[September 2013]: East Africa Regional Zoonoses Conference

 

The Kenya Zoonotic Disease Unit, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and partners (including the Zoonotic and Emerging Diseases group) is organizing an Eastern Africa Regional Conference on Zoonotic Diseases to be held in Naivasha, Kenya which is 100 Kms north of Nairobi, from 26th to 30th May, 2014.

 

The objective of this conference is to bring to the fore, unpublished research work (theses, reports, etc existing in university libraries and other research institutions) on zoonotic diseases carried out in the region including work done in Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia. While reporting data for the region, the work may have been carried out through institutions in any part of the world. Specifically, we are inviting submission of abstracts on completed (or near completion) thesis work or any other unpublished (not previously peer reviewed) research work on the following zoonotic diseases, but not limited to:

 

• Avian influenza

• Brucellosis

• Anthrax

• Rabies

• Leptospirosis

• Leishmaniasis

• Bovine tuberculosis

• Plague

• Schistosomiasis

• Trypanosomiasis

• Salmonellosis

• Schistosomiasis

• West Nile virus

• Tularemia

• Guinea Worm

• Protozoans (Cryptosporidosis, Toxoplasmosis)

• Helminths (Trichonosis, Cysticercosis, Hydatidosis, Sarcopsis, Diphyllobothrium)

• Fungal diseases (Dermatophilosis, Histoplasmosis, Cryptococcosis, Aspergillosis)

• Viral hemorrhagic fevers (RVF, Ebola, Marburg, CCHF, Dengue)

 

Priority will be given to data relating to the period 2000-2013 (although earlier work will be considered where a strong case is made). The work should provide new insights on zoonotic pathogen prevalence and distribution in animals and people, risk factors for transmission, disease burden, etc. In addition the organizers extend invitations for letters of interest to generate new knowledge through the synthesis of existing bodies of completed, but unpublished work, specifically in the form of systematic reviews and/or meta-analysis on any of the above zoonotic diseases. These reviews should identify specific questions that cover research work done on a selected zoonotic disease in the country of origin of the participant, and should be conducted according to accepted international systematic review/metanalysis guidelines.

 

The Organizing Committee will provide resources and expertise to assist with these analyses, where necessary, including providing training on conducting systematic reviews and meta-analysis. The underlying purpose of this conference is to assist researchers from the region in bringing their high quality research data on Zoonoses in to the public domain, through publication. In line with this objective, researchers with accepted abstracts will be given support in paper writing for an international audience, and the proceedings of the conference will be published, as standalone peer reviewed manuscripts, in a high impact, open access scientific journal. Full sponsorship, including flights to and from Nairobi, airport transfers and hotel accommodation will be provided to all presenters whose abstracts will be accepted. Depending on the level of interest, the Organizing Committee may request some presenters to present through scientific posters, although all presented work will be written up for peer reviewed publication as a condition of attendance.

 

 

Contacts:

Dr. Eddy Mogoa (eddymogoa@yahoo.com)

Chairman: Regional Conference Planning Committee