Causes and Outcomes of Febrile Illness in Health Facilities in Rural South and Southeast Asia

NCT ID: NCT04629053

Last Updated: 2026-01-12

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

7200 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-06-21

Study Completion Date

2026-12-01

Brief Summary

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This prospective multi-site observational study aims to describe causes and clinical outcomes of acute febrile illness as well as host biomarkers in patients aged \>28 days residing in rural areas in Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, the Thai-Myanmar border region, and Bangladesh and presenting with acute febrile illnesses (≤ 14 days duration) to participating health facilities.

This study is funded by the UK Wellcome Trust. The grant reference number is 215604/Z/19/Z

Detailed Description

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The majority of people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in South and Southeast Asia live in rural areas. These people are some of the poorest in the region and the exact health issues which concern them have not been well defined, in that they have not been fully studied. Despite this lack of data, there are indications that disease of an infectious aetiology, 'febrile illness,' in particular in the tropics, still accounts for significant morbidity and mortality. This is in contrast to higher-income countries.

The South and Southeast Asian Community-based Trials Network in Rural Febrile Illness project (SEACTN RFI) aims to better understand and quantify the burden of febrile illness, the aetiological causes and the manner in which it affects the people of the area, all on a scale which has not been attempted before. It will collect information to help better understand and predict these outcomes based on a multitude of factors, which will form the basis for interventions within the network in the future. The initial study will be observational, as the current understanding of the local health issues and the health systems in these areas is insufficient to know how best to intervene.

In a separate work package, Work Package A (WP-A), the investigators will be collecting data from within the participating SEACTN communities through village health workers (VHWs) and local health facilities on the incidence, causes and outcomes of febrile illness in these areas.

In Work Package B (WP-B) will recruit patients seeking care at higher level facilities than the WP-A VHWs and health centres. These patients are likely to be more severely ill, in order to obtain a more thorough understanding of the causes and burden of febrile illness in these areas. A broader range of specimens, including venous blood samples and respiratory specimens will be collected. In-depth diagnostic testing including blood cultures, serological assays, pathogen molecular diagnostics, host biomarker assays, and validation of pathogen-blind next generation sequencing approaches will be conducted. The data from WP-A gathered in the community complemented by the WP-B data from higher level health facilities in the same regions will provide a rich understanding of the causes, incidence and outcomes of febrile illness in these areas. These data will be analysed using advanced statistical methodology to create electronic decision-support tools (eDSTs) to aid VHWs in their assessment, triage and treatment of patients. These and other relevant interventions will later be trialled across the SEACTN villages.

Conditions

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Acute Febrile Illness

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

CASE_ONLY

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Patients with an acute febrile illness

Patients with acute febrile illness, 4,800 children and 2,400 adults, divided equally across four countries (Laos, Myanmar,Thailand (including the Thai-Myanmar border region), and Bangladesh) and three age groups: \>28 days to \<5 years; ≥5 years to \<15 years, and ≥15 years of age.

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. The patient and/or where relevant their parent/guardian/caretaker is willing and able to give informed consent /assent for participation in the study;
2. Aged \> 28 days (day of birth = Day 1);
3. Axillary temperature at presentation (≥ 37.5°C (99.5°F) OR \< 35.5°C (95.9°F)) and no more likely cause than sepsis for hypothermia OR History of fever in the 24 hours prior to presentation;
4. Onset of illness ≤ 14 days

Exclusion Criteria

1. Accident or trauma is the cause for the patient's presentation;
2. Presentation ≤ 3 days after routine immunisations
3. Is currently under follow-up or has been afebrile for less than 72 hours after completion of a follow-up period.
4. The treating healthcare worker's decision is to send the patient home following initial assessment.
Minimum Eligible Age

29 Days

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU)

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital Wellcome Trust Research Unit

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Building Resources Across Communities (BRAC), Bangladesh

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Chiang Rai Clinical Research Unit (CCRU), Thailand

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Oxford

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Yoel Lubell, Prof.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit

Locations

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Building Resources Across Communities (BRAC)

Dhaka, , Bangladesh

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Laos-Oxford-Mahosot Wellcome Trust Research Unit

Vientiane, , Laos

Site Status RECRUITING

Shoklo Malaria Research Unit

Mae Sot, Changwat Tak, Thailand

Site Status RECRUITING

Chiangrai Clinical Research Unit (CCRU)

Chiang Rai, , Thailand

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Bangladesh Laos Thailand

Central Contacts

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Yoel Lubell, Prof.

Role: CONTACT

+66-857201350

Rusheng Chew, Dr.

Role: CONTACT

Facility Contacts

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Aninda Sen, MBBS | MPH

Role: primary

(+880) 171 131 9050

Amit Neogi, Masters

Role: backup

(+880)179 220 5401

Koukeo Phommasone, PhD

Role: primary

+(85) 620 558 42842

Elizabeth Ashley, Professor

Role: backup

(+85)621 250 752

Aung Pyae Phyo, Dr

Role: primary

+66064292107

Francois Nosten, Professor

Role: backup

Carlo Perrone, MD

Role: primary

(+66) 985 340 823

Nidanuch Tasak, Bachelor

Role: backup

(+66)910 719 036

Other Identifiers

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BAC20003

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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