Summary of the XV edition of the International Dengue Course
15th International Dengue Course
Challenges of Zika and Chikungunya transmission
7-18th August 2017
Havana, Cuba
After 30 years of the first edition of the course and in the framework of the 80 Anniversary of the institute of Tropical Medicine, the PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center for the Study of Dengue and its Vector of the Institute of Tropical Medicine/MINSAP, the Cuban Society of Microbiology and Parasitology, the Cuban Ministry of Health and PAHO-WHO organized the 15th edition of the Dengue International Course, in this occasion facing Zika and Chikungunya from 7th-18th August 2017.
During the course, the regional and global Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya and Yellow Fever epidemiological situation was updated. Topics related to clinical management, vector control, main scientific advances in pathogenesis, vaccines and antiviral development, new vector control tools, the influence of the host genetic as well as the genetic of the vector and the viruses, emergency control, the new international initiatives for arbovirus control and prevention among other interesting and important topics were updated and discussed.
In this occasion, the course celebrated its 30 anniversary (1987-2017) and it was dedicated to also celebrate the 80 anniversary of the Tropical Medicine Institute Foundation on December 8 of 2937.
The current edition was organized under the auspices of the Cuban Ministry of Health, the Cuban Society of Microbiology & Parasitology (SCMP), Consejo Nacional de Sociedades Científicas de la Salud (CNSCS), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/ World Health Organization (WHO), The Regional Dengue and Emergency Programs (PAHO), WHO Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR/WHO), Neglected Tropical Diseases Program (NTDP/WHO), ZIKAPLAN AND ZIKALLIANCE, Fundación Mundo Sano, Dengue Vaccine Initiative (DVI), The American Society of Tropical Medicine Hygiene (ASTMH), Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium, the Cuban Academy of Sciences (ACC), The University of Johns Hopkins and the AAAS.
During the theoretical course (7-11 August), 15 lectures, 8 round tables and 6 symposia were developed (tables 1 and 2) updating the participants among the most important aspects on these arboviruses.
The practical course (August 14 to 18) allowed participants to debate important aspects on the clinic and pathology, diagnostic-immunology, vector-entomology, epidemiology and social determinants-community participation. Participants were grouped in 5 Five activities deserve special attention: the round table dedicated to the PAHO strategy for arbovirus prevention and control, the symposia organized by ZIKAPLAN on Zika epidemiology- diagnostic and on Neurological complications associated with arboviral infections, the Workshop: Social determinants and community participation in arbovirus diseases organized by the Universities of Mc Gill and Montreal and IPK and the symposium organized by AAAS, ACC, IPK and Johns Hopkins University on New Advances in our knowledge of the Aedes aegypti biology/control and with the presence of Prof. Peter Agre, Nobel Prize on Chemistry, 2003.
Additionally, a poster session on August 9 and 10 allowed participants to share their results and experiences. In total 48 posters were presented by participants from 12 countries (Angola, Germany, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, USA, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Dominican Rep.).
In the framework of the course, 4 expert meetings were organized:
• Workshop and Launch of the Caribbean Vector-Borne Diseases Network organized by CARPHA, TDR-OMS and on August 8-9 with 21 participants from 16 Caribbean countries
• Regional training workshop on Dengue-Zika-Chikungunya early outbreak warning and response, organized by TDR-WHO on August 10-11 with 30 participants from 13 countries of the American region mostly
• Meeting of the WP1 of ZIKALLIANCE project n August 12-13 with 28 participants from 13 countries
• Meeting of ZIKAPLAN Project on August 12-13 with 75 participants from 13 countries
234 participants, 113 from Cuba and 121 from 35 countries from the Americas, SEA, Europe and Africa. The biggest delegations were Colombia (21), Brazil (13), Argentina and Peru with 8 students each. 50% of foreigner participants and the total Cubans attended both the theoretical and the practical courses.
Professors from prestigious institutions dedicated to Dengue, Zika, Chik and YF study attended the course, 91 from 32 countries and organizations and 88 from Cuban institutions (among professors and collaborators) (table 3)
In total, 524 specialists participated in some of the course and side activities, from them, 323 foreigners from 43 countries (Americas, Europe, South East Asia, Africa) and 201 Cubans.
Altona, Bayer, BDC Internacional SA, BioLab Internacional, Mikrogen, Roche, Sanofi Pasteur, Habana Radio, Oficina del Historiador de la Ciudad, collaborated for the well execution of the course
The Organizer Committee of the 15th edition of the Dengue International Course thanks all participants, professors, institutions and organizations for their participation and help in the execution of the dengue course. The 16th edition will be celebrated in August 2019.
Figure records the number of participants (2820 participants, 1330 Cubans and 1490 foreigners) and countries (70) since the first dengue international course edition in 1987 (1987-2015).
