2. Royal Thai Army Infectious Disease Surveillance and Outbreak Network
2002-2003
Description: Completed planning process and initiated implementation of a near real-time communication and surveillance of syndromic diseases categories. This database for Royal Thai Army will involve two collection systems one for ambulatory care and one for hospital care. Development of hospital management information systems in 37 Royal Thai Army hospitals is networked together into a central data repository allowing for real-time queries and monitoring for disease outbreaks. RTA Unit-based (ambulatory) disease syndrome surveillance and response system in units deployed along Thai-Cambodian border. Both sets of data will be pulled into one central database by evolving methodology. Next a central review and verification process will occur and appropriate response initiated as required. Outbreak Investigation Network: Assistance given to the RTA and others (e.g. USCINCPAC, Regional MoH's) for infectious disease outbreak identification, response, and reporting.
Status: Initiated
Collaborators: Royal Thai Army, Phra Mongklut Klao Hospital
Links: http://www.pmk.ac.th

3. Surveillance for Drug Resistant Malaria in Asia
2001-2002
Description: Continued surveillance activities throughout Southeast Asia (Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) for threat assessment of multi-drug resistant malaria, and began work in the Terai of Nepal. No emergence of artemesinin resistance has been detected, but evidence that mefloquine resistance has spread across Myanmar and into Bangladesh. Surveillance is active in Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan.
Status: Data Collection
Collaborators: Thai Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Steven Meshnick (NIH R01 grant).

4. Study of Febrile Illnesses in Sangkhlaburi, Thailand
2000-2002
Description: Continued a multi-year effort to establish infectious etiologies to undifferentiated fevers along the Thai-Myanmar border. Over 500 persons enrolled to date. Leptospirosis appears to be a frequent, but previously unrecognized cause of morbidity and mortality. Our data has led to a change to local health treatments. Animal surveillance activities are used as confirmation of suspected disease risk.
Status: Data Analysis
Collaborators: AFRIMS Departments of Virology, Vet Med and Entomology

5. FUO surveillance/study in Nepal and in conjunction with EWARS
2001-2002
Description: Collaborative FUO Surveillance and Etiology Study conducted in Nepal with EWARS
Status: Ongoing
Collaborators: ARIMS Department Virology, EWARS
Links: http://www.ehproject.org/live/old_whats_new/August2002.htm
http://www.bbin.org/institutions/ehpnext.htm

6. DOD Influenza Surveillance
2001-2003
Description: Project Gargle Influenza surveillance from BKK, Nepal, and expanding to Cambodia and Vietnam is a random sample collection study designed to provide valuable input to the following years influenza vaccine.
Status: Ongoing
Collaborators: Project Gargle participants are global dispersed
Links: http://www-nehc.med.navy.mil/prevmed/epi/FluPage.htm

7. Infrastructure support to Southeast Asia laboratories
2001-2003
Description: Provide reagent and supply support to several labs in South East Asia (e.g. VBDRTC, ICDDR-B) Sustainability is improved by ongoing support activities to include training and other QA/QC activities
Status: Ongoing
Collaborators: AFRIMS Department of Virology, VBDRTC, ICDDR-B
Links: http://www.bbin.org/institutions/vbdrtc.htm, http://www.icddrb.org

8. Remote sensing-based geographic information system to predict malaria transmission risk in villages in North-Western Thailand
2001-2003
Description: GIS Remote sensing used to identify larval breeding habitats of mosquito vectors of malaria. Goal is to develop a model that can be used to predict potential outbreaks and target malaria control efforts thus increasing efficiency of resources.
Status: Ongoing
Collaborators: AFRIMS Department of Entomology
Links: http://www.kit.nl/biomedical_research/html/gis.asp

9. Rodent-borne Disease Surveillance
2001-2003
Description: Rodents collection from several sites in Thailand and test for emerging diseases to include scrub typhus, arena viruses, TBE complex viruses, and Bartonella
Status:
Collaborators: University of Texas, Galveston, USAMRIID, CDC, Fort Collins, and AFRIMS
Links: Arena virus http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4931a1.htm

10. Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance enteric pathogens in indigenous population and travelers in Thailand, Vietnam and Nepal
2000-2003
Description: Stool samples are systematically sampled from patients with diarrhea from study sites and identified by various means. Antimicrobial resistance testing is performed on isolated organisms and results are compared to assymptomatic controls, temporal changes in resistance and virulence factors.
Status: Data Collection

11. GEIS Annual Report Production
2001-2002
Description: Summary of all GEIS related activities at AFRIMS for the past year.
Status: Completed

12. Surveillance for Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Diseases with the potential to cause Epidemic Outbreaks in human populations in Southeast Asia
2002
Description:
Status:
Collaborators:
Links:

13. AFRIMS-Thai MoPH development of Zoonotic Disease Surveillance System in Thailand
2002
Description: Coordination and collection of data from Bureau of Epidemiology MOPH and Department of Livestock Development MOA with analysis performed by Bureau of Epidemiology and reports for AFRIMS and MOPH
Status: Planning and early execution stages
Collaborators: MOPH, AFRIMS-GEIS, Ministry of Agriculture

14. Molecular Epidemiology of the Circulating Strain of HIV-1
Description: Study of Molecular Epidemiology of the Circulating Strain of HIV-1 CRF01_AE by Full Genome Sequencing.
Status: Early Implementation
Collaborators:
Links:

15. Prevalence of antibodies to infectious diseases of public health importance among recruits in the Royal Thai Army
2002-3
Description: Testing of archived recruit sera for sero-prevalence of infectious diseases to include dengue, scrub typhus, leptospirosis, flaviviruses, and others; include GIS mapping of results.
Status: Planning and development

16. WHO Collaborating Center application process being researched
2003
Description: Development of a robust, viable network to detect, verify, and respond to potential disease outbreaks is a valuable and timely effort by the WHO. The Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences in Bangkok, Thailand is well positioned and motivated to share expertise with the global medical community in the area of outbreak detection and verification. The technical programme sponsoring the request for designation is the GEIS program of AFRIMS. The reasons for the proposed designation as a WHO collaborating center are obvious; 40 years history of successful research and development of drug, vaccine and disease diagnostic materials in addition to active participation with the Department of Defense Global Emerging Disease Information System http://www.geis.ha.osd.mil
Status: Coordinating with WHO country office