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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=010515106-23052002>Dear
Rob</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=010515106-23052002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=010515106-23052002>WHO
has launched in early 2002 a multi-country trial (Ethiopia, Kenya and
Sudan) for a comparative evaluation of KATEX (Antigen detection in urine), DAT
freeze-dried antigen and K39/K26 to improve field diagnosis of visceral
diagnosis. I will contact the PIs and submit them your request for well
characterised sera. I hope we will be able to contribute to this highly relevant
objective.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=010515106-23052002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=010515106-23052002>Best
personal regards.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=010515106-23052002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=010515106-23052002>Philippe</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<P> <FONT color=#000080 face=Arial
size=2>_______________________________</FONT>
<BR><B><I>
<FONT color=#000080 face=Arial
size=1></FONT> <FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=2>Dr Philippe
Desjeux</FONT></I></B> <BR>
<FONT color=#000080 face=Arial
size=1> Medical Officer</FONT>
<BR><B> <FONT color=#000080 face=Arial
size=1>Department of Communicable Disease</FONT></B>
<BR><B> <FONT color=#000080 face=Arial
size=1> Surveillance and
Response</FONT></B> <BR>
<FONT color=#000080 face=Arial
size=1> (</FONT><B><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial
size=1>CDS/CSR)</FONT></B> <BR><FONT color=#000080 face=Arial size=1>World
Health Organization
Direct Tel.</FONT><B> <FONT
color=#000080 face=Arial size=1>(+41 22) 791 38 70</FONT></B> <BR><FONT
color=#000080 face=Arial size=1>20, Avenue
Appia
Operator </FONT><B> <FONT
color=#000080 face=Arial size=1>(+41 22) 791 21 11</FONT></B> <BR><FONT
color=#000080 face=Arial size=1>CH-1211 Geneva
27
Fax: </FONT><B> <FONT
color=#000080 face=Arial size=1>(+41 22) 791 48 78 </FONT></B><BR><FONT
color=#000080 face=Arial size=1>Switzerland
Email. </FONT><B> <FONT color=#000080
face=Arial size=1> <desjeuxp@who.int></FONT></B> </P>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV align=left class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Davidson, Robert N
[mailto:r.n.davidson@ic.ac.uk]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, 16 May 2002
16:52<BR><B>To:</B> Leish-L@bdt.org.br<BR><B>Subject:</B> [leish-l] MSF
appeals for sera and advice.<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV>
<DIV align=left class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2></FONT></DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002>Dear Leishmaniacs,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040385813-10052002><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=040385813-10052002>This year, Medecins Sans Frontieres -
Holland treated its 50,000th kala azar patient in the East African region.
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040385813-10052002><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT
size=2><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=040385813-10052002><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=040385813-10052002>We are trying to improve the accuracy of
the </SPAN>rK39<SPAN class=040385813-10052002> dipstick, for the rapid
diagnosis of KA in Sudan/Ethiopia. We a</SPAN>re actively engaged on
this, <SPAN class=040385813-10052002> and have excellent links with
industrial R&D partners</SPAN>. Our objective<SPAN
class=040385813-10052002> is </SPAN>to produce a strip which works
on whole blood, <SPAN class=040385813-10052002> probably
2 </SPAN>strips which are used for screening and confirmation.<SPAN
class=040385813-10052002> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=040385813-10052002>We find </SPAN>that rK39 works
less <SPAN class=040385813-10052002> well </SPAN>in Sudan than
reported elsewhere <SPAN
class=040385813-10052002> (</SPAN>Zijlstra Trop Med Int Health. 2001
Feb;6(2):108-13; Veeken Trop Med Int Health in press 2002). We<SPAN
class=040385813-10052002> may need to </SPAN><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002> alter </SPAN>the reagents on the strip
or <SPAN class=040385813-10052002> use a </SPAN>combination of
rK39 and <SPAN class=040385813-10052002> other recombinant
antigens.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002>Q1: Does anyone know if rK39 is an
</SPAN>immunodominant peptide on the strain<SPAN
class=040385813-10052002>s </SPAN> of the Sudanese-epidemic <EM>L
donovani</EM> zymodemes MON 18, MON 30 and MON 82 (which are <SPAN
class=040385813-10052002> said to be </SPAN>closely related)<SPAN
class=040385813-10052002> ?</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002> Q2: Could anyone donate to our R&D
efforts <SPAN class=040385813-10052002>some sera from patients with proven
kala azar in Sudan (north or South) or northeast Ethiopia (Humera focus)?
Volumes of a few mL from a small number of well-characterised patients are
what we seek.</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002><SPAN class=040385813-10052002>Best
wishes,</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002><SPAN class=040385813-10052002>Rob Davidson
(technical kala azar adviser,
MSF-Holland)</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002><SPAN
class=040385813-10052002></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </P></SPAN></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>