The study will collect information to understand the causes and outcomes of febrile illness in rural areas in countries across South and Southeast Asia ( including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Bangladesh). The findings will be used to identify new tests and treatments that can improve the management of febrile patients in the future. This study is funded by the UK Wellcome Trust. The grant reference number is 215604/Z/19/Z
This study aims to better understand and quantify the burden of febrile illness, the aetiological causes and the manner in which it affects the people living in rural areas in South and Southeast Asia, all on a scale which has not been attempted before. The SEACTN RFI project will collect information to help better understand and predict these outcomes based on a multitude of factors, which will form the basis for interventions within the network in the future. Determining the incidence, causes and outcomes of febrile illness in these settings will be done through two work packages. The first of these, Work Package A (WP-A), the subject of this study, will be carried out at the community level, primarily by engaging village health worker (VHWs) and low-level Health Centres (HCs) which serve the communities to recruit patients presenting with a febrile illness. These patients will be assessed for presenting symptoms and followed up for clinical outcomes. Collection of specimen for diagnostic investigations in these settings is challenging. Currently, mRDTs are conducted by VHWs and HCs in these networks, therefore by using the same process, but also applying blood to filter paper and allowing it to dry (DBS), investigators will test for certain other pathogens, which will increase the aetiological yield.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
100,000
Building Resources Across Communities (BRAC)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
RECRUITINGMedical Action Myanmar (MAM)
Yangon, Burma
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGAction for Health Development (AHEAD)
Battambang, Cambodia
Local incidence of febrile illness
The incidence per year that an individual seeks care for a febrile illness with the village health workers or local health facility, at the village level.
Time frame: From Months 0 to 24
Overall incidence of febrile illness
The incidence per year that an individual seeks care for a febrile illness with the village health workers or local health facility, at the regional level. These estimates will later be triangulated with and extrapolated from using health seeking behavior surveys for an estimate of the total incidence of febrile illness.
Time frame: From Months 0 to 24
Mortality
Case fatality rates in febrile illness
Time frame: Within approximately 1 month of first presentation to the village health worker or health facility
Morbidity
Duration of illness in patients presenting with a fever to the village health worker or health facility.
Time frame: Over 1 month after first presentation
Prevalence of pathogens in febrile patients
Pathogens will be detected in patients presenting over a 24 month period using point of care tests and diagnostic assays on acute and convalescent dried blood spots.
Time frame: Samples collected over approximately 24 months
The correlation between host biomarker concentrations, aetiological diagnoses and clinical outcomes.
The area under the curve, sensitivity and specificity of host biomarkers to identify bacterial infections and to predict severe outcomes.
Time frame: Samples collected over approximately 24 months
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Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU)
Vientiane, Vientiane Prefecture, Laos
RECRUITINGMahidol VivaResearch Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University (MVRU)
Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Thailand
RECRUITINGShoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU)
Mae Sot, Changwat Tak, Thailand
RECRUITINGChiangrai Clinical Research Unit (CCRU)
Chiang Rai, Thailand
RECRUITING