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Peru City New Site for Infectious Disease Research

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS040416-04

Release Date: 4/17/2004 11:54:00 AM

By Doris M. Ryan, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Naval Medicine researchers in Peru established three clinical infectious disease research sites at local health centers in Puerto Maldonado, April 7.

These new sites allow researchers to identify and track emerging infectious diseases that are potential health risks for Sailors and Marines deployed to tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

Working with the Peruvian Ministry of Health, scientists from the Naval Medical Research Center Detachment (NMRC Det.) are investigating the causes of several infectious diseases.

"The sites in Puerto Maldonado rest in almost pristine Amazonian tropical rainforest in the far southeastern part of Peru, near the borders of Bolivia and Brazil," said Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Blair, deputy director of NMRC Det. Viral Diseases Program. "A major interest to us is the potential spread of jungle yellow fever into an urban environment. Since diseases do not know borders, we also expect to find evidence of severe diseases, such as hantavirus and arenavirus, which exist in other countries like Chile, Bolivia and Argentina, but have seldom been reported in Peru."

The laboratory maintains similar research sites in seven regions that represent the varied geological and ecological areas of Peru. This network of health care facilities and laboratories was created to collect infectious disease information, identify outbreaks and coordinate efforts to contain their spread.

Peruvian Ministry of Health physicians and nurses assist in recruiting patients, obtaining samples and providing patient follow-up, a critical part of the study. Blood samples are tested in the Navy laboratory for up to a dozen bacterial and viral agents.

"We outfit each site with study materials that include equipment to draw blood samples, a centrifuge to spin blood, and a freezer to store samples prior to shipment to our laboratory in Lima where diagnoses are conducted," said Blair.

"Because of this cooperative effort, we are able to track outbreaks of specific diseases, and their spread and prevalence among the local population. From this, we can establish an assessment of risk in these areas. We also gain useful information as we develop new therapeutics and vaccines to combat specific threats, such as dengue," said Blair.

NMRC Det. has been active in Peru since 1983 and is located on the grounds of the Peruvian Navy's flagship hospital in Callao, in Lima, Peru.