L'institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles Routes des Hydrocarbures, Bel Air, PO Box 2057, Dakar-Hann, Senegal
	Experience and qualifications	Involvement in CONTRAST
	Key Personnel	Other personnel involved

About ISRA - Experience and qualifications

L'institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles, ISRA, consists of five divisions and conducts major research on agronomy, forestry, fishery, animal husbandry and rural socio economy.

The Centre 'LABORATOIRE NATIONAL D’ELEVAGE ET DE RECHERCHES VETERINAIRES ( LNERV )' is part of ISRA and is the principal center concerned by the researches on Animal Health and Productions. Two programmes are running at LINERV: an Animal Health Program with two laboratories: the Laboratory of Parasitology and the Laboratory of Microbiology and Avian Pathology and The Animal Productions Program.

ISRA is working on schistosomiasis research at LINERV, particularly its' Parasitology Laboratory which is involved in research in relation to diseases linked with water and water management (dams, irrigation, etc. ), snail borne diseases . The laboratory has been operating on trematodosis since 1960, and has an extensive experience in field and laboratory activities in Helminthology, Trematodosis (Schistosomiasis , Fasciolosis, etc.) and Malacology. With the extensive and long experience on schistosomiasis and particularly expertise in malacology, the centre is involved in numerous national and international projects and programs in relation to diseases linked with water and water management, snails borned diseases.

The laboratory has contributed for many years to clarify the epidemiology of trematodosis ( fasciolosis, schistosomiasis, paramphistomosis etc. ) and the characterization of involved snails (biodiversity, taxonomy, biology, ecology, and epidemiological role ) and had established a map of their distribution in Sénégal.

ISRA is involved in the National Program of Schistosomiasis control.

LNERV / ISRA,is a collaborating center with the University of Dakar (Faculty of Medecine and Veterinary Institute) and other organizations, and is involved in applied research (parasitology) and training in medical and veterinary malacology in relation to snail-borne diseases.

Now, with environmental change and ecological modifications, related diseases are increasing. ISRA is involved in this thematic focusing research on vectors borned diseases (snails borned diseases, RFV, WNF, etc. ) linked with water.

Involvement in CONTRAST

The Senegal group will be responsible for implementing the parasitological and malacological survey in the Senegal river eco-zone and data from these field surveys will be utilized in WP3-8 and 10-17. This group has for years shown their expertise and participated in several international and national projects. They will also participate in the laboratory experiments of especially WP11 and 12.

Key Personnel

Dr Oumar Talla Diaw , a senior scientist is Director of Research and head of the Parasitology Laboratory. His work areas are helminthology and malacology particularly human and animal trematodosis and their vectors.. He is coordinator of the “health program “of the Laboratoire National d’Elevage et des Recherches Vétérinaires (Research Centre of ISRA).

In Senegal he is involved in a large number of projects in relation to diseases linked with water and water management (dams), snail borne diseases and managed some of them. He has a long experience in collaborating research with national and international scientists working on trematodosis and snails (IRD, CIRAD, DBL, NHM, National Museum of Natural History of Paris, etc.). During ten years he was involved in the International Project in Schistosomiasis in Saint-Louis region of Senegal "European Special Project of Operating and Integrated Research" (ESPOIR.). Involved in the National Program of Schistosomiasis Control in Senegal Dr. Diaw is responsible of transmission and malacological activities (survey and control).

Dr Diaw is member of “African Association for Medical and Veterinary malacology “ (A.A.M.V.M.)

Other personnel involved

Dr. Momar Talla Seck
Dr. Momar Talla Seck is a veterinary doctor, but obtained his Ph.D thesis in Biology (Speciality: ”Biology of Populations and Ecology - Trematodes and their vectors"). Since ten years, he has been responsible for the Parasitology Laboratory of the “Centre de Recherches Zootechniques den Kolda“, which is a Zootechnical Research Centre of ISRA situated in the South of Senegal. Dr. Seck has since March 2006 been employed in the parasitology laboratory at the ”Laboratoire National d’Elevage et des Recherches Vétérinaires / LNERV.“, a national centre of ISRA situated in Dakar. Dr. Seck is involved in Helminthology, Malacology, and Entomology (Trypanosmosis) researches.

Mr Mohmadane Mbacke Seye
Research Assistant responsible of malacological activities. Mohmoudane Mbacké SEYE, originally specialized as an animal breeding engineer, has worked at ISRA for over 30 years. He has an extensive experience in field and laboratory activities (Malacology and Parasitology) and has for a long time worked as a resarch assistant in parasitology laborotory of "Laboratoire National de l' Elevage et de Recherches Vétérinaires de Dakar", a center of I.S.R.A. He has been involved in numerous research programmes dealing with trematodosis, particularly in schistosomiasis, such as "Programme National de Lutte contre les bilharzioses au Sénégal".

Mr Youssoupha Sarr, Technician, involved in field studies.
short profile description to follow.

Mr Mame Galaye Cisse, is the financial administrator.