Cystic Echinococcosis: Burden of Disease in the EU and Clinical Management
ESGCP organised this ESCMID PGTW in Pavia, Italy, 23 - 25 September 2011.
Clinical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Aspects of Opportunistic Protozoal Infections
ESGCP organised this ESCMID PGTW in Barcelona, Spain, 6 - 9 September 2011.
- 7 May, 8.45-10.45
ESGCP Educational Workshop EW09 "Emerging diagnostic methods in parasitology" - 7 May, 8.45-10.45
Educational Workshop EW07 "Update in zoonotic infections"
arranged with the ISC Working Group on Zoonoses - 7 May, 13.30-15.30
Symposium "Rare in the North, frequent in the South: infections from the Mediterranean Basin" - 7 May, 13.30-15.30
Symposium "Clinical problems from parasitology" - 8 May, 11.30-12.30
Keynote Lecture "Prospects for the control of neglected tropical diseases" - 8 May, 11.30-12.30
Keynote Lecture "Amoeba as genitor of new pathogenic microorganisms" - 8 May, 14.30-15.30
Symposium "Eradication of malaria" - 9 May, 7.45-8.45
Meet-the-Expert Session "Controversies in antiparasitic chemotherapy" - 9 May, 9.00-11.00
Integrated symposium "Visceral leishmaniasis: an endemic disease with global impact" (organised by Gilead Sciences) - 9 May, 11.30-12.30
Symposium "New molecular diagnostics for parasitic diseases" - 9 May, 16.00-18.00
ESGCP Symposium "Under your skin: skin manifestations of parasitic diseases" - 9 May, 18.15-19.15 (Yellow 3)
ESGCP Business Meeting
All interested persons are cordially invited to join the meeting and plan future ESGCP activities. - 10 May, 9.00-11.00
Symposium "Genetic predisposition and the outcome of infection: time to include genetic polymorphisms in routine diagnostic work-up?"
For more details, please check the ECCMID/ICC programme.
ECCMID/ICC programme
Report on the IVth Congress on Congenital Toxoplasmosis (ICOCT)
The IVth Congress on Congenital Toxoplasmosis was held in Marseille, France, on 28-30 October 2010. Participants came from all over Europe, USA and South America.
Different aspect of the disease were addressed and here we report some of the most important communications.
It is now clear that toxoplasmosis from the new world is different from the European one with respect to genotyping or morbidity. Clear relationship between genotype and virulence remains to be investigated. Additionally we have few information on the genotype of strains from Africa and Asia.
The burden of the disease varies considerably according to different studies. Description of French cohorts of patients reported a mild disease with a rather good outcome. Whether it is due to treatment is not clear. The question of efficacy of ante and post natal treatment remains open, but we have now a large body of data in favour of an effect of ante natal treatment in reducing the sequelae. Two randomised controlled studies on ante and post natal treatment efficacy have been launched in France in 2010.
In the serological field the innovation is the use of recombinant peptides and some improvements is expected soon. Standardisation of the techniques will be an important issue.
Prevention of the disease was discussed. All participants agreed that information and prevention programmes should be implemented at national level.
The last important point was the psychological repercussion of the diseases. Data recently published on relation between toxoplasmosis and some psychological disorders must be confirmed, but there is a clear impact of mother anxiety on the baby psychological status.
In conclusion, toxoplasmosis is a worldwide but not universal disease. Each country has its own toxoplasmosis in term of virulence and public health concern.
Participants decided that such meetings should continue in the future. Pr Daniel Vasconcelos accepted to host the next congress in 2014 in Bello Horizonte (Brasil). Pr Dorota Nowakowska will welcome us in 2018 in Lodz (Poland).
by Aldert Bart and Tom van Gool - Organisers
The ESCMID Study Group for Clinical Parasitology (ESGCP) organised its second course in Clinical Parasitology in Amsterdam, 7-11 June 2010, presenting a broad overview of both theory and practice of clinical parasitology.
As soon as the announcement of this course was published on the ESCMID website, applications poured in, resulting in more than 50 applications from 28 countries. Due to limited teaching capacities, 26 participants were selected (mostly MDs) and 9 of them were supported by an ESCMID attendance grant covering the tuition fees. Twenty nationalities were represented, indicating the widespread need for courses in parasitology.
The 5-day course comprised 21 lectures by 10 speakers and 19 practicals, demonstrations or computer-assisted teaching, also by 10 speakers. With a new French CD with teaching material, the students were also trained in making lectures about clinical parasitology themselves. This subject was added to this year’s course to encourage dissemination of the knowledge obtained the participants' home-countries.
The course was granted 30 European CME credits (ECMEC) by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME).
The course was evaluated using the ESCMID questionnaire for the lectures and a similar format for the practical sessions. As the previous year, the course was very well evaluated. The average score for all lectures was 3,8 out of 4, for the practicals it was also 3,8 out of 4. The remarks in the evaluation forms will be used to further improve the programme of the course.
Overall our impression was the students liked the course very much and many expressed, at the farewell party, their enthusiasm. The social party, a canal cruise, as well as the group photo (below) were much appreciated.
- Click on the picture to get a larger version
