Enabling the systematic genomic surveillance of malaria via a global network of travel clinics

Poster

Click here to download the poster.

Status

A brief overview of the current status of the project:

• The GeoSentinel network encompasses 71 sites in 29 countries.
• We plan to enroll 33 sites in the initial phase of the project.
• So far, 15 ethical approvals and MTAs have been completed, with others in various stages of completion.
• 50 samples have been collected in total so far.
• 8 have already been (whole-genome) sequenced, 17 are being analysed and 30 additional samples have arrived and are ready for processing.

As sample collection and processing becomes more systematic, we plan to release up to data genetic variant and epidemiological data every 1-3 months on the SUMMIT data platform.

Abstract

Despite wide-scale control and elimination efforts, the global decline in malaria has stagnated in recent years. There is a strong need for malaria molecular surveillance in endemic regions to address the threats posed by antimalarial drug and diagnostic resistance, and to strategically prioritise the limited resources for malaria control programs. Meanwhile, non-endemic regions are not only being faced with an increasing number of travel-related malaria cases, in conjunction with adverse clinical outcomes, but also with rare cases of autochthonous transmission.

To address these issues, we present the SUrveillance of Molecular epidemiology of Malaria In Travelers (SUMMIT) project. Travelers present an as of yet untapped resource of diverse genomic information on the Plasmodium parasite, which allows for close-to-real-time data collection and sharing, as well as the standardization of lab and bioinformatics methodologies.

We aim to establish a pioneering platform for the routine systematic surveillance of travel-related malaria, which combines parasite whole-genome sequencing data with epidemiological patient data. The platform will be enabled through a global network of travel clinics ( GeoSentinel ), embrace FAIR data sharing principles and be supported by open and reproducible bioinformatics analysis and reporting pipelines (built using Nextflow and powered by nf-core’s components and best practices).

We will leverage this continuously growing and global-spanning resource to monitor the emergence and spread of clinically-relevant markers, develop machine learning tools to trace parasite origins and conduct studies on treatment failure. Our approach is complementary to existing surveillance approaches and strives to increase the geographic, temporal and genetic resolution of the available genomic data and function as a sentinel system to aid preparedness efforts for reactive and coordinated responses to outbreaks. Our ultimate goal is to provide an up-to-date and accessible resource containing actionable data that can facilitate further malaria research, inform case management, prioritise efficacy studies and aid in surveillance and control efforts.

Contact us

For further information, please reach out to myself , to ITM’s PI Prof. Anna Rosanas-Urgell or to GeoSentinel’s PI Ralph Huits.

Acknowledgements

This project is carried out jointly by GeoSentinel (and its various affiliated sites) and the Malariology Unit of the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp , and is funded by GeoSentinel, a Cooperative Agreement (1 U01 CK000632-04) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) that also receives funding from the GeoSentinel Foundation and the Public Health Agency of Canada.