Microbe Mail

Vaccinations play an important role in both our individual and community health. They help to prevent serious and sometimes deadly diseases by strengthening our immune system. But in recent years this cost effective method of disease prevention has come under the spot light, drawing attention to some myths and misconceptions.

In this episode, Dr Anne von Gottberg dives into the importance of vaccinations, how to handle missed vaccines, vaccine dos and don'ts and recent changes in the Extended Programme onIimmunzation(EPI) in South Africa.

About our Guest:

Dr Anne von Gottberg is currently the laboratory lead at the Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa; and Associate Professor within the School of Pathology, Faculty of the Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg; and Honorary Professor, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town. She leads a laboratory team responsible for reference diagnostics for respiratory and meningitis pathogens nationally and regionally. The laboratory is the regional reference laboratory for the World Health Organization (WHO) Vaccine-preventable Invasive Bacterial Diseases (VP-IBD) Coordinated Global Surveillance Network for the southern African region; a National Influenza Centre (NIC); and a global WHO RSV and regional SARS-CoV-2 reference laboratory. She is currently a member of several committees and technical advisory groups for AFRO, Africa CDC and WHO. Her main interests include surveillance for meningitis and respiratory pathogens, assessing vaccine effectiveness where relevant. She has authored or co-authored more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, she supervises a number of Masters and PhD students. Dr von Gottberg obtained her MBBCh and PhD at the University of the Witwatersrand, and trained for her specialisation in clinical microbiology (FC Path[SA] MICRO) at the National Health Laboratory Service (former South African Institute for Medical Research) and at the University of the Witwatersrand.

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This episode gives a nod to the show's history while also hinting at the variety of topics discussed. A Journey Through the Microscopic World – Highlights from some memorable episodes

Episodes featured in this recap:

• EP 49: No spleen, how mean! - Asplenia_ Antibiotic prophylaxis
• EP 59: What's all the buzz about_ Malaria diagnostics
• EP 33: Would you rather, the antibiotics version_ Empiric therapy for community acquired meningitis
• EP 50: HIV in the USA _ Diagnosing HIV in the USA
• EP 58: Findings from FIDSSA part 2_ Rabies update and outbreak response
• EP 44: Highlights from the PathRed Congress 2023 - Part 1_Emerging viral infections
• EP 62: Myco-moments: Interviews from the 4th AIDS-related Mycoses Workshop: The immunology of Oral candidiasis
• EP 61: "Prescription Ice cream" Book review and interview: Advice to young medical doctors and students
• EP 53 : Appropriate use of β-lactam - β-lactamase inhibitor combinations _ Rapid genetic testing, know your syndromic antibiograms, and diagnostic stewardship

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In this episode Vin talks to experienced microbiologist Dr Jennifer Coetzee about an increasingly urgent issue: multidrug-resistant infections. With resistance to common antibiotics on the rise, the need for novel treatment agents has never been more pressing.

Dr. Coetzee shares her insights on the latest treatments making headway in the fight against multidrug-resistant infections.

About our Guest:

Jennifer Coetzee is a qualified as a Clinical Microbiologist from University of Witwatersrand and spent time working as a Consultant at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. Currently working as a Consultant Microbiologist in the Clinical Microbiology and Molecular biology departments of Ampath’s National Reference Laboratory in Centurion, Gauteng. A member of South African Society of Clinical Microbiology (SASCM) as well as European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID).Research interests include documenting the emergence of carbapenemases in South Africa, and the epidemiology of invasive fungal infections.

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Who knew that the Duke's criteria could be further modified? In Part 2, Vin and Ruan continue discussing infective endocarditis with the help of skilled cardiologist, Dr Raaesah Bhorat, this time discussing treatment: empiric, targeted and surgical therapy.

About our Guest:

Dr Raeesa Bhorat is a cardiologist at Sunninghill hospital, working as an interventional fellow under Professor Hellig. She completed her cardiology training at Groote Schuur hospital in 2024; and her interests include structural intervention and research in the application of artificial intelligence to cardiology, particularly the electrocardiogram. She completed her fellowship in internal medicine in 2019 and received her MBChB degree in 2013, cum laude.

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Who knew that the Duke's criteria could be further modified? In this episode, Vin and Ruan explore this update to the criterion and other critical aspects of diagnosing and managing infective endocarditis with the help of skilled cardiologist, Dr Raeesa Bhorat.

