Dr. John Njeru

Current Position at work place

From May 2020 to date

Principle Research Scientist (Medical Microbiologist)

Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) based at Centre for Microbiology Research (CMR).

Current Fellowships

February 2020-todate

Research Fellow at the One Health Regional Network for the Horn of Africa (HORN) held at ILRI. (https://onehealthhorn.net/)

September 2019-todate

Research fellow at the  LOEWE-Centre DRUID consortium held at the university of Giessen. https://www.uni-giessen.de/ fbz/fb09/institute/ernaehrungswissenschaft/prof/becker/druid/home/

Previous positions at work place

From April 2018-May 2020                          

Senior Research Officer (Medical Microbiologist)

Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) based at Centre for Microbiology Research (CMR).

From January 2011-April 2018                               

Research Officer (Medical Microbiologist)

Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) based at Centre for Microbiology Research (CMR). 

From June 2005- December 2010                            

Assistant Research Officer (Medical Microbiologist)

Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) based at Centre for Microbiology Research (CMR).

Scientific research area

My scientific research areas is microbiology and Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance, development of rapid point of care diagnostic tools (POCT), and molecular epidemiology of (Re)-Emerging Zoonotic Diseases. As the PI or Co-PI, I have collaborated or am collaborating with scientists in Kenya and outside Kenya in research projects focusing on understanding the  epidemiology  of Neglected Zoonotic Diseases (Q fever, Campylobacteriosis, Brucellosis, Tularemia, Anthrax) and  their relative contributions in causing diseases or outbreaks in Kenya, risk factors involved in the transmission and investigation the drivers for emergence and transmission of antibiotic resistance in selected common bacterial pathogens.

The overall goal is to provide best scientific-based evidence essential for 1) appropriate policy formulations towards cost-effective control strategies for these diseases and AMR, and 2) development of sensitive and specific rapid affordable diagnostic methods applicable in resource limited settings.

 PUBLICATIONS

  1. Juster, Mungiria; Gitonga, Lucy; Muraya, Moses; Mwaniki, John; Ngayo, Musa (2020): Role of pharmacogenetics and clinical parameters on nevirapine plasma concentration among HIV-1 patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Kenya. figshare. Online resource. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12033699.v1
  2. Gamal Wareth, Ahmed Abdeen, Haytham Ali, Svetlana Bardenstein, José-María Blasco, Regina Cardoso, Maria Inácia Corrêa De Sá, Željko Cvetnić, Fabrizio de Massis, Mohamed El-Diasty, Loukia Ekateriniadou, Sevil Erdenlig Gürbilek, Ana Cristina Ferreira, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, Giuliano Garofolo, Mahmoud E.R. Hamdy, Jihène Hellal, Arla Juma, Aris Katsiolis, Xhelil Koleci, David Kornspan, Brane Krt, Dejan Laušević, Falk Melzer, Shawky Moustafa, John Njeru, Matjaž Ocepek, et al. Brucellosis in the Mediterranean countries: history, prevalence, distribution, current situation and attempts at surveillance and control. OIE Technical series. 12 (2019): OIE – Office International des Epizooties.
  1. Klemmer J, Njeru J, Emam A, El-Sayed A, Moawad AA, Henning K, et al. 2018. Q fever in Egypt: Epidemiological survey of Coxiella burnetii specific antibodies in cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats and camels. PLoS ONE 13(2): e0192188.
  2. Njeru J, Tomaso H, Mertens K, Henning K, Wareth G, Heller R, Kariuki S, Fèvre E, Neubauer H, Pletz M: 2017. Serological evidence of Francisella tularensis in febrile patients seeking treatment at remote hospitals, Northeastern Kenya, 2014-2015. New Microbes and New Infections; 19: 62–66; doi: 10.1016/j.nmni.2017.05.015
  3. de Glanville WA, Conde-A´lvarez R, Moriyo´n I, Njeru J, Dı´az R, Cook EAJ, et al. 2017. Poor performance of the rapid test for human brucellosis in health facilities in Kenya. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 11(4): e0005508. doi.org/10.1371/journal. pntd.0005508
  4. Jamil T, Melzer F, Njeru J, El-Adawy H, Neubauer H, Wareth G: 2017. Brucella abortus: Current Research and Future Trends. Current Clinical Microbiology Reports. 4(1):1-10. doi: 10.1007/s40588-017-0052-z
  5. Njeru J, Wareth G, Melzer F, Henning K, Pletz MW, Heller R, Neubauer H. 2016. Systematic review of brucellosis in Kenya: disease frequency in humans and animals and risk factors for human infection. BMC Public Health, 16(1):853.
  6. Njeru J, Melzer F, Wareth G, El-Adawy H, Henning K, Pletz MW, Heller R, Kariuki S, Fevre E, Neubauer H. 2016. Human Brucellosis in Febrile Patients Seeking Treatment at Remote Hospitals, Northeastern Kenya, 2014-2015. Emerging infectious diseases, 22(12):2160-64. doi: 10.3201/ eid2212. 160285.
  7. Njeru J, Henning K, Pletz MW, Heller R, Neubauer H. 2016. Q fever is an old and neglected zoonotic disease in Kenya: a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 16(1):1-8.
  8. Njeru J, Henning K, Pletz MW, Heller R, Forstner C, Kariuki S, Fèvre EM, Neubauer H. 2016. Febrile patients admitted to remote hospitals in Northeastern Kenya: seroprevalence, risk factors and a clinical prediction tool for Q Fever. BMC Infectious Diseases, doi: 10.1186/s12879-016-1569
  9. Nguyen TNM, Hotzel H, Njeru J, Mwituria J, El-Adawy H, Tomaso H, Neubauer H, Hafