Enteropathogens
Our work involves developing panels of PCR-based diagnostic tests to detect a full range of enteropathogens. These tests are used in collaborative studies, such as the MAL-ED and GEMS studies funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We and our research partners work throughout Africa, Asia, and South America, to better document the causes of diarrhea and malnutrition.
Interactions of Malnutrition and Enteric Infections: Consequences for Child Health and Development.
Better known as “Mal-ED”, this study was established to research the complex inter-relationship of enteric infections and malnutrition in order to better design interventions to reduct childhood morbidity and mortality.1 Designed as a longitudinal birth cohort, eight sites across Africa, South America, and South Asia enrolled 200 children each and followed them for up to 60 months using a set of protocols standardized across all sites. The Houpt Group has provided expertise in molecular diagnostics for the detection of enteric pathogens found in samples from children throughout the cohort.
For more information on this study, please visit: https://fnih.org/
Global Enteric Multisite Study (GEMS)
The GEMS study grew out of a concensus on the need for a well-designed study to obtain information on the etiology and population-based burdens of more severe forms of pediatric diarrheal disease to guide global investments and implementation decisions.2 The study was undertaken across 4 sites in sub-Saharan Africa and 3 sites in South Asia. The Houpt Group has provided molecular diagnostics expertise and testing services for the detection of enteropathogens in samples from the study. Recently, our group used this molecular diagnostics data to assess the causes of pediatric diarrhea.
Lancet: Liu, Platts-Mills et al. Use of Quantitative Molecular Diagnostic Methods to Identify Causes of Diarrhea in Children: a Reanalysis of the GEMS Case-Control Study. Lancet. 2016 Sep 24; 388(10051): 1291-301
Leveraging Rotavirus Networks
Established in 2008, the WHO has coordinated the Global Rotavirus Surveillance Network (GRSN). This network collects and tests specimens from children hospitalized with acute watery diarrhea from all six WHO regions with the aim of providing rotavirus burden information to member countries, measure vaccine impact, and monitor strain epidemiology. In 2014, the Houpt Group began a partnership with the GRSN to implement new molecular diagnostic technologies to the regional reference laboratories to aid the mission of the Network and to characterize non-rotavirus causes of diarrhea within the Network countries. 2017 marks the start of Phase 2 of the project, expanding this molecular testing to a total of eight reference laboratories and testing samples from approximately 40 countries.
Journal of Infectious Diseases: Operario*, Platts-Mills* et al., Etiology of Severe Acute Watery Diarrhea in Children in the Global Rotavirus Surveillance Network using Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction
J Infect Dis. 2017 Jul 15; 216(2):220-7 *Authors share equal first credit
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1 Adapted from “About the Project”
2 Adapted from Levine et al., The Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS): impetus, rationale, and genesis. Clin Infect Dis, 2012; 55 Suppl 4:S215-24.