About our Guest:

Dr Raaesah Bhorat is a cardiologist at Sunninghill hospital, working as an interventional fellow under Professor Hellig. She completed her cardiology training at Groote Schuur hospital in 2024; and her interests include structural intervention and research in the application of artificial intelligence to cardiology, particularly the electrocardiogram. She completed her fellowship in internal medicine in 2019 and received her MBChB degree in 2013, cum laude

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In July, Ruan braved the AIDS-related Mycoses workshop held in Cape Town as the lone Microbe messenger. He attended sessions where speakers discussed novel findings in the epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis and therapy for some of the deadliest fungal infections globally. In this episode he and Vin take through some of the brief discussions he had with some of the enlightening researchers.

Meet our Guests:

• Dr Juan Louis Rodriguez Tudela MD, PhD
• Dr Michail Lionakis, M.D., Sc.D.
• Dr Felix Bongomin, M.D., MSc
• Prof Alessandro Pasqualotto, Professor of Infectious Diseases, with special interest in medical mycology and Fellow of the European Confederation of Medical Mycology.
• Dr Trevor Mnguni, MBChB,  FCP(SA), Cert Pulm(SA)
• Prof Joseph Jarvis, Consultant Physician and Epidemiologist at Botswana-UPenn Partnership and Honorary Senior Lecturer, LSHTM

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This week, we sit down with author, Dr Alastair McAlpine, to discuss his compelling book. In this thought provoking reflection, he shares insights into the unique challenges faced by doctors working in the public sector in South Africa. From systematic shortcomings to personal struggles, he takes us back to what inspired it all.

About our Guest:

Dr Alastair McAlpine is a paediatric infectious diseases physician who was born and raised in Johannesburg. His passions include preventing infections in kids, listening to noisy bands and encouraging his colleagues to prescribe ice cream more frequently. His new book Prescription: Ice Cream – A Doctor’s Journey to Discover What Matters is his engaging memoir about the highs and lows of working as a medical doctor in South Africa and how, with a little help from metal music and ice cream, he was able to struggle on, find meaning in the chaos and inspire others.

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Microbe mail turns 3 on the 14th of September, and we wanted to keep things light for this time of the year. In this special episode we flip the script, literally, and swop our usual expert interviews for some team banter as Esther grills the team over a bunsen burner. We promise it’s more fun than a Petri dish!

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In a world of emerging and eradicated pathogens, how has Malaria remained such a successful infection? Since its earliest description as "bad air", this mosquito-driven hazard has remained lethal in some populations and regions. This episode addresses significant updates in its epidemiology, tips on diagnostics, some commentary on the vaccine and a lot more.

About our Guest:

Dr. Jaishree Raman is a molecular biologist by training with a strong interest in malaria and public health. Jaishree currently heads the Laboratory for Antimalarial Resistance Monitoring and Malaria Operational Research (ARMMOR) at the NICD. The core focus of ARMMOR is to improve malaria diagnostic and treatment options and to assist South Africa and Africa eliminate malaria. To this end, ARMMOR hosts the South African National Surveillance Programme for Antimalarial Drug and Diagnostic Resistance Monitoring. As the chair of the case management sub-committee of the South African Malaria Elimination Committee, Jaishree has developed and delivered training courses aimed at capacitating the malaria programme staff on case management protocols and practices. She is a member of several regional networks, such as the Elimination 8 and Pathogen Diversity Network Africa, that are aiming to strengthen malaria genomic and bioinformatics capacity across Africa. She co-developed a leadership and management course for malaria elimination targeting malaria programme staff currently being delivered by GIBBS and the University of Pretoria and is also a mentor on the recently launched Pan-African Malaria Control Association (PAMCA) LiftHerUp initiative, which is focussing on increasing African women leaders in science, with a major focus on vector-borne diseases. 

Some resources from this episode:

• R21/Matrix-M vaccine: Phase 3 trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38310910/
• RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine: first results https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22007715/
• RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine: final results https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60721-8

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Earlier this year, some of the Microbe messengers attended the 10th FIDSSA Congress held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Besides being presenters themselves, they met and interviewed medical researchers in various infectious disease related fields.

This joint biennial congress hosted by the Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa (FIDSSA) brings together healthcare professionals from its various societies, where members share research experiences and outcomes.

Let's hope this acts as a catalyst for collaborative work, culminating in comprehensive guidance in the management of infectious diseases.

To learn more about FIDSSA and its member societies visit: https://www.fidssa.co.za/

This episode includes discussions with:

• Professor David Lewis
• Professor Robin Patel
• Professor Lucille Blumberg
• Professor Angela Dramowski
• Dr Tholang Khumalo
• Professor Eric Decloedt

Some resources from this episode:

• Southern African HIV Clinicians Society 2022 guideline for the management of sexually transmitted infections: Moving towards best practice: http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajhivmed.v23i1.1450
• Tanapox, South Africa: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37022936/
• NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE SURVEILLANCE IN GAUTENG PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA

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