause severe dermonecrosis, highlighting the need for targeted treatments like the repurposed drug varespladib.

9 May 2024

New compound shows promise as a more effective treatment for schistosomiasis

A newly developed compound is showing promise in animal studies as a more effective treatment for human schistosomiasis, an understudied tropical disease caused by parasitic worms.

25 Mar 2024

Rapid, easy-to-use diagnostic test could save more lives from melioidosis

Globally, more than half of patients die after infection with the neglected tropical disease, melioidosis, often before they are diagnosed.

13 Mar 2024

New collaboration launched to support the development of vaccines against henipavirus

A new collaboration between the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and The Pirbright Institute has been launched to support the development of vaccines against henipavirus - a genus (or group) of viruses including Nipah virus.

13 Mar 2024

Novel drug combinations could protect snakebite victims from devastating injuries

New drug combinations could protect snakebite victims from the devastating, life-changing injuries caused by toxic venom, promising new research led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine suggests.

14 Dec 2023

Drug Discovery 2023: A Conversation with Professor Janet Hemingway

We spoke to Professor Janet Hemingway, founding Director of iiCON and Professor of Tropical Medicine at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

From ELRIG (UK) Ltd. 9 Oct 2023

New study may shed light on how parasite strain diversity can impact Chagas disease progression

New research from Tulane University may shed light on how parasite strain diversity can impact Chagas disease progression and severity.

5 Sep 2023

Street theater helps educate Malawians about African sleeping sickness

"Parasite Street Science" is a recent public engagement project by Dr Nicola Veitch and a team of scientists of the University of Glasgow that uses exciting street theatre performances to educate and entertain audiences in the UK and Malawi on the subject of African Sleeping Sickness.

6 Jul 2023

Study identifies the predictors of post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) syndrome symptoms

Study identifies the predictors of post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) syndrome symptoms.

30 Jun 2023

Pandemic paralysis: COVID-19 halts neglected tropical disease campaigns, study reveals solutions

In a recent study published in the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, researchers evaluated the impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic on mass drug administration (MDA) programming. They also provided solutions by neglected tropical disease (NTD) stakeholders for the relaunch of MDA implementation activities.

28 Jun 2023

UCalgary researchers discover how Leishmania parasites hide within the body

University of Calgary researchers have discovered how Leishmania parasites hide within the body to cause Leishmaniasis. The tiny parasites are carried by infected sand flies.

26 Jun 2023

Understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for antimony drug resistance in Leishmania parasites

Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease caused by parasites known as Leishmania, which are transmitted to humans and animals through the bites of more than 90 species of sand flies.

22 Jun 2023

Keynote speakers of ELRIG Drug Discovery 2023 announced

The European Laboratory Research & Innovation Group (ELRIG) UK today announced the keynote speakers for Drug Discovery 2023, taking place at the ACC in Liverpool from 18–19 October. Prof Janet Hemingway CBE, FRS, Founding Director of Infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON), and Dr Dave Powell, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of LifeArc will lead this year’s event focussing on diverse thinking and new perspectives.

10 Jun 2023