Summary MIN06 Global health theme B – theme D
Theme B Diagnostics for disease control ................................................................................................ 2
Diagnosis of infectious diseases.......................................................................................................... 2
Pathogen barcoding ............................................................................................................................ 3
General information about viruses ..................................................................................................... 5
Virology ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Causality ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Theme C Immunology and vaccinology ................................................................................................ 12
Immunology ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Vaccine design .................................................................................................................................. 14
Immunological assays humoral ......................................................................................................... 17
Adjuvants .......................................................................................................................................... 21
Immunological assays cellular........................................................................................................... 23
Theme D Pathogenesis of infectious diseases & options for control ................................................... 26
Malaria .............................................................................................................................................. 26
Arboviruses ....................................................................................................................................... 27
Dengue .......................................................................................................................................... 27
Chikungunya.................................................................................................................................. 28
Tuberculosis ...................................................................................................................................... 29
HIV ..................................................................................................................................................... 31
1
, Theme B Diagnostics for disease control
Diagnosis of infectious diseases
• Key diagnostic tests
o Direct microscopy
o Culture
o Serology
o PCR/molecular tools
• Microscopy
o Low-tech, versatile, portable, fast (hours), low level of training, low cost
o Limited sensitivity and specificity
o Careful handling of chemicals needed
• Culture
o Required proper infrastructure, high level of training and many add-on tests
o Imposes risks, slow (days), high cost
o High sensitivity and high specificity
• Culture – susceptibility testing
o Another layer of complexity and cost
o Required specific infrastructure, additional training and strong standardization
o Two strategies
▪ Apply to individual patients
▪ Do surveys to guide empiric treatment
• Serology
o Detection of antigens or antibodies
o IgM in acute phase, IgG is convalescence phase
o More use in virology than in bacteriology
o Full interpretation requires multiple samples
• PCR/molecular tests
o Polymerase chain reaction amplifies DNA/RNA
o Detect specific trait or sequence variable stretch
o Conventional PCR
▪ Amplify the target gene
▪ Visualize the fragment on agarose gel → compare with controls
▪ Post processing
• Restriction enzymes to cut and analyse fragments
• Cut out amplicon for sequencing
o Real-time PCR (quantitative)
▪ It monitors the amplification of a targeted DNA molecule during the PCR,
not at its end, as in conventional PCR
▪ Probe assays → if binding occurs, it triggers a colour reaction (band)
• Functions: identification, genotyping and drug resistance mutations
o Sanger sequencing
▪ DNA od target gene is amplified
▪ 4 separate reaction tubed → 1 per nucleotide
2
Theme B Diagnostics for disease control ................................................................................................ 2
Diagnosis of infectious diseases.......................................................................................................... 2
Pathogen barcoding ............................................................................................................................ 3
General information about viruses ..................................................................................................... 5
Virology ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Causality ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Theme C Immunology and vaccinology ................................................................................................ 12
Immunology ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Vaccine design .................................................................................................................................. 14
Immunological assays humoral ......................................................................................................... 17
Adjuvants .......................................................................................................................................... 21
Immunological assays cellular........................................................................................................... 23
Theme D Pathogenesis of infectious diseases & options for control ................................................... 26
Malaria .............................................................................................................................................. 26
Arboviruses ....................................................................................................................................... 27
Dengue .......................................................................................................................................... 27
Chikungunya.................................................................................................................................. 28
Tuberculosis ...................................................................................................................................... 29
HIV ..................................................................................................................................................... 31
1
, Theme B Diagnostics for disease control
Diagnosis of infectious diseases
• Key diagnostic tests
o Direct microscopy
o Culture
o Serology
o PCR/molecular tools
• Microscopy
o Low-tech, versatile, portable, fast (hours), low level of training, low cost
o Limited sensitivity and specificity
o Careful handling of chemicals needed
• Culture
o Required proper infrastructure, high level of training and many add-on tests
o Imposes risks, slow (days), high cost
o High sensitivity and high specificity
• Culture – susceptibility testing
o Another layer of complexity and cost
o Required specific infrastructure, additional training and strong standardization
o Two strategies
▪ Apply to individual patients
▪ Do surveys to guide empiric treatment
• Serology
o Detection of antigens or antibodies
o IgM in acute phase, IgG is convalescence phase
o More use in virology than in bacteriology
o Full interpretation requires multiple samples
• PCR/molecular tests
o Polymerase chain reaction amplifies DNA/RNA
o Detect specific trait or sequence variable stretch
o Conventional PCR
▪ Amplify the target gene
▪ Visualize the fragment on agarose gel → compare with controls
▪ Post processing
• Restriction enzymes to cut and analyse fragments
• Cut out amplicon for sequencing
o Real-time PCR (quantitative)
▪ It monitors the amplification of a targeted DNA molecule during the PCR,
not at its end, as in conventional PCR
▪ Probe assays → if binding occurs, it triggers a colour reaction (band)
• Functions: identification, genotyping and drug resistance mutations
o Sanger sequencing
▪ DNA od target gene is amplified
▪ 4 separate reaction tubed → 1 per nucleotide
2
