Co-infection Studies Programme

Prof. Alison Elliott, Head of Programme

The co-infection studies programme developed from interest in the immuno-modulating effects of chronic helminth infection, and the impact of such effects on major infectious diseases including tuberculosis and HIV infection. During the last 5 years the programme has expanded to address effects of maternal helminth infection on the response to immunisation and on susceptibility to both infectious and allergic disease in infancy.  
Our main study, a trial of de-worming during pregnancy and early childhood, was designed at a time of renewed debate regarding the use of anthelminthic therapy during pregnancy and in young children. Advocates for mass de-worming during antenatal care, both for soil-transmitted helminths and for schistosomiasis, proposed that this could have benefits for maternal anaemia, birth weight and even perinatal mortality; benefits of de-worming for growth and cognitive development in young children have also been widely proposed. Thus while our study was designed primarily to address immunological hypotheses it provides an opportunity to investigate effects of de-worming in pregnancy and young children on these additional outcomes. Our hypotheses are:

- that maternal and childhood helminth infections reduce the effectiveness of childhood immunisations and increase susceptibility to viral and bacterial infectious diseases, while reducing the incidence of conditions, such as allergic diseases, that are mediated by poorly-regulated inflammatory responses;

- that treatment of maternal and childhood helminth infection improves the effectiveness of childhood immunisations and modulates disease incidence in childhood, with both beneficial and detrimental effects. more
Co-infection: Clinical staff members