It’s a Wormy World Out There! Vaccination of Livestock to Reduce Prevalence and Intensity of Human Schistosomiasis in Asia
When: Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Where: Paul D. Coverdell Center, Room 175
Join us for a public lecture by Dr. Donald Harn, Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator and Professor of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Harn will discuss the vaccination of livestock to prevent the spread of schistosomiasis.
Schistosomiasis remains a global public health problem, infecting approximately 200 million people. In China, water buffalo account for up to 75% of transmission. Via a field trial in Anhui, Harn’s lab is testing the hypothesis that administration of a schistosome vaccine to buffalo will reduce transmission to humans. In separate trials in Hunan, he is optimizing these vaccines, focusing on identifying immune correlates of vaccine efficacy. In addition to causing morbidity and mortality, helminthes are immune suppressive. As helminth infections coincide with those countries with the greatest prevalence of HIV-1, Harn is examining the negative impact helminth infection may have on vaccines for HIV-1 and other viral diseases.