What’s so special about the number 100?

Could it be something to do with the sense of achievement when you score 100%, reach your hundredth birthday or score that century in a game the MicroGnome never could fathom? The common theme apart from the raw number, or its mathematic significance as the first three-figure number, is a sense of achievement.

So with this in mind, the MicroGnome notes with a warm glow that this site has just passed its 100th posting the very same week as Tropical Medicine celebrates its centenary. What better way to mark the milestone that to assemble all the posts we’ve made connected with the Centenary event in one place:

• Centenary meeting, Townsville, QLD
• Lost for words
• Anton Breinl
• Tropical Medicine Masterclass
• Snake bite as a neglected tropical disease
• Another nasty arbovirus infection
• Q fever outbreak in Holland
• Molecular aspects of microbiology field investigations

Download (PDF, 653.76KB)

Anton Breinl Centre, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD,  11th June, 2010

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1. Introduction to arbovirus infections. Tim Inglis
2. Helminth infections. Richard Bradbury
3. Trypanosomiasis in Australia. Rick Speare
4. Rickettsial Diseases. Steven Graves
5. Travel-related diarrhoeal disease. Sanatu Chatterjee

Introduction to arbovirus infections [full lecture here]

Helminth infections. R Bradbury, University of Tasmania

Helminths infections have been evident since early recorded history.

1. adult male previously resident overseas, with Fascioliasis
2. adult male from Darwin with Paragonimiasis
3. adult refugee ex Africa with Schistosomiasis
4. child in Mauritius with Bartiella
5. elderly adult from Hobart with cutaneous larva migrans
6. adult from Tasmania with Haycocknema myositis

Trypanosomiasis in Australia. R Speare, James Cook University

So far there have been only 4 cases of Trypanosomiasis reported in Australia, but the number is likely to increase due to the arrival of African refugees and increased travel by Australians to African game parks. There are key differences between East and West African Trypanosomiasis in the course of infection, tests used and most effective treatment. However, available laboratory tests are insensitive and all drugs used to treat Trypanosomiasis are toxic. The overlapping geographic distribution of East and West African Trypanosomiasis in Uganda will increase the diagnostic challenge. South African Trypanosomiasis or Chagas’ disease has a different clinical presentation and treatment.

Rickettsial Diseases, S Graves, Hunter Valley, NSW.

There are four groups of diseases caused by the small, obligate Gram negative bacteria that make up the rickettsias. These are Q fever, the spotted fever group, the typhus group and scrub typhus. The key step in arriving at a diagnosis of one of these diseases is to think of rickettsias in the first place.  Epidemiological clues include working in an abattoir, going on safari in Africa, or bush walking. Some but not all patients may have an eschar.  Lab investigations need to be done in a centre with rickettsial expertise and include nucleic acid assays (PCR) or serology. PCR is better during the initial stage of an acute infection, while serology is better after time has passed to develop an antibody response. Micro-immunofluorescence is considered a reference standard serological method.

Traveller’s diarrhoea. S Chatterjee, Kolkota, India

There are an estimated 80,000 cases of traveller’s diarrhoea per day and the condition is top of the travel-associated risks list. However, expatriate residents have almost the same rate of diarrhoeal disease as local people. If a thorough laboratory investigation is conducted, 80% will have a pathogen identified. Almost all international travellers make a food or drink mistake in the first 72 hours of a trip. Common causes are faecal contamination of food, water and drinks, or poorly cooked seafood. In India the attack rate is more than 50%.  Antibiotic use for TD is being re-evaluated. Co-trimoxazole and doxycycline are largely obsolete.  Bismuth and probiotics appear to be ineffective.  Ciprofloxacin works in the majority of cases. Rifamaxin is under active consideration. However 55% cases will resolve spontaneously. On prevention, oral cholera vaccine is useful and has added benefit of prevention of toxogenic E.coli infection.

The Micrognome is only rarely lost for words, but the Centenary of Tropical Medicine meeting was obviously an exception.

The first symptoms were, ironically, a loss of marksmanship. So the MicroGnome’s spirits sank as he flew about as far as you can go in Australia to get there for the Tropical Medicine Masterclass. Just in time, not only for the start of the class (public apology to all participants for not having time to properly meet and greet the stellar cast) but also in the nick of time to belt out the first talk before his voice disappeared down the plug hole. Its temporary replacement was an odd squeak in place of every two out of three words.

By the next day the MicroGnome was utterly incapable of audible utterance. His principle means of imparting Gnomic wisdom had faded to a pale whisper, resembling the Godfather on dark chocolate. So he was forced to shut up and listen – best thing he’s done in a long time. He was treated to a parade of expertise from leading authorities on snake bite, travel associated infections, arboviruses, Q fever and emerging nutritional diseases.

11th to 14th June 2010.

• ACTM 19th Annual Scientific Meeting
• 25th AIMS Annual North Queensland Conference, Queensland Tropical Division
• James Cook University 40th Anniversary

There is still time to jump on the bandwagon: pre-conference workshops are not all fully booked. There is also room for a few more delegates during the weekend conference, which is packed with good tropical medicine, pathology, medical science and tropical public health [programme].

James Cook University Anton Brienl Centre; Friday 11th June, 2010

Conference highlights

• Keynote Address: Emeritus Professor David Warrell – Snake bite envenoming: 100 years of Australian contributions to combating the world’s most neglected tropical disease
• Robert Steffen: Risk and prevention of neurological infections in travellers
• Rod Campbell AM: The Robert Hirst Memorial Lecture: Modern microbiology in the tropics
• Santanu Chatterjee: Destination India

[conference or workshop registration]

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