NICD Annual Review 2009
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National Institute for Communicable Diseases A division of the National Health Laboratory Service Private Bag X4 Sandringham 2131 South Africa Telephone 27-11-386 6000 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.nicd.ac.za NICD CONTENTS Page From the Director............................................................................. 1 Organogram..................................................................................... 3 Microbiology Division Enteric Diseases Reference Unit........................................................... 6 External Quality Assessment Unit........................................................ 13 Mycology Reference Unit...................................................................... 15 National Microbiology Surveillance Unit................................................ 20 Parasitology Reference Unit................................................................. 23 Respiratory & Meningeal Pathogens Reference Unit ............................ 26 Sexually Transmitted Infections Reference Centre ............................. 32 Special Bacterial Pathogens Reference Unit ...................................... 37 Vector Control Reference Unit............................................................. 40 Virology Division AIDS Virus Research Unit..................................................................... 48 Electron Microscopy Unit...................................................................... 54 Respiratory Virus Unit........................................................................... 57 Specialized Molecular Diagnostic Unit.................................................. 64 Special Pathogens Unit........................................................................ 72 Viral Diagnostics Unit............................................................................ 84 Viral Gastroenteritis Unit....................................................................... 89 Epidemiology Division Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit......................................................... 94 Outbreak Response Unit...................................................................... 103 SA Field Epidemiology & Laboratory Training Programme.................... 110 Travel Medicine & International Health Unit.......................................... 113 Special Programmes Comprehensive Care, Management & Treatment Programme for HIV & AIDS................................................................. 116 National Tuberculosis Reference Reference Laboratory.................... 122 Staff List ........................................................................................ 128 Staff & Student Achievements.................................................... 133 International Conferences........................................................ 136 Acknowledgement of Funders.................................................. 144 Visitors to NICD.......................................................................... 146 Publications................................................................................... 150 NICD ANNUAL REPORT Director’s Report The year 2009 has been a particularly successful one During 2009 the NICD hosted a number of prestigious for the NICD. An especially large number of our international events in the PRF Training Centre. These personnel received prestigious awards to honour the included:- excellence of their contributions to public health and to · The 4th Annual meeting of the International medical research. The research publications of the Association of Public Health Institutes Institute continue to increase both in quantity and in · The 1st African Influenza Scientific Symposium of quality. The Institute was privileged to host a large WHO / CDC number of high-level international meetings. Lastly, · The 1st joint workshop of the NICD and the HPA several of the building programmes have reached (Health ProtectionAgency) of the UK finality in 2009. · 2010 FIFA World Cup Communicable Disease Control Workshop Let me begin with the latter milestones. The National · The 2nd Infectious Diseases inAfrica symposium and TB Reference Laboratory building, a new striking, · The 3 rd African Flow Cytometry Workshop modernistic structure was completed and opened in 2009 and is now fully functional. It houses the personnel of the Reference Laboratory as well as ACILT (African Centre of Integrated Laboratory Training), a joint venture with the CDC which has trained dozens of technologists and scientists from throughout the continent in applied diagnostic technologies. The upgrading of the maximum security BSL-4 laboratory has also been completed and now also includes a high containment facility for experimental bat studies. Construction work has also commenced on the influenza BSL-3 facility as well as revamped facilities for viral gastroenteritis. What has really made this Institute proud are the Participants in the 1st African Influenza Scientific extensive awards and prizes awarded to our staff. Symposium of the WHO/CDC. These include the following:- · Dr Penny Moore (AIDS Research Unit) was awarded The 4 th Annual James Gear Memorial Lecture for 2009 the 2009 Sydney Brenner Fellowship of the National was delivered by Professor Keith Klugman and entitled Research Foundation. Penny was also awarded the “The role of bacteria in influenza-related deaths”. Prof international CHAVI (Centre for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Klugman is currently Professor of Global Health at Immunology) Young investigator of the month award. Emory University,Atlanta, USAand is also co-director of · Dr Elin Gray (AIDS Research Unit) received a the RMPRU unit of the NICD. He has been rated as an Prestigious Postgraduate Award for the best PhD A1 scientist, the highest recognition, of the NRF graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand. (National Research Foundation) of SA. · Dr Lizette Koekemoer (Vector Control Reference Unit) was awarded the silver medal of the Southern African Association for the Advancement of Science/BritishAssociation Medal, for 2009. · Genevie Ntshoe received the prize for the best oral presentation at the 3rd African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) in Mombasa. · Professorial status was awarded to two of our senior staff during 2009 Professor Adrian Puren (University of the Witwatersrand) and Professor Marietjie Venter (university of Pretoria) in recognition of their academic contributions to their respective universities. The 2nd cohort of the SAFELTP (South African Field Epidemiology Laboratory Training Programme) course completed their 2 year course and will graduate MPH at the University of Pretoria early in 2010. Prof Keith Klugman (right) with Prof Barry Schoub and Dr Anne von Gottberg. NICD ANNUAL REPORT 1 DIRECTOR’S REPORT The NICD is proud of its many achievements nationally · International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, and internationally and the Institute owes an enormous Austria debt of gratitude to its staff who have devoted · International Union against Sexually Transmitted considerable dedication and enthusiasm and passion Infections (IUSTI) for their work. A great debt of gratitude is owed to the · John Hopkins generous and invaluable support of our parent body the · Karolinski Institute (Sweden) NHLS (National Health Laboratory Service) as well as · Medical Research Foundation (MRC) the National Department of Health. Generous support · National Institute of Health (NIH) has also been received from a number of donor and · National Research Foundation (NRF) research bodies and their support is sincerely · New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) / acknowledged:- Biofesa · Accelerated Vaccine Introduction Initiative (AVI) · Optimus Foundation · Agence Nationale de Reserches sur la SIDA (ANRS) · PATH · Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation · PlasmaAcute Company · Bonn University, Bernard Nocht Institute for Tropical · Poliomyelitis Research Foundation Medicine, Germany · Sanofi · Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI) · South African HIV/AIDS Research and Innovation · Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Platform (SHARP) · Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South · The Wistar Institute Africa (CAPRISA) · University of the Witwatersrand (Friedel Sellschop · Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Award) · European Network for Capacity Building · Virax · European Union · Wellcome Trust · German Research Foundation (DFG) · World Health Organization (WHO) · GlaxoSmithKline · Wyeth · HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) · HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) BARRY D SCHOUB EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NICD ANNUAL REPORT 2 ORGANOGRAM NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Prof BD Schoub DIVISION DIVISION DIVISION DIVISION VIROLOGY MICROBIOLOGY EPIDEMIOLOGY ADMINISTRATION Prof AJ Puren Prof J Frean Dr L Blumberg Mr J Hira AIDS Virus Research Unit Enteric Diseases Reference Unit Epidemiology & Virology / Prof L Morris Dr K Keddy Surveillance Unit Finance Immunology / Prof C Gray Dr C Cohen Cell Biology / Prof C Tiemessen External Quality Assessment Unit Outbreak Response Human Resources NICD Electron Microscopy Unit Dr O Perovic Unit Dr M Birkhead Dr J Thomas ANNUAL Mycology Reference Unit Library Quality Assurance Dr N Govender South African Field Epidemiology 3 Unit & Laboratory Training Programme itchet Dr B Harris REPORT Kaye F National Microbiology Safety Respiratory Virus Unit Surveillance Unit ternational Influenza / Dr M Venter Dr N Govender Travel and In h Unit Measles/Rubella / S Smit Healt