Project Details
Funding
Emory University, Atlanta, USA, which received funding support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)
May 2018 – ongoing at the time my tenure at ICMR-NICED ended.₹ 28,800,000 (~US$ 450,000).
Project Brief
This study examined the environmental pathways of typhoid and paratyphoid transmission in the densely populated urban slums of Kolkata, one of India’s most endemic regions. Using a mixed-methods design that combined behavioral assessments with innovative laboratory analyses, the project quantified neighborhood-level risks of exposure to Salmonella Typhi and S. Paratyphi A. Data were collected through the SaniPath Exposure Assessment Tool to capture both microbial contamination and human behaviors contributing to infection risk. The study ultimately aimed to develop and implement an environmental surveillance framework to complement existing clinical surveillance systems for typhoid and paratyphoid fever.
My Role & Responsibilities
Co-Investigator at ICMR – National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata
As a Co-Investigator on this project, I contributed to the collaborative development and contextual adaptation of the SaniPath-Typhoid protocol for use in urban endemic settings in India. I helped design and implement the socio-behavioral risk exposure components, integrating field insights with microbiological data to better understand transmission pathways. My responsibilities included managing project operations, training field teams, and ensuring the quality and consistency of data collection. I also navigated the regulatory processes required for internationally funded studies, coordinating with institutional ethics committees and government review bodies across multiple sites. In addition, I supported the establishment of a training and exchange program with Emory University to strengthen research capacity and promote cross-institutional collaboration.
Research Posters
| Conference Title | Venue and Time | Paper Title | Authors |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene’s 67th Annual Meeting | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America 11/2018 | SANIPATH-Typhoid and Environmental Surveillance for Typhoid: A Prototype for Large Scale Deployment in Cities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. | Kanungo S, Dutta S, Green J, Wang Y, Wadhwa A, Chatterjee P, Raj S, Kapoor R, Ebdon J, Mukhopadhyay A, Saha J. |
| American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene’s 67th Annual Meeting | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America 11/2018 | Successful Application of Microbial Source Tracking using GB-124 Bacteriophage as an Indicator of Human Fecal Contamination in Environmental Samples in Kolkata, India. | Wadhwa A, Dutta S, Ebdon J, Chowdhary G, Kapoor R, Wang Y, Mukhopadhyay A, Kanungo S, Chatterjee P, Moe C. |
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