EDCTP Alumni Network

Fostering excellence and collaboration in the next generation of researchers

Call Career Development Fellowship (CDF)
Programme EDCTP2
Start Date 2017-06-01
End Date 2020-05-31
Project Code TMA2015CDF1033
Status Completed

Title

Nasopharyngeal and Lung Microbiota in HIV Positive Children Presenting with Respiratory Disease

Objectives

1.Characterise the microbiota of the nasopharyngeal and lung niche of HIV positive and negative children 2. Correlate specific microbiota with the respiratory disease and outcomes in HIV infected and non-infected children. 3.Determine the risk factors associated with exposure to specific microbiota.

Host Organisation

Institution Country
Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) Ghana

Participants

Name Institution Country
Prof Hubert Endz Fondation Merieux France

Study Design

Mixed case-control and longitudinal study design

Sites

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital

Phd Study

Title University Start Date End Date
Human Coronaviruses associated with respiratory tract infections in children Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology 2011-09-01 2014-07-01

Students Supervised

Type Name Title University Start Date End Date
FWACP Lotenna Elsie Kalu Dr West African College of Physicians and Surgeons 2017 2019
MSc Eric Adu Mr Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology 2018 2020
MSc Eugene Adu Mr Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology 2018 2020

Publications

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis

Current Organisation

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

Current Job Title

Post-doctoral Research Scientist

Students Supervised

Type Name Title University Start Date End Date
Master's student Eric Adu Mr Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology 2018 2020
Fellowship Lotenna Kalu Dr Ghana College of Physician and Surgeons 2018 2019
master's Eugene Ahwrie Mr Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology 2018 2020

Memberships

Role Committee/board Start Date End Date

Education

Institution Degree Year
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana PhD 2014-07-01
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana MPhil 2010-02-01

Areas Of Specialisation

Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LRTIs)

Grants

Publications

Authors:
Philip El-Duah
Benjamin Meyer
Augustina Sylverken
Michael Owusu
Lina Theresa Gottula
Richmond Yeboah
Jones Lamptey
Yaw Oppong Frimpong
Vitus Burimuah
Raphael Folitse
Olivia Agbenyega
Samuel Oppong
Yaw Adu-Sarkodie
Christian Drosten
Date:
2019-01-11
Journal:
Viruses
Content:

Known human coronaviruses are believed to have originated in animals and made use of intermediate hosts for transmission to humans. The intermediate hosts of most of the human coronaviruses are known, but not for HCoV-NL63. This study aims to assess the possible role of some major domestic livestock species as intermediate hosts of HCoV-NL63. We developed a testing algorithm for high throughput screening of livestock sera with ELISA and confirmation with recombinant immunofluorescence assay testing for antibodies against HCoV-NL63 in livestock. Optimization of the ELISA showed a capability of the assay to significantly distinguish HCoV-NL63 from HCoV-229E (U = 27.50, p < 0.001) and HCoV-OC43 (U = 55.50, p < 0.001) in coronavirus-characterized sera. Evaluation of the assay with collected human samples showed no significant difference in mean optical density values of immunofluorescence-classified HCoV-NL63-positive and HCoV-NL63-negative samples (F (1, 215) = 0.437, p = 0.509). All the top 5% (n = 8) most reactive human samples tested by ELISA were HCoV-NL63 positive by immunofluorescence testing. In comparison, only a proportion (84%, n = 42) of the top 25% were positive by immunofluorescence testing, indicating an increased probability of the highly ELISA reactive samples testing positive by the immunofluorescence assay. None of the top 5% most ELISA reactive livestock samples were positive for HCoV-NL63-related viruses by immunofluorescence confirmation. Ghanaian domestic livestock are not likely intermediate hosts of HCoV-NL63-related coronaviruses.

Projects

Fellow:
Michael Owusu
Collaborators:
Name Country Institution
Hubert Endz France Fondation Merieux
Objectives:
1. Characterise the microbiota of the respiratory niche of HIV positive children and healthy controls children 2. Correlate specific microbiota with the respiratory disease and other laboratory markers in HIV infected children. 3. Determine the risk factors associated with exposure to specific microbiota.
Sites:
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi
Study Design:
Case-Control Study
Subjects:
Microbiology
Outcomes:
Outcomes of the study includes: 1) Knowing the aetiological agents of pneumonia in HIV infected children 2) Knowing the risk factors of respiratory disease in HIV infected children
Start Date:
2017-07-01
End Date:
2020-07-01

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