The Wellcome Trust Eighteenth Report (1988-1989)

WELLCOMETRUSTTROPICAL MEDICINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASESUnidade de Estudos Espcciais da Wcllcome, Belem, BrazilThis Unit was cstablislicd in IV65 by I'rofcssor 11 Lainson, FIIS. to stiidy the ecology aiidcpideiiiiology of liiiiiiaii l~ishiiiaiii:isis in the Aiiiazoiiiaii region of Brazil. in long-ternicollnborntioii witli IIrJ J Shaw, iiiaiiy niajor coiirrihiitioiis have bccii iiiade on the ideiitificatioiiaiid tasoiioiiiy of lcishiiianiai parasites. sniidfly vectors aiid aiiiiiial rcscrvoirs as well as thedcliiicatioii of foiir distinct cliiiicd types of liiiiiiaii disease. Snidics in various field sites aresupported by a conipreliwsirc nnge oflaboratory studies in Bciciii. A iiiiiiiber ofiiew species arebeing characterised, soiiic oftliciii associated with liiiniaii disease.Visceral Icislininiiiasis dite to Lcishiiriiirio rliqosi is a niajor iiitcresr of tlie Unit aiid is beingstiidicd oil tlic island of Marajo. investigations on the fos Crrdoïiirpoii rlioia as a likely priiiiaryoir arc being coiidiicrcd iii collaboratioii with IIr 13 \V Macdonald (University ofOsford),is ciirrciirly coiicciirrariiig on the ecology of the fox aiid flic saiidfly vector-fos intcCiirmcoiis Icis1iiii:iiiiasis diic to Lcidtiiimiid biuzilinisis is beiiig stiidied in the Serra dosregion of l'ara. Tlic Uiiit lins a field station in a iicwly opcncd area of priiiiary forcst mliearc ninjor iron orc niid Iiydroelccrric dani dcvclopiiients. Tlic aninial reservoir for L.hrozistill iiiikiiown aiid its ideiitity reiiiaiiis a iiiajor objective.IIrJ G Howard visircd üclciii iii Octobcr IO88 to sec rile work oftlic Unit niid its field activities,as melias rlic iiistinito Evaiidro Clingas whicli acconiniodates aiid collaborates with the \Vellcoiiiegroup. Thc Agrccnieiit mith tlie Braziliaii Ministry of HCillth lins bccii estciidcd to IW7 wheni'rofcsror Laiirsoii is duc to rcrirc.Trace Element Research Group (TERG), Tropid Metabolism Research Unit(TMRU), Jamaica.Tlic Uiiit is associntcd with tlie University oftlic \Ver Indics on the Moiia Campus. Jamaica. VrM H N Golden is Vircctor of both the Trust-finidcd TEl1G aiid of thc TMRU. This latterappoiiitiiieiit is supported jointly by the Triist aiid tlic University as arc w o other scientists there,Vr Sally Graiirliaiii-McCregor niid Vt T E Fortester.The TERG investigates rhc role of dcfcctivï aiitiosidaiit defence in the genesis of nialiiumtioiisyiidronics. nie work of tlic TMllU includes invcsrigatioiis into the cause ofstuiircd height andretarded iiiciital developinetit in iiiainiitritioii states, rlie role of iiircstiiial iichiiinths in retardedgrowth, aiid iiietabolic abiiornialitics Icadiiig to Iiypcrtciision in pregnancy. llic Unir opcntcs aniiitcgntcd prognniine of clinical laboratory aiid field studies. It has been riotably successful indeveloping srratcgics for identifying aiid treating nialiioiirislied children at the coiniiiuiiiry level.Sir Vavid Steel aiid Dr P O Williaiiis visited the Uiiit in March 1989 and VrJ G Howard iiiApril 1989.LONGER-TERM SUPPORTWellcomelMahidol UniversitylOxford Tropical Rescarch Programmc, BangkokVr N J Wliirc lias been Virector since August 1986. Tlic niajor c~iipliasis of tlic Uiiir's workcoiitiiiiics 10 hc on tlic pathophysiology and clinical pliarniacoloçy ofscvcrc I%ininrifi,i>i~,fnlril>nilii.iiialarii.Work is orpmiscd prcdoiiiiiiaiitly as a co-ordiiimd series ofsiiorr dcfiiiccl projects. Laboratorysriidie iiicliidc iiietnbolic. Iincin:itological aiid iiiiiniiiiological aspccts associated wirh cliiiicaiinwstigarioiis. Field stations nt Kaiicliniiabiiri niid Mac Sot fiiiiction it1 areas of Iiigli diseaseiiicidciicc. Ciirrciit ciiiplinsis is oii fnlcipariiiii nialaria in prcgiiaiicy and iii cliildrcii aiid doiiblcinfections with I?i~ii~ns.A cliiiicnl stiidy on scpricncniic iiielioidosis involves another field statio11 at Uboii IIarcliataiiiwith inbornrory sriidics on aiiribioric sciisiti\+ics of Ps.l>s~il