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Bioscience

Bio

Lynne’s first post-doctoral position was at the National Institutes of Health in USA where she studied immune responses to filarial infections. She continued with this area of research with Case Western Reserve University and KEMRI in Kenya and expanded into neonatal immune responses to parasitic infections. During an extended research career break to work in Public Health in Kenya, she came across tungiasis, a tropical skin disease with an enormous gap in knowledge regarding its ecology, epidemiology and control methods. This led me recently to return to the research arena with a Wellcome Trust Career Re-Entry Fellowship to study Tungiasis

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Current Work

Tungiasis is caused by the adult female of Tunga penetrans (Order Siphonaptera/fleas) which burrows into the skin mostly of the feet, and whose off-host stages (eggs, larvae and pupae) develop in dry dusty soils, including on house floors. Although Tungiasis has been reported from countries throughout the tropics of Africa, Central and South America there is no data on actual national prevalence or distribution. Lyne is currently partnering with nine County Departments of Health across Kenya to determine the prevalence, impact and risk factors for tungiasis among primary school children, which is the age group most affected. In partnership with icipe, Kenya, University of Berlin, Universite Charite Berlin, Makerere University, Kampala and Prof Amina Abubakar of KWTRP, She am also conducting an in-depth investigation into the ecology of tungiasis and its impact on cognitive development and Quality of Life in Kenya and Uganda. In collaboration with icipe, Kenya, KEMRI-ESACIPAC and LSTMH (BOVA network and SABABU Project) we are developing an affordable hard floor to reduce infection intensity and associated morbidity, as well as reduce the incidence of Soil Transmitted Helminths and diarrheal diseases. We are also piloting a floor spray produced from the leaves of the Neem tree (Azadirachta indica), a plant known to have insect growth regulatory properties, to reduce the population of off-host stages of T.penetrans to prevent disease. My main outputs in the field of tungiasis have been: • A Randomized Controlled Trial using a herbal medicine comprising neem and coconut oils to treat tungiasis.

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Recent publications

Better floors, better health: a theory of change for an improved household flooring intervention in rural communities in Kwale and Bungoma counties, Kenya.
Kepha, S., Legge, H., Halliday, K. E., Ochwal, V., Elson, L., Mwongeli, J., Oswald, W. E., Kakoi, B., Wambua, J., Mwandawiro, C., Fillinger, U., Pullan, R., Njomo, D.
BMC Public Health, (2025). 25:639

Identifying Potential Determinants of Faecal Contamination on Domestic Floors in Three Settings in Rural Kenya: A Mixed Methods Analysis.
Legge, H., Kazungo, K., Muli, S., Elson, L., Mwongeli, J., Halliday, K. E., Ochwal, V., Oswald, W., Dreibelbis, R., Njomo, D., Mwandawiro, C., Fillinger, U., Pullan, R., Kepha, S.
Environ Health Insights, (2024). 18:1.17863022412465E+016

Tungiasis among children in Kenya is associated with poor nutrition status, absenteeism, poor school performance and high impact on quality of life.
Elson, L., Kamau, C., Koech, S., Muthama, C., Gachomba, G., Sinoti, E., Chondo, E., Mburu, E., Wakio, M., Lore, J., Maia, M., Adetifa, I., Orindi, B., Bejon, P., Fillinger, U.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis, (2024). 18:e0011800

Identification of tungiasis infection hotspots with a low-cost, high-throughput method for extracting Tunga penetrans (Siphonaptera) off-host stages from soil samples-An observational study.
Matharu, A. K., Ouma, P., Njoroge, M. M., Amugune, B. L., Hyuga, A., Mutebi, F., Kr�cken, J., Feldmeier, H., Elson, L., Fillinger, U.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis, (2024). 18:e0011601

Identification of tungiasis infection hotspots with a low-cost, high-throughput method for extracting Tunga penetrans (Siphonaptera) off-host stages from soil samples-An observational study.
Matharu, A. K., Ouma, P., Njoroge, M. M., Amugune, B. L., Hyuga, A., Mutebi, F., Kr�cken, J., Feldmeier, H., Elson, L., Fillinger, U.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis, (2024). 18:e0011601