"As someone who spent four wonderful years in Peru learning from my Peruvian colleagues, it is rewarding to be a part of this intellectual excitement," said ASTMH's Alan Magill, MD, FACP, FIDSA, FASTMH, of the second annual ASTMH and Peru collaboration held in Lima on February 16. This collaboration featured the presentation in Spanish of Peruvian research offered at the ASTMH Annual Meeting in Philadelphia last December. Held at the Auditorium of the College of Physicians in Lima, the attendance of 324 was more than double than last year. The conference included 13 oral and 43 poster presentations and featured a "Meet the Professor" session similar to one presented in Philadelphia. Topics focused on health issues relevant to Peru and the Americas, namely malaria, leishmaniasis, cysticercosis, dengue fever, enteric disease and others.
View photos from the event.
Society Councilor Dan Bausch, MD, MPH&TM, provided an overview of the clinical features of Hantavirus infections, transmission mechanisms and geographic distribution, explaining how changes in distribution, population density, prevalence of infection and pathological burden contribute significantly to increased risk of zoonotic diseases by favoring the dissemination of opportunistic species, such as hantaviruses. Magill highlighted the proud history of the Peruvian research community in the field of tropical and infectious diseases and encouraged more scientists to continue to present their work in international venues.
AJTMH Editor-in-Chief Joe Vinetz, MD, FASTMH, offered his insights into the journal publication process. With 11 percent of AJTMH papers submitted from South American authors, Vinetz explained how authors can improve their chances of being published in a high-impact journal like AJTMH. He also spoke of the importance of being published in an English-language journal, but indicated that language should not be a barrier to seeking publication.
The ASTMH and Peru Partnership was organized by the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), with the sponsorship of the Instituto Nacional de Salud, Peruvian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt"-Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Daniel A. Carrion"-Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and the Peru Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Training Consortium.