Preventing tropical disease outbreaks

PETALING JAYA: Some 400 experts in parasitology and tropical medicine from 41 countries will converge here from Wednesday to Friday to share research findings on the state of affairs worldwide with special emphasis on Asean epidemics and outbreaks.
The 6th Asean Congress of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology themed "Global Challenges in Tropical Diseases: Bridging Gaps and Building Partnerships" will see six keynote speakers and 124 oral presentations in the two fields with special reference to the Asean region.
Organising committee chairman Dr Indra Vythilingam (pix) said the theme was in tandem with the aim of fostering closer collaboration in research and to prevent outbreaks and epidemics.
She said Dr Betty Sim Kim Lee, a Malaysian based in the US who is involved in the production of the first experimental vaccine with a 100% success rate in protecting subjects from malaria, will be present.
Indra said the vaccine will save many lives once approved by the authorities after the completion of clinical trials.
The conference coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (MSPTM).
Indra said the congress, mooted by the MSPTM and first organised here in 2004, has been held in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Philippines.
Around one million people die from malaria every year with the illness, caused by a mosquito parasite that gets into the bloodstream of humans via bites from infected mosquitoes.
There are many species of malaria parasite, four of which commonly cause disease in humans.
The most deadly to humans is the P. falciparum, found mostly in African countries. Another species is P. malariae which usually causes milder symptoms and is found in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world.
Indra urged Malaysians who go for recreational activities into forests and jungles to seek immediate medical help if they come down with symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, sweats, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.
Other common symptoms also include dry (non-productive) cough, muscle and/or back pain and an enlarged spleen.