The Human-Animal Interface

Establishment of a multisite umbrella cohort study protocol to describe the epidemiology and aetiologies of acute undifferentiated febrile illness in Latin America

INTRODUCTION

Acute undifferentiated febrile illnesses (AUFIs) impose a large burden in the tropics. Understanding of AUFI's epidemiology is limited. Insufficient diagnostic capacity hinders the detection of outbreaks. The lack of interconnection in healthcare systems hinders timely response. We describe a protocol to study the epidemiology and aetiologies of AUFI and pathogen discovery in strategic areas of Latin America (LA).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Global Infectious Diseases Network investigators comprising institutions in Colombia, Dominican Republic, México, Perú and the USA, developed a common cohort study protocol. The primary objective is to determine the aetiologies of AUFI at healthcare facilities in high-risk areas. Data collection and laboratory testing for viral, bacterial and parasitic agents are performed in rural and urban healthcare facilities and partner laboratories. Centralised laboratory and data management cores deploy diagnostic tests and data management tools. Subjects >6 years with fever for <8 days without localised infection are included in the cohort. They are evaluated during the acute and convalescent phases of illness. Study personnel collect clinical and epidemiological information. Blood, urine, nasal or pharyngeal swabs and saliva are collected in the acute phase and blood in convalescent phase. Specimens are banked at -80°C. Malaria, dengue and COVID-19 are tested onsite in the acute phase. The acute-phase serum is PCR tested for dengue, chikungunya, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Mayaro, Oropouche, Zika, and yellow fever viruses. Paired convalescent and acute serum antibody titters are tested for arbovirus, Leptospira spp, and Rickettsia spp. Serum is used for viral cultures and next-generation sequencing for pathogen discovery. Analysis includes variable distributions, risk factors and regression models. Laboratory results are shared with health authorities and network members.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The protocol was approved by local ethics committees and health authorities. The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals. All study results are shared with local and regional health authorities.

Key stakeholder perceptions about consent to participate in acute illness research: a rapid, systematic review to inform epi/pandemic research preparedness

Background

A rigorous research response is required to inform clinical and public health decision-making during an epi/pandemic. However, the ethical conduct of such research, which often involves critically ill patients, may be complicated by the diminished capacity to consent and an imperative to initiate trial therapies within short time frames. Alternative approaches to taking prospective informed consent may therefore be used. We aimed to rapidly review evidence on key stakeholder (patients, their proxy decision-makers, clinicians and regulators) views concerning the acceptability of various approaches for obtaining consent relevant to pandemic-related acute illness research.

Methods

We conducted a rapid evidence review, using the Internet, database and hand-searching for English language empirical publications from 1996 to 2014 on stakeholder opinions of consent models (prospective informed, third-party, deferred, or waived) used in acute illness research. We excluded research on consent to treatment, screening, or other such procedures, non-emergency research and secondary studies. Papers were categorised, and data summarised using narrative synthesis.

Results

We screened 689 citations, reviewed 104 full-text articles and included 52. Just one paper related specifically to pandemic research. In other emergency research contexts potential research participants, clinicians and research staff found third-party, deferred, and waived consent to be acceptable as a means to feasibly conduct such research. Acceptability to potential participants was motivated by altruism, trust in the medical community, and perceived value in medical research and decreased as the perceived risks associated with participation increased. Discrepancies were observed in the acceptability of the concept and application or experience of alternative consent models. Patients accepted clinicians acting as proxy-decision makers, with preference for two decision makers as invasiveness of interventions increased. Research regulators were more cautious when approving studies conducted with alternative consent models; however, their views were generally under-represented.

Conclusions

Third-party, deferred, and waived consent models are broadly acceptable to potential participants, clinicians and/or researchers for emergency research. Further consultation with key stakeholders, particularly with regulators, and studies focused specifically on epi/pandemic research, are required. We highlight gaps and recommendations to inform set-up and protocol development for pandemic research and institutional review board processes.

PROSPERO protocol registration number

CRD42014014000

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-015-1110-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Public Health Disease Surveillance Networks

Zoonotic infections are important sources of human disease; most known emerging infections are zoonotic (e.g., HIV, Ebola virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome, Nipah virus, and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli) and originated as natural infections of other species that acquired opportunities to come in contact with humans. There are also serious infectious diseases classically considered zoonotic, such as influenza, rabies, bubonic plague, brucellosis, and leptospirosis. More recently, it has been recognized that wildlife constitutes a particularly important source of novel zoonoses. With all this microbial movement, surveillance is considered the first line of public health defense. The zoonotic origin of many human and livestock infections argues strongly for the synergistic value of a One Health approach, which provides the capability to identify pathogens crossing into new species and could provide earlier warning of potential epidemics. This article discusses public health surveillance and major recent surveillance initiatives and reviews progress toward implementing a One Health surveillance framework. Networks discussed include global intergovernmental organizations and recent combined efforts of these organizations; Web-based nongovernmental systems (e.g., ProMED, the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases); and networks of bilateral or multilateral government programs (e.g., the CDC's Global Disease Detection [GDD] platform; the U.S. Department of Defense's Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System [GEIS]; regional and subregional networks; and the U.S. Agency for International Development's Emerging Pandemic Threats [EPT] program and its surveillance component, PREDICT). Syndromic surveillance also has potential to complement existing systems. New technologies are enabling revolutionary capabilities for global surveillance, but in addition to serious technical needs, both sustainability and data-sharing mechanisms remain challenges.