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...

See more

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...

See more

Recent publications


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

Developing low-cost house floors to control tungiasis in Kenya - a feasibility study.
Elson, L., Nyawa, S. M., Matharu, A., Fillinger, U.
BMC Public Health, (2023). 23:2483