Figure. Total of participants at the dengue international course by year (1987-2017)
At http://instituciones.sld.cu/ipk/ you can find more information including the course photos and main lectures
PROFESSORS AND FOREIGN SPEAKERS
• Peter Agre, Universidad John Hopkins, EUA
• Maira Aguiar, Universidad de Lisboa, Portugal
• Marcelo Aguilar, Universidad Central, Ecuador
• Amilton Antunes Barreira, Universidad de Sao Paulo, Brasil
• Thalia Araujo, Universidad de Pernambuco, Brasil
• María Anet Atencio, Centro Conmemorativo Gorgas, Panamá
• Mathieu Bangert, NTDP, OMS
• Vivian Barrera, MIKROGEN
• Susan Carol Barnett, Universidad de Glasgow, RU
• Mabel Carabali, Universidad McGill, Colombia/Canadá
• Gabriel Carrasquilla, Fundación Santa Fe, Colombia
• Fabio Castelo, Astral Saude Ambiental, Brasil
• Lee Ching, NEA, Singapur
• Giovanini Coelho, OPS/OMS
• Stephen Dobson, Universidad de Kentucky, EUA
• George Dimopoulos, Universidad de John Hopkins, EUA
• Ana Durbin, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, EUA
• Felipe Dzul, UADY, Mexico
• Delia Enria, Instituto Maiztegui, Argentina
• Democrito de Filho, Universidad de Pernambuco, Brasil
• Manuel Espinosa, Fundación Mundo Sano, Argentina
• Florence Fouquet, TDR/OMS
• Leticia Franco, OPS/OMS
• Duane Gubler, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapur
• William Hall, Universidad Dublin, Irlanda
• Scott Halstead, DVI
• Eva Harris, Universidad de California, Berkeley, EUA
• Olaf Horstick, Universidad de Heidelberg, Alemania
• Leonardo Iñiguez, Roche
• B.C. Jacobs, Erasmus Medical Center, Holanda
• Marcelo Jacobs Lorena, Universidad de John Hopkins, EUA
• Thomas Jaenish, Universidad de Heidelberg, Alemania
• Suzanne Kaptein, Universidad Leuven, Bélgica
• Jay S. Kaufman, Universidad McGill, Canadá
• Laura Kramer, State University of New York at Albany
• Hans Kuhn, Altona Diagnostics GmbH
• Xavier de Lamballerie, Universidad de Marsella, Francia
• Louis Lambrechts, Instituto Pasteur, Francia
• Linda Lloyd, EUA
• Felipe Lorenzato, Takeda
• Kleber Lutz, Universidad Federal RGN, Brasil
• José Madrigal, Bayer
• Jean Claude Manuguerra, Instituto Pasteur, Francia
• Pablo Manrique, UADY, México
• Rodrigo Marin, Ministerio de Salud, Costa Rica
• Livia C. Martins, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Brasil
• Raquel Medialdea-Carrera, Universidad de Liverpool, RU
• Jairo Méndez, OPS/OMS
• Eduardo Massad, Universidad de Sao Paulo, Brasil
• Amy Morrison, Universidad de California Davis, EUA
• Douglas Norris, Universidad de John Hopkins, EUA
• Yasuko Orba, Universidad de Hokkaido, Japón
• Jorge Osorio, Universidad de Wisconsin, EUA
• Leonardo Padilla, Universidad del Quindio, Colombia
• Ricardo Palacios, Instituto Butantan, Brasil
• Ramiro Paucar, FARMEX SA
• Beatriz Parra, Universidad del Valle, Colombia
• Carlos Pardo, Universidad de John Hopkins, EUA
• Roxana Peeling, London School Tropical Medicine Hygiene, RU
• Leandro Pelogia, Bayer
• Mauricio Perea, BIOLAB
• Alina Pérez, OPS/OMS
• Peter Piermarini, Ohio State University, EUA
• Ernesto Pleites, INS, El Salvador
• Karen Polson-Edwards, CARPHA
• Jason Rasgon, Universidad de Pennsylvania, EUA
• Scott Ritchie, James Cook University, Australia
• Valery Ridde, Universidad Montreal, Canadá
• Joacim Rocklov, Universidad Umea, Suecia
• Karin Rottengatter, Altona Diagnostics GmbH
• Gilberto Santiago, CDC, Puerto Rico
• Hirofumi Sawa, Universidad de Hokkaido, Japón
• Patricia Sequeira, FIOCRUZ, Brasil
• James Sejvar, CDC, EUA
• Tyler Sharp, CDC, Puerto Rico
• Aravinda de Silva, Universidad Carolina del Norte, EUA
• Fabrice Simon, Hospital Militar, Marsella, Francia
• Tom Solomon, Liverpool School of Public Health, RU
• Carmen Soria, Instituto Izquieta Pérez, Ecuador
• Lance Turtle, Universidad de Liverpool, RU
• Patrick Van der Stuyft, IMT, Bélgica
• Veerle Vanlerberghe, IMT, Bélgica
• Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec, Universidad de Emory, EUA
• Anubis Vega, Instituto Pasteur, Guadalupe
• Andrea Vicari, OPS/OMS
• Luis A. Villar, Universidad Santander, Colombia
• Scott Weaver, University of Texas Medical Branch, EUA
• Laura White, Universidad Carolina del Norte, EUA
• Annelies Wilder-Smith, Universidad Umeå, Suiza
• Hugh John Willison, Universidad de Glasgow, RU
• Steve Whitehead, NIAID, NIH, EUA
CUBANS PROFESSORS AND SPEAKERS
María G. Guzmán, Eric Martínez, María E. Toledo, Juan Bisset, Susana Vázquez, Virginia Capó, Mayling Alvarez, Ana B. Pérez, Beatriz Sierra, Ariel Martínez, Alicia Aguilar, Rosa Ramírez, Didye Ruiz, Daniel González, Nereyda Cantelar,
Omar Fuentes, María Magdalena Rodríguez, Alberto Baly, Francisco Zamora, María del C. Marquetti, Dennys Pérez, Martha Castro, Osvaldo Castro, Pedro Más, Domingo Montada, Maritza Pupo, Lázaro Gil, Alicia Reyes, Aileen Gonzalez, Ariamys Companioni, Maureen Leyva, Rene Gato, Luis Morier, Roberto Fumero, Zulema Menéndez, Natividad Hernández, Yisel Hernández, Gladys Gutierrez, Maria del Carmen Zabala, Adolfo Alvarez, Mayelin Mirabal, Nelson Gómez, Reinaldo López Barroso, Alberto Dorta, Nibaldo Linares, Ana M. Ibarra, Gilberto Zamora, entre otros prestigiosos profesores y colaboradores (IPK, Centro de Ingenieria Genética y Biotecnologia, CIGB, Universidad de la Habana, Instituto Nacional de Higiene Epidemiología y Microbiología, INHEM, Hospital Hermanos Ameijeiras, , Flacso, Instituto Finlay de Vacunas, Ministerio de Salud Cuba).
Table 1. Round tables at the dengue course, 7-11 August 2017.
| Social determinants of diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti. | Marta Castro, IPK, María del Carmen Zabala, Flacso, Cuba, Adolfo Álvarez, INHEM, Cuba |
| The clinic of dengue, zika and chikungunya | Daniel González, IPK, Cuba, Kleber Lutz, federal University RGN, Brazil, Fabrice Simon, Hospital Militar, Marseille |
| Severe dengue | Osvaldo Castro, IPK, Cuba, Luis Angel Villar, Santander University, Colombia, Ernesto Pleites, INS, El Salvador |
| Re-emergence of Yellow fever. | Duane Gubler, Universidad Duke, Singapore, Livia C Martins, Institute Evandro Chagas, Brazil, Kleber Lutz, Federal University RGN, Brazil |
| EGI for the prevention and control of dengue in the context of other arboviruses | Andrea Vicari, Giovanini Coelho, Jairo Méndez,PAHO, Eric Martínez, IPK, Cuba |
| Emergence of CHIK | Scott Weaver, UTMB, USA, Fabrice Simon, Hosp. Militar, Marseille, Lee Ching, NEA Singapore, Karen Polson, CARPHA |
| Challenges in the control of Aedes mosquito. New tools | Olaff Horstick, University of, Germany, Rodrigo Marin, Ministry of Health, Costa Rica, Jorge Osorio, Wisconsin University, USA |
| Cuban experience in the struggle against zika | Francisco Duran, Carilda Peña, Roberto Fumero, MINSAP |
Table 2. Symposia at the dengue course, 7-18 August, 2017.
| Vector control facing arbovirus emergencies | Chairs: Domingo Montada, IPK Cuba, Olaf Horstick, Heidelberg University, Germany |
| Advances in Dengue and Zika Vaccine development | Chairs: Andrea Vicari, PAHO, Maria G Guzmán, IPK, Cuba |
| Changing the paradigm of Aedes control in arbovirus co-circulation environments. | Chair: Patrick Van der Stuyft, IMT, Belgium |
| Pathogenesis and Vaccines | Chairs: Beatriz Sierra, IPK, Cuba, Aravinda UNC, USA |
| Advances and challenges in emergent arbovirus diagnostic | Chairs: Mayling Alvarez, IPK, Cuba y Delia Enria, INEVH J Maiztegui, Argentina |
| Epidemiology and diagnostic of zika.
Organized by ZIKAPLAN and IPK Coordinators: Annelies Wilder-Smith, Umea University, Sweden and Maria G Guzman, IPK |
Chairs: Annelies Wilder-Smith, Zikaplan y Ariel Martinez, IPK, Cuba |
| Clinical-practical workshop: Neurology in times of zika. Neurological complications associated with arboviral infections
Organized by ZIKAPLAN and IPK |
Coordinators: Carlos A. Pardo , University Johns Hopkins, USA, Eric Martínez and Osvaldo Castro, IPK, Cuba |
| New Advances in our knowledge of the Aedes aegypti biology and its control
Organized by AAAS, JHMRI, ACC and IPK |
Chairs: Peter Agre, University Johns Hopkins, USA, Juan Bisset, IPK, Cuba |