MISSILE: Monitoring Infections of Serious Consequence
Research type
Research Study
Full title
MISSILE: Monitoring Infections of SeriouS consequence; Interrogating the VHF algorithm with a prospectivE cohort
IRAS ID
328282
Contact name
Tommy Rampling
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London Hospital
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
BRC1088/HI/IA/101440, Funder Reference
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are diseases caused by a group of potentially deadly viruses that can cause outbreaks worldwide, including Ebola, Marburg, and Lassa fever. These viruses can be highly contagious, leading to dangerous outbreaks if not detected and managed properly.
When assessing an unwell retuning traveller from a VHF region, doctors and nurses in the UK use a clinical decision flowchart or 'algorithm' to assess the risk of VHF. While this VHF algorithm should identify all patients at risk, it is not clear how many at risk patients might be missed. This can pose a risk to the patient by delaying their diagnosis and to people they come into contact with, including their friends and family and the healthcare workers caring for them. Therefore, it is essential to test, and if necessary, improve the VHF algorithm to reduce the risks of outbreaks in the UK.
The ‘MISSILE’ study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the UK VHF algorithm in detecting cases of infection with viral haemorrhagic fever viruses.
The study will recruit unwell patients with a risk of VHF who present to either the Emergency Department at University College London Hospital or the walk-in clinic at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Those recruited will be asked to provide a small blood sample and a urine sample in addition to their usual care investigations. Participants may choose to donate another sample 4-6 weeks after the first samples were taken, and to donate left-over samples which are already in the laboratory for future use in other studies.
Samples will be sent to the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL) and tested for VHF viruses using routine and experimental/novel tests.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/SC/0160
Date of REC Opinion
14 Jun 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion