Parasitology Conference Focuses on Leishmania

The Israel Society for Parasitology, Protozoology and Tropical Diseases (Jerusalem, Israel) annual meeting took place at the Kfar Maccabiah Hotel, Ramat Gan (Israel) from December 10-11, 2007. It included the Second Regional Leishmaniasis Workshop.

The sessions on the first day were devoted entirely to Leishmaniasis and included: molecular biology of Leishmania, new targets for vaccines and drugs, new drug development, and vector biology and transmission. On the second day, sessions included general parasitology, vector borne diseases, travel medicine, and tropical medicine. On the same day, in parallel sessions, the epidemiology of Leishmania, advanced methods for diagnosis of Leishmaniasis, and the medical and veterinary aspects of the disease were discussed.

Fifteen experts from the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey, Greece, Australia, Austria, Germany, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority participated in the conference. Dr. Alan J. Magill, from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (Silver Spring, MD, USA), gave an update on the diagnostics portfolio of the U.S. Military Infectious Diseases program (MIPRP) Leishmaniasis research program. Dr. Aysegul Taylan-Ozkan, M.D., Ph.D., from the communicable diseases research department, Refik Saydam National Hygiene Center in Ankara (Turkey), spoke about Leishmania and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the Mediterranean region.

In the final session, Prof. Charles Jaffe, Ph.D., from the department of parasitology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School (Jerusalem, Israel), gave an overview of advances in molecular diagnosis of Leishmania. He mentioned that whereas most techniques used in diagnosis are genus specific, some, when combined with additional steps, could be used for species identification. He talked about new techniques such as quantitative nucleic acid sequence based amplification (QT-NASBA) and real time-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which are specific and sensitive, and can be used to monitor parasite load during drug treatment. These new tests might permit rapid identification of drug resistance in the future.

During the conference, Prof. Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu, Ph.D. (also from the department of parasitology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School), secretary of the Society for Parasitology in Israel and co-organizer of the conference, presented a Life Award to Emeritus Professor Rachel Galun in recognition of her contribution to parasitology in Israel and her achievements worldwide. Prof. Galun initiated the establishment of the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi (Kenya), and worked there on control of tsetse flies (Glossina species), which are vectors of African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). She remained on the executive committee of this institute for several years.


Related Links:
The Israel Society for Parasitology, Protozoology and Tropical Diseases
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Refik Saydam National Hygiene Center