By Luis E. Mendoza
A recent research of the group of medical entomology from CISeAL, led by Dr. Anita Villacís, has just been published on Parasites & Vectors Journal (BioMed Central). The research (Triatominae: does the shape change of non-viable eggs compromise species recognition?) seeks to offer a new characterization of viable and non-viable eggs of four species of Ecuadorian Triatomines, insects responsible of the transmission of Chagas disease.
December 3, 2018
PUCE students during field trip.
In a coordinated effort between the Public Health Institute, the Center for Research on Health in Latin America and the Nursing and Human Sciences Faculties form PUCE, last November 12 the team began the field work of the project: Determinants of malnutrition in children under 5 years of the Ecuadorian indigenous population; whose second phase will run until December 14, 2018 in five cantons of Chimborazo; Riobamba, Alausí, Guamote, Guano and Colta.
November 29, 2018
MSc. Sofía Ocaña and Sarah Vaca in company of UTMACH students.
From November 22th to 25th a field trip to the city of Machala was carried out, as part of the project: “Evaluation of the resistance to deltamethrin in natural populations of Anopheles albimanus, malaria vector, and its relationship with the use of pyrethroid insecticides in the southwestern coast of Ecuador”. The team led by MSc. Sofía Ocaña traveled to El Oro province and collaborated with students from UTMACH.
Ecuadorian biologist directs projects against Chagas disease
By Luis E. Mendoza
At Bellamaria community, Loja-Ecuador. Credits: Luis E. Mendoza, Ohio University
Despite that Chagas disease was discovered 100 years ago, there are still 8 million people who suffer from it. It is spread via contact with the feces of an insect called Trypanozoma cruzi, once the mosquito bite penetrates the human skin.
In 2005, the WHO classified Chagas disease as a neglected tropical disease. This means that it is a disease that proliferates in impoverished environments (as is the case in some rural areas of Ecuador), tropical climates and that has been historically ignored by the global health system. However, it is only in recent decades that scientific research has begun to focus on its study. "Chagas is a neglected disease and in order to close those gaps it is necessary to carry out research that generates knowledge that allows the development of better diagnoses, treatments and control strategies for the transmission" says Dr. Mario Grijalva, Director of the Center for Research on Health in Latin America.
June 26th, 2018
By Luis E. Mendoza
Research published in Journal of Nanotechnology in April 18, 2018.
The Ambrosia is a plant with mythological resonance. The legend tells us that Greek and Sumerian gods used to drink it as a source of immortality. Moreover, the indigenous peoples of the inter-Andean valley -located in what we current know as Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru- used it as part of their traditional medicine. Few people know, however, that this plant -combined with silver nanoparticles- contributes to control infectious diseases such as Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika. This is the outcome of research led by Ecuadorian biologist Bianca Morejón in the Center for Health Research in Latin America (CISeAL). This research was part of her thesis, conducted under the direction of Dr. Marco Neira.
June 8th, 2018
By Luis E. Mendoza
Ternura, 1989. Oswaldo Guayasamín.
Dr. Ana Moncayo, specialist in Public Health and Epidemiology, focuses her research on infectious diseases. She is a researcher at CISeAL and professor at PUCE. She has developed 14 investigations related to her area of specialization so far. In the following interview, Dr. Moncayo tells us how her research on soil-transmitted infections could contribute to improving programs to control these infections and the impact of these parasites on the nutritional status of almost one and a half million school-age children in Ecuador.
