Research Roundup: Environmental threat of AMR, obstacles with the dengue vaccine, and an Army-developed Zika candidate

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week. A single, high-dose cholera vaccine—Vaxchora—could be an effective tool in controlling outbreaks more rapidly, according to new research from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The current cholera vaccine consists of two doses of the inactivated virus administered over two weeks, but researchers believe they have developed a stronger, single dose vaccine approach that will be more effective in combatting outbreaks because it can be deployed more rapidly and easily. Researchers plan to further study how this vaccine may help curb outbreaks early before they become widespread and its potential use in preemptive vaccination. They also plan to study the vaccine’s effectiveness in children under the age of five—one of the most burdened demographics of cholera. Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine discovered a way to prohibit malaria-causing parasites from shielding themselves against treatment in mice, which could open new avenues for drug development. While the most common malaria medicines are effective at reducing the level of parasites in the blood, some of these parasites enter a latent stage during treatment, allowing them to survive through the treatment and eventually reinfect the individual after he or she has ceased taking medication. This process makes treating malaria more challenging and dangerous, particularly among individuals who do not have consistent access to therapies. Researchers discovered the molecular mechanism that leads to these parasites entering the latent stage and how to inhibit it, which they hope will lead to medicines that prevent treatment failure and subsequent reinfection. Researchers may have developed a urine test to detect tuberculosis (TB) in patients, according to a paper published in Science Translational Medicine. Current TB diagnostics include skin and culture tests that require a high level of expertise to carry out correctly. A new method, like a rapid urine test, will allow lower skilled health workers in TB-endemic areas to carry out quick and effective TB diagnostic tests. A study of 42 individuals in Peru found the test had greater than 95 percent sensitivity—or the ability to correctly identify those with the disease. Furthermore, researchers reported this test can be used to diagnose TB at any stage and among HIV-negative populations—populations who usually have more mild concentrations of the bacteria in the body.  

In this regular feature on Breakthroughs, we highlight some of the most interesting reads in global health research from the past week A tech nonprofit, WeRobotics, is seeking to deploy drones to deliver hundreds of thousands of sterile mosquitoes into Zika hotspots across Latin America to assist with mosquito population control. Existing research suggests releasing sterile mosquitoes into the wild may eventually reduce populations by as much as 90 percent, though actual mosquito introduction has proven challenging. To solve this, WeRobotics developed small, temperature-controlled drones designed to deploy mosquitoes in rural and hard-to-reach locations, ensuring all affected areas receive the sterile mosquitoes. The drone’s cool temperature leaves the mosquitoes in a deep sleep state, protecting them during the journey, and the drone then releases the mosquitoes from a controlled height to ensure they do not die from impact. WeRobotics plans to deploy these drones soon and will educate local communities about the project. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that about 11 percent of all medicines circulating in low- and middle- income countries are substandard or counterfeit. WHO estimates between 72,000—169,000 children may die from pneumonia and 116,000 may die from malaria every year after receiving falsified or substandard products, suggesting this is a widespread and alarming problem in the world’s poorest countries. Experts believe majority of these cases remain unreported, compounding existing issues with counterfeit or substandard medicine monitoring across affected countries. This is the first time WHO has assessed in-depth the global scope of the problem. In 2013, the agency set up a voluntary global monitoring system for substandard and fake drugs, which has helped bring to light the extent of the issue. An estimated 50 million doses of antibiotics are prescribed for typhoid every year, with overuse or misuse of these drugs contributing to the global rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In the city of Karachi, Pakistan—a typhoid-endemic country—antibiotic resistance is rising by 30 percent per year, and 100 percent of typhoid cases are expected to be multi-drug resistant by 2020. A new typhoid vaccine may be the solution to this growing problem. The typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) is more effective in preventing typhoid than its predecessor and may protect individuals for up to five years—longer than the previous vaccine. Most importantly, TCV may be given to children under the age of two, expanding the level of coverage to infants who are in critical need of a vaccine. With rising levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, having an effective and inclusive typhoid vaccine may save thousands of lives.