The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) held its annual meeting recently and USF College of Public Health’s (COPH) Dr. Miguel Reina Ortiz took full part in it.

The ASTMH is the largest international scientific organization of experts that, according to its website, “is dedicated to reducing the worldwide burden of tropical infectious diseases and improving global health.”

Reina Ortiz, a COPH alum and an assistant professor of global health practice and global communicable disease, participated in a variety of events at the meeting, held virtually in November. Some of the events included:

• Presenting research. Reina Ortiz presented a poster aimed at understanding the effect of Hurricane Irma on arboviral transmission in Florida. (Arboviruses are viruses transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and other vectors.) “In that research, we observed a spatial and temporal association between meteorological variables associated with Hurricane Irma and transmission of West Nile virus,” Reina Ortiz said. The research was conducted with support of the COPH, including Drs. Ismael Hoare and Ricardo Izurieta and students Daniel Chacreton, Desiree Lara, Sarah Bradley and Astha Kakkad.
• Co-chairing the ASTMH’s Committee on Global Health (ACGH) symposium dealing with pathogens in metagenomics. Metagenomics is the study of genetic material recovered from environmental samples.
• Speaking at a pre-course on modeling for disease outbreaks. Reina Ortiz specifically spoke on modeling COVID-19 in Ecuador and the impact of reversing social distancing measures.

During the meeting, Reina Ortiz was also appointed president of the ASTMH’s ACGH. The ACGH is the largest sub-group of the society, with over 800 members from 63 countries. Its mission is to lead the society in global health thought leadership and engagement. His appointment will run until November 2021.

“Serving the ACGH and ASTMH is a great opportunity to contribute to the development of the global health field and to support the activities of a professional organization I call home,” said Reina Ortiz. “The opportunity to connect with students, fellow researchers and global health practitioners who are equally passionate about addressing pressing global health issues and reducing health-related disparities is fulfilling and encouraging. By promoting a platform for the exchange of state-of-the-art research in global health, tropical medicine and public health, both the ASTMH and ACGH significantly contribute to the advancement of science and to the scientific dialogue in these areas. I am honored and humbled to represent the COPH in my service with the ACGH and ASTMH.”

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health