Working Group Update | Disease Transmission Working Group

Significant advances have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of skin-related neglected tropical diseases (Skin NTDs). However, major gaps remain in our understanding of how some of these infections are acquired, maintained, and transmitted within and between human, animal, and environmental reservoirs. Addressing these gaps is essential for developing effective, evidence-based interventions that move beyond treatment of individual cases toward sustained interruption of transmission.

Transmission research is inherently complex and may involve interactions among infected individuals, asymptomatic or subclinical infections, animal hosts, arthropod vectors, environmental reservoirs, water and soil, and behavioural or occupational exposures. The relative contribution of these pathways may also vary according to pathogen, geography, season, ecological conditions, host characteristics, and patterns of human activity. Hence, this WG is conducting a survey on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for NTD Transmission Research.

ONGOING SURVEY · DISEASE TRANSMISSION WG
Your protocols matter: contribute to the SOP survey

This survey seeks to capture the experience and perspectives of researchers and practitioners involved in transmission-related research on neglected tropical skin diseases. Specifically, the survey aims to identify current practices, methodological similarities and differences, operational challenges, critical knowledge gaps, and areas where greater standardization would be beneficial.

By contributing your protocols, you help build a centralized, open-access resource that empowers global teams, reduces methodological redundancy, and strengthens data reliability worldwide.
Please complete this survey by 13 November 2026 to ensure your expertise shapes the future of collaborative NTD research.

Click here to fill in the survey → https://tinyurl.com/czyb6ne9