Focus on the long-term consequences of infections
The emergence of Long COVID has raised awareness of the long-term consequences of infections. However, other infections can also have long-term consequences, even if the pathogen has been successfully combated. As part of the 13th LCI Symposium "Long-term Consequences of Infections" of the North German research network Leibniz Center Infection (LCI), international scientists will come together to discuss the later effects of infectious diseases. The event will take place on February 1 and 2, 2024 at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg.
Long-term consequences of an infection can have significant consequences for the health and quality of life of those affected. Medical research is increasingly focusing not only on the acute stage of infection, but also on the post-infectious phase. Long-term consequences can be manifold and range from persistent symptoms to serious health complications as well as social and economic problems.
In post-COVID, fatigue (pathological exhaustion) and exercise intolerance are the most common symptoms. "We have also discovered that some of those affected by a SARS-CoV-2 infection develop myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome, ME/CFS for short - a severe, complex and usually chronic disease due to dysregulation of the central and autonomic nervous system, the immune system and the metabolism," explains Prof. Carmen Scheibenbogen, Head of the Immunodeficiency Outpatient Clinic at Charité Berlin and invited speaker. ME/CFS is triggered not only by coronaviruses but also by other viruses. Even before the pandemic, according to cross-sectional data from various studies spanning from 2011 to 2020, an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 people in Germany were already affected, as reported by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care in its final report for 2023. "However, the illness went largely unnoticed, and consequently, there was minimal research funding,' says Scheibenbogen.
Prof. Gülşah Gabriel,Head of the Department of Viral Zoonosea – One Health at the Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV), is also investigating the possible long-term consequences of COVID-19. In particular, current research is focusing on sex hormones, which can influence the gender-dependent severity of the disease. She emphasizes: "The influence of respiratory viral infections on the endocrine system with possible long-term consequences is a new field of research that requires special attention."
Bacterial infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, can also have long-term consequences. Researchers at the Research Center Borstel (FZB) are investi-gating the long-term effects of tuberculosis in the BMBF-Africa-funded TB-Sequel II network led by LMU Munich together with partners in four African countries. Prof. Andrea Rachow from LMU Munich and spokesperson of the TB-Sequel II network will give a lecture on this topic.
Research in a holistic context
The diverse program of the event will highlight the long-term consequences of infections on the immune system, on the affected organs and on the socio-economic situation of those affected in three thematic blocks.
In the session Socio-economic consequences of infection, scientists such as Prof. César Muñoz-Fontela, head of the Virus Immunology working group at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), will discuss how misguided communication or disinformation campaigns have exacerbated epidemics in the past. "Global warming, the need to feed the world and political messages are factors that have a major impact on the occurrence of zoonotic viral infections," emphasizes Muñoz-Fontela.
"It is our goal as LCI to better understand the dynamics of infections and to find out why long-term consequences arise in patients in order to develop innovative strategies to deal with the long-term consequences," says LCI spokesperson and Director at the FZB, Prof. Ulrich Schaible. This symposium marks a further step towards a comprehensive understanding and more effective measures in dealing with infectious diseases worldwide.
Highlights of the symposium include presentations by renowned scientists:
Prof. Dr. Tobias Welte from the Hannover Medical School will address how viral infections can worsen the course and symptoms of chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and the role of vaccinations as the most important preventative measure.
Dr. Tom Wingfield from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine will discuss the social dimensions of tuberculosis and how preventive measures and care strategies can be made more effective.
Prof Dr. Cecilie Svanes from the University of Bergen will talk about the prenatal origins of respiratory diseases and the role infections play in this.
Prof. Dr. Susanne Nylén from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm will present her research on the interaction of parasites with the host. Her focus is on how intestinal nematodes shape the immune landscape in the long term and what impact this has on infections and vaccinations.
The FZB has also invited a special guest from Cape Town - Dr. Zolelwa Sifumba, a doctor and former tuberculosis patient, who is an activist with the NGO TB Proof and will talk about her experiences with the disease and its long-term effects in her contribution "Tuberculosis and me". In addition, the FZB has invited a special guest from Cape Town - Dr. Zolelwa Sifumba, a doctor and former tuberculosis patient, who is an activist with the NGO TB Proof and will report on her experiences with the disease and its long-term effects in the talk "Tuberculosis and I".
About the Leibniz Center Infection:
The Leibniz Center Infection (LCI) is a dynamic alliance of the Leibniz Intitutes Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center (FZB) and the Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV). As members of the Leibniz Association, the institutes conduct strategic, topic-oriented research of scientific issues of social relevance. The main purpose of the alliance is to promote the research focus "Global and emerging infections" as a core competence in the northern German scientific area. The aim is to create a national center of excellence in infection research together with local university partners and major research institutions.
More information: www.lc-infection.de.
