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07 January 2018 Photo Charl Devenish
Researcher tackling drug-resistant TB through molecular methods
Dr Anneke van der Spoel van Dijk is invested in contributing to the global effort of stopping TB by 2035.

The work of Dr Anneke van der Spoel van Dijk investigates the spread of TB in the Free State population using techniques such as next generation sequencing, spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR typing. Dr Van der Spoel van Dijk, a senior medical scientist in the Department of Medical Microbiology at the University of the Free State (UFS) also looks at drug resistance in her research. This work informs decisions about how best to treat patients with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). 

She employs rapid molecular techniques to track one of Africa’s most serious diseases, tuberculosis (TB). 

Drug resistance
Scientists assist the National Health Laboratory Service and Department of Health in trying to refine the diagnostic tools to identify these cases earlier. Dr Van der Spoel van Dijk explains: “Until recently, it took up to two years to fine-tune treatment decisions for patients with MDR-TB. Patients get a cocktail of anti-TB drugs, but it takes time to find the right combination. Re-infection and relapse (patients stopping treatment for several reasons) add to the diagnostic and treatment management challenges.

Enormous impact
“Now doctors can reduce the time needed for diagnostic certainty to about seven days, while new drugs allow reduction of treatment from more than 18 to nine months. This can have an enormous impact on the life of many patients.”

Dr Van der Spoel van Dijk’s work forms part of research in the faculty looking at resistance development in TB strains. She is currently also doing her doctoral thesis on the differences and incidence of MDR-TB among adolescents versus adults. Dr Van der Spoel van Dijk says: “It is a complicated picture, but we hope to unravel it to support better diagnostic tools and patient care.”

As part of the National Health Laboratory Service, her department is playing an important role in TB diagnostics and the training of scientists and future pathologists. “Our work is contributing to the global vision to stop TB by 2035,” Dr Van der Spoel van Dijk says.

News Archive

Kovsie captain of netball Proteas
2013-06-25

 
Maryke Holtzhausen
25 June 2013

The University of the Free State (UFS) is extremely proud of one of its students, Maryke Holtzhausen, who was appointed captain of the Proteas during a national netball training camp in Potchefstroom.

Maryke will lead the team during the African tournament in Malawi at the end of June. The tournament will take place from 24 to 29 Junie 2013 and countries such as Botswana, Namibia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi will participate.

This will not be the first time that Maryke takes the lead. She has acted as team captain of the Proteas during the World Cup Tournament for Universities, as well as in other matches during the previous season.

Karla Mostert, also a Kovsie, is also included in the Protea team.

The national team left for Malawi on Friday 21 June 2013.

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