Tropical Medicine
In the News
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Lyme Disease Continues to Move South into North Carolina: Boyce Encourages Healthcare Providers to Test Patients who Present with Typical Symptoms
Ross Boyce, MD, MSc, assistant professor of infectious diseases and epidemiologist with the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, led a study published in Lancet Regional Health that examined the rapid emergence of Lyme Disease in N.C., between 2010 and 2020. Dr. Boyce says the results confirm what he has experienced clinically; specifically, an increasing … Read more
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Hepatitis B Elimination in sub-Saharan Africa: Peyton Thompson Leads Kinshasa-based Research Team Paving the Way For Virus-Free Generations
As the World Health Organization pushes to eradicate the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) by 2030, preventing vertical transmission is key, says Peyton Thompson, MD, MSCR, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. But despite widespread availability of effective childhood vaccines, HBV remains endemic throughout sub-Saharan Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). “Many of the … Read more
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Delayed Diagnosis of Locally Acquired Lyme Disease, Central North Carolina
Healthcare providers in North Carolina have limited experience diagnosing and managing Lyme disease because few cases occur annually statewide. Researchers have published a case study that demonstrates the need for greater awareness and professional education. The article outlines the prolonged diagnostic course for a patient with locally acquired Lyme disease in North Carolina. The study … Read more
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Changes in the Seroprevalence of Tick-Borne Rickettsia and Ehrlichia Among Soldiers
Researchers with the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases published a tick-borne disease study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases using samples from soldiers stationed at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. In collaboration with the Gillings School of Global Public Health, Womack Army Medical Center and the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, the team obtained samples from … Read more
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Study Considers Relationship Between Tick-Borne Disease Infections and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
Researchers at the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases and the Thurston Arthritis Research Center’s Core Center for Clinical Research, investigated the relationship between knee pain and a red meat allergy, caused by a tick bite known as alpha-gal syndrome. “Tick-borne disease infections and chronic musculoskeletal pain,” published in JAMA Network Open, is believed … Read more
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Understanding Giardia Lamblia in Children from Low- and Middle-Income Countries
A report published by Lester Gutiérrez, a PhD candidate and IGHID Fellow, provides a new assessment of Giardia lamblia and the pathogenesis of stunting and cognitive growth in children from low- and middle-income countries, published with mentor Luther Bartelt, MD. Giardia is most common during childhood, mainly in low-and-middle income countries. Symptoms can include acute or chronic … Read more
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Assefa, Parr Review a Novel Strategy for Eliminating Malaria, Published in The Lancet
Post-doctoral fellow Ashenafi Assefa, PhD, and Jonathan Parr, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine in infectious diseases, researchers with the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases (IGHID) working in the IDEEL (the Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Ecology) Lab assess the pros and cons of a new strategy to simplify malaria treatment, both published today in … Read more
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Boyce Receives $4.4 Million to Lead a Malaria Intervention Project in Uganda Following Extreme Weather Events
The NIH has awarded a multi-disciplinary team led by Ross Boyce, MD, MSc, a $4.4 million, five-year (R01) grant to evaluate the effectiveness of a chemoprevention effort designed to prevent malaria outbreaks after flooding, using a combination of interventions. Boyce is a member of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases (IGHID), an Assistant … Read more