Health

Conference explores tropical diseases being transmitted in U.S.

Good surveillance data are sought to put numbers on diseases that accompany poverty.

By Susan J. Landers — Posted April 21, 2009

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Chagas, dengue fever and leptospirosis aren't just diseases of developing nations. They can be found in the United States, particularly among people living in poverty-ridden areas.

A conference to address neglected tropical diseases in the United States -- believed to be the first of its kind -- was held at the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago on March 19.

These infections may go unnoticed and unreported, said participants, as physicians and hospitals often are not equipped to test for them.

Patients may not even seek medical attention. "The people affected by neglected infections of poverty, for a variety of reasons, don't always have the means or inclination to visit a doctor or a hospital," said Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Hotez, who spoke at the conference has researched several diseases caused by parasitic, bacterial and congenital infections. These conditions, known collectively as the neglected infections of poverty, "are not necessarily immigrant problems; we know that transmission of these diseases actually occurs in the U.S."

Adequate surveillance is lacking, said conference participants. "We need to step up measures to determine the number of people living in poverty who are affected by these conditions," said Dr. Hotez.

The conference was billed as a "seminal meeting," by Marian McDonald, DrPH, MPH, associate director for minority and women's health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "These infections of poverty are overlooked in this country, and the conference could well be the first step towards building the momentum necessary to adequately address these diseases."

"We've been in the dark regarding neglected infections of poverty in this country for a long time," said Lynn Todman, PhD, director of the Adler School's Institute on Social Exclusion.

Also participating were Sonja Boone, MD, the AMA's director of Physician Health and Health Care Disparities; David Engman, MD, PhD, professor of pathology at Northwestern University in Chicago; and Susan Gerber, MD, chief medical officer for the Chicago Dept. of Public Health.u

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