Page 54 - CIBERESP-2015-eng

Research groups
Group 12
Programme: Prevention, Monitoring and Control of Communicable Diseases Lead Researcher: Cayla Buqueras, Joan Artur
Group Members
STAFF MEMBERS: Casals Toquero, Martí | Solano Silveira, Rubén.
ASSOCIATED MEMBERS: De Benito Langa, Javier | García de Olalla Rizo, Patricia | Manzanares Laya, Sandra | Marco Mouriño, Andrés | Martín Sánchez, Vicente | Millet Vilanova, Juan Pablo | Moreno Martínez, Antonio Vi- cente | Orcau Palau, Angels | Rius Gibert, Cristina | Rodrigo Sanz, María Teresa | Sánchez Martínez, Francisca.
COLLABORATORS: Asensio, Joan | Serrano, Carmen. Main lines of research
• Application of the new technologies to tubercu- losis (TB) control: See the web page of the “TB In- vestigation Unit of Barcelona” (UITB): http://www. uitb.cat. The main objective of UITB is to produce scientific knowledge of relevance on the control, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of TB. Adher- ence to treatments and contact tracing are the priorities.
• Community health workers’ (CHW) role in the control of communicable diseases: With the massive immigration observed since 2000, we incorporated CHW in the prevention and control of infectious diseases. They act as a cultural me- diators and as a translators.
• Studies about the increasing incidence of mumps, pertussis and sexually transmitted in- fections.
• Epidemic outbreaks.
• International Research:
Clinical trials for TB: Our centre, which is the only such centre in Europe, is part of a network of in- ternational centres associated with the CDCs TB Trials Consortium, promoting international involvement in laying the therapeutic and strate- gic bases for the treatment of active and latent TB infection (LTBI). (See: “Sterling TR, et al. N Engl J Med. 2011). This paper has changed the treatment of LTBI. Now the recommendation is 3 months once weekly with rifapentine plus isonia- zide.
Investigate the transmission of hepatitis B in au- tochthonous and immigrant populations: with several European groups with a grant from Ex- ecutive Agency for Health and Consumers (Pro-
54 I Annual report 2015 I CIBERESP