Our Research Projects

Overview

“One Health” is a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach — working at the local, regional, national, and global levels — with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment” (CDC.gov)

Bacterial infectious diseases are common medical problems in developing countries. Due to limited diagnostic facilities, the causative agents and sources of infection, as well as modes of transmission, often remain unidentified. Empiric treatment is a common practice, fostering the emergence of antibiotic resistance and leading to difficult-to-treat infections. Due to the absence of effective monitoring, knowledge of circulating bacterial strains, their reservoirs and how these change over time, is limited.

Because of our close connection with animals, particularly in developing countries, human infections are often zoonoses. Pathogens can be transmitted to humans through direct contact or through food, water or the environment. Overuse of antibiotics in animal husbandry has significantly contributed to the increase of multidrug resistant bacteria, found both in animals and humans.

Bacteria can also survive for extended periods in the environment. For example, in water, in soil, and of particular concern for human health, in the hospital environment. They are capable of adapting to different environments.

Our research interests cover the generation and comparison of bacteriological data from humans, animals and the environment in countries with limited resources. A special focus is on transmission and the identification of reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria in rural areas of sub-Saharan African countries. Our activities will support and guide patient management and public health measures.

„One Health“: AMR in environmental reservoirs and colonizing antibiotic resistant bacteria“

-Improving antibiotic use in West Africa: exploring current situation and developing strategies for behavior change

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Paediatric Phase I/II study of a vaccine against invasive non-typhoidal salmonellosis in sub-Saharan Africa

Invasive disease with non-typhoidal Salmonella in SSA is associated with increasing antibiotic resistance (AMR) and has been...

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Genetic adaptation of Salmonella enterica in human and animal reservoirs in sub-Saharan Africa

Salmonella enterica cause more than 1.2 million annual deaths worldwide, the majority occurring in resource-limited countries.

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Antibiotic resistant enteric pathogens in human and animal reservoirs

In resource-limited countries, broad-spectrum antibiotics are often prescribed empirically without microbiological diagnosis...

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Bacterial subtypes and their association with diarrhoea

Globally, one in ten child deaths during the first five years of life result from diarrhoeal disease. Due to limitations in...

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Development of standardized AMR laboratories

for AMR surveillance in sub-Saharan Africa

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Transmission reservoirs and acquisition of multidrug resistant bacteria

in neonates admitted to two hospitals within the Tanga Region of Tanzani

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Capacity Building Projects Hospital partnership, Tanzania

Within this project we aim at improving clinical and laboratory capacities in the field...

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Research Group One-Health-Bakteriologie

Zu sehen ist das Portrait einer jungen, europäischen Frau, die freundlich in Richtung des Bildbetrachters blickt.
Research Group Leader

Dr. Denise Dekker

Telefon: +49 40 285380-521

Fax: +49 40 285380-512

E-Mail: dekker@bnitm.de

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