Guest Ana Sanchez and Angela Duarte

Ana's areas of interest include emergent and re-emergent pathogens, tropical parasites, and the association of travel and immigration with infectious disease patterns. Her research interest is focused on infectious diseases particularly neglected and zoonotic and higher education.  Ana has a special interest in surveillance, prevention and education programs.

Ana's goal is to propose short and medium term solutions to transmission and diagnostic challenges and shared some ideas that she wants to act and follow through on.

1. Taenia solium taeniasis and cysticercosis (T/CC)

• Parasites are a major cause of disease and it is frequently associated with epilepsy and economic loses. (T/CC) is a major health problem in under-developed countries, but its impact extends to developed nations where it is introduced by human migration and travel.
• Work must be done with endemic communities to decrease transmission.
• Determine the burden of the disease.
• Implement a porcine cc vaccine trials
• Identify new diagnostics tools

2. Latent tuberculosis in Migrant Mexican workers.

• This disease has infected 1/3 of the world's population.
• Major causes of reactivation need to be identified and treated
• This agricultural season graduate student Angela Duarte's project will be to compare traditional Tuberculin testing with new blood test that are more specific and accurate
• The Migrant worker is important and is a valued asset to Niagara's Farms but they need access to healthcare.
• Specially they need the services brought to them because they do not have a lot of time off work or access to transportation
• Public Health Bus has a schedule to offer services but is not flexible and does not cover all geographic areas.
• Participant benefits from knowing their status whether or not they have latent TB
• The worker can take preventive measures if the test is positive  

3. Global Health Research International Development an Research

• Strengthen health & infectious disease research capacity in Honduras and promote GHR in Canada
• Create a new MS car UNAH Honduras
• Nurture research with short and medium term applicability on malaria, TB, HIV, HPV, NTD, etc.
• Engage Brock University students an faculty in GHR

Brock University is interest in partnering with the Niagara Region community to find solution to local and global issues.

Ana's contact info

Ana L. Sanchez PhD.

Associate Professor

Department of Community Health Sciences

Brock University

500 Glenridge Ave. St. Catharines , On L2S 3A1

Phone 905 688 5550 ext 4388

Fax  905 688 8954

Email ana.sanchez@brocku.ca