Investigator(s)
| WHO Technical Officer |
Katrin Bote WHO SEARO -Neglected Tropical Diseases Katrin Bote 
|
| Principal Investigator |
Asha Wijegunawardana Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale, Sri Lanka. Asha Wijegunawardana
|
Title(s) and abstract
| Scientific title | Evaluating the usufulness of citizen scientists’ in leishmaniasis control program using morphological and molecular vector and parasite surveillance |
| Public title | Evaluating the usufulness of citizen scientists’ in leishmaniasis control program using morphological and molecular vector and parasite surveillance |
| Background | Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) are a medically important group of insects that transmit Leishmania sp. According to epidemiological records, Leishmaniasis causes more than one million deaths each year. Whereas sand fly fever reported a considerable number of disease incidences per year around the world and was not fatal at all. Despite such significance, the updated information regarding the local sandfly fauna is missing in Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka while available data shows that these vectors appear to increase their geographical distribution under the influence of climate change and other ecological factors. Therefore, ongoing entomological surveillance is required to monitor the spread of sand fly vector expansion and the possible consequences of their spread |
| Objectives | The frequently used entomological tools for monitoring the Phlebotomine sand flies are Centres for Disease Control (CDC) Light traps and cattle-baited traps which are labor and time-intensive limiting the number of sites monitored and the frequency of monitoring. This project involves citizen scientists working on medical entomology to enhance the public understanding of early identification of leishmaniasis disease symptoms, distinguishing disease vectors sand flies from other insect vectors, and sand flies control measures. This project aims to upscale entomological surveillance by interconnecting citizen scientists in the study area and using ‘Do It Yourself’ (DIY) light traps which assist in minimizing the costs and enhance the number of surveillance and the frequency of monitoring with available resources. |
| Study Methods | The pilot study area has been already carried out in the Medawachchiya Public Health Inspector’s (PHI) area in Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka where community directed leishmaniasis control program was implemented in the year 2020 with financial support received from the TDR Crowdfunding Grant and MOOC implementation Research Grant 2021. We created a citizen scientists’ program in this area and selected volunteers were trained to deliver the sand fly entomological surveillance and the samples were screened for both parasite and vector species confirmation by using morphological and molecular tools in the reference laboratory at the university. Similar to the pilot study community volunteers will be provided with DIY light trap models and encouraged to carry out entomological surveillance in their respective areas for the period of one year. The transferring of light traps from house to house and the repairing and modification of the light traps will be also encouraged by themselves. The collected samples from the light traps will be delivered to the reference laboratory in the university and sandfly species will be identified using taxonomic keys and PCR techniques. |
| Expected outcomes and use of results | The leishmanial infection prevalence of the sandflies will be also analyzed by using leishmania parasite species-specific primers. We believe that the proposed project involving citizen scientists is a cost-effective and efficient novel approach to generating data on the distribution, prevalence, and diagnosis of the leishmanial parasite infection rate in sand fly vectors, especially in lower- and middle-income countries like Sri Lanka while creating a path for a community-based vector control program. |
| Keywords | leishmania, sand fly, vector-borne diseases, entomology, citizen science |
Research Details
| Student research | No |
| Start Date | 01-Jan-2024 |
| End Date | 31-Dec-2024 |
| Key Implementing Institution | TDR (Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases) |
| Multi-country research | No |
| Nationwide research | No |
| Sri Lanka | |
| Research Domain(s) | Communicable Disease Research |
| Research field(s) | |
| Involves human subjects | No |
| Data Collection | Primary data |
| Proposal reviewed by other Committee | No |