CIRMF - Unit of Medical Biological Analysis and Public Health Research

TEAM

Department Head: Richard ONANGA, PharmD, PhD, CAMES Research Fellow
This unit consists of four subunits:

Biological Analysis

The lab performs medical, pharmacological and toxicological tests for human health (hospitals, medical practices), animal health (primate centre) and environmental health (pollution, zoonoses).

Manager: Albert NGOUAMIZOKOU, Engineer Biologist.

• Reception
  • Martine KONE, State Nurse (reception)
  • Yvette LEKIBI, Nurse (reception, medical consultations) 
  • Germaine LOUBANGOYE (reception) 
    
  • Victoire MOUYABI (reception) 
  • Bertrand EBANG AKUE, technician 
    

• Haematology-parasitology
  • Justice MAYOMBO, Advanced technician, Jeanne LAWOKO, Technician 
• Bacteriology
  • Emmanuel ONTSITSAGUI, Advanced technician
• Immuno-serology-pharmacology
  • Justice MAYOMBO, Advanced technician
•  Biochemistry-Toxicology
  
  • Albert NGOUAMIZOKOU, Urbain OSSIASSOURA, Technicians

Medical Epidemiology and Public Health

Manager: Ulrick BISVIGOU, MD, Master 2, Epidemiology

This team performs:

- Medical consultation for CIRMF staff

- Epidemiological Monitoring and Health Observatory (Dienga)

- Interface with the national health structures

- Monitoring of patients involved in CIRMF research protocols

- Operational Research: Childhood Diarrhoea (intestinal ecology of newborns in Gabon)

Research and monitoring of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis

Managers : Richard ONANGA - Ulrick BISVIGOU

• Emmanuel ONTSITSAGUI, Advanced Technician
• Priscillia Linda Omouendze Mouaragadja, PhD Intern

Health / Safety Quality

Officer : Dr. Richard ONANGA

Members : Dr Ulrick Bisvigou /Dr Barthélemy Ngoumbangoye / Marcel Kagha / Augustin Mouinga-Ondémé.

Permanent consultants : Norbert Mouyabi , Jean-Louis Albert , Aristide Guibinga , Dr Lucas Sica , Dr Eric LEROY, Dr TOURE Fousseyni, Dr Bettina SALLE, Dr Christophe PAUPY.

SERVICE ACTIVITIES

The Biological Analysis Laboratory: 

About 10% of the Lab’s activity involves routine  clinical investigation laboratory tests for the various research units of the CIRMF. The remaining 90% is done for the Public Health authorities.

The work revolves around four main areas:

- Public health, including medical consultations for the personnel provided by staff physicians (residents or general practitioners). Medical tests are performed for patients in Upper Ogooué and Ogooué Lolo and the various CIRMF units (CDP, ME, UPARAM, Retrovirology), and water testing for certain large companies. Sixty-five (65) types of examinations are performed (haematology, biochemistry, toxicology, serology-immunology-pharmacology, microbiology). The unit has a quality control system and is affiliated with the French national quality control system.

- Participation in research protocols of the various CIRMF units for the organization of protocols in the field (hospitals, Dienga field station), the collection of clinical data.

- Participation in the biological monitoring of animals in captivity at the Primate Centre.

- Research activities on medicinal and antimicrobial plants of interest to public health.

Medical Epidemiology and Public Health

The activities of this subunit involve biostatistics and medical support to research conducted by the research units and CIRMF partner institutes, staff consultations, the study of bacterial diarrhoeal diseases in newborns and microbiological monitoring in Dienga.

The village of Dienga where an infectious disease observatory was set up has a population of 1,500 people. In 2008-2009 four epidemiological surveys were conducted by the public health team including three in the village: 

- Retrovirology Unit Project / UABMSP / IP: “Finding a gene for susceptibility to infection by oncogenic retrovirus HTLV-1 in children in endemic populations”

- Retrovirology Unit Project / UABMSP (Dienga): “Mode of HCV transmission”

- Medical thesis project in the Medical Parasitology Unit / UABMSP (Dienga):

“ACT Study (Artemisinin-based combination treatment)”

- Project, UPARAM, UBMSP (Dienqa): “Study of the evolution of malaria prevalence” 

The unit also participates in the epidemiological surveillance of diseases, in synergy with the emerging diseases unit.

Health / Safety:

Activities were initiated in May 2009 in order to update existing health and safety procedures. The goals is to minimize personnel accidents on CIRMF premises, and prepare excellent health and safety training for interns and students. Regular medical visits may be scheduled for the agents as warranted by their activities.

RESOURCES

The resources of the Biological Analysis Laboratory

The Lab has 5 lab rooms, laundry facilities and an office. All routine laboratory tests can be performed (haematology, biochemistry, serology, toxicology, pharmacologically, bacteriology, parasitology, food science).

The Lab is computerized and automated. It has:
• 3 automated haematology analyzers (Beckman Coulter Ac•T 5diff CP and Cobas Micros (Roche) Abx,
• 1 coagulator: Vitex Systems Option 2
• 1 Beckman Paragon electrophoresis system
• 2 mini Vidas analyzers for serology
• 1 automated semen analyzer
• 1 bench-mounted mini-centrifuge (Jouan)
• 1 biochemistry analyzer (Roche Hitachi 902)
• 1 spectrophotometer (Biomerieux)
• 2 dry ovens
A bacteriology lab for performing all routine bacteriology analyses, plus antibiotic and antifungal sensitivity testing of all types of samples.
Resources of the Epidemiology and Public Health team
• 2 fully-equipped consultation rooms (CIRMF, Dienga)
• 3 Cabinets containing various drugs and pharmaceuticals (CIRMF, Dienga)
• 2 reception and sample-taking rooms (CIRMF, Dienga)
• 1 parasitology mini-laboratory (Dienga)

The resources of the Tuberculosis Laboratory

• BSL-2+, TB culture
• MGIT

The resources of the Health / Safety team

• Safety stations
• Procedure manuals
• Video security cameras
• Incinerators

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Human Primate Hosts of SIV

Ivona Pandreal, Richard Onanga, Sandrine Souquiere, Augustin Mouinga-Ondéme, Olivier Bourry, Maria Makuwa, Pierre Rouquet, Guido Silvestri, François Simon, Pierre Roques, and Cristian Apetreil^.

- A24, an antibody blocking the transferrin receptor: Applications for treatment of HTLV and STLV lymphomas.

R Onanga, M Kazanji, Y Lepelletier , R Monteiro & Dr IC Moura .

- Simian immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 (SIV mnd 1 and 2) have different pathogenic potentials in rhesus macaques upon experimental cross-species transmission”
 

Souquières S (100%) (Principal Investigator, immunotyping, mandrills macaques infection, viral loads), Onanga R (75%) (Associate Investigator, mandrill infections, viral loads, immunotyping), Makuwa M (10%) (Ficoll), Pandrea 1 (10%), Ngari P (10%) (Ficoll,), Rouquet P(10%) (Vétérinaire), Bourry 0 (10%) Kazanji M (10%) (Correcteur), Apetrei C (10%) (Correcteur), Simon F (25%) (investigateur principal), Roques P (50%) (Investigateur principal, encadreud)

PUBLICATIONS 2009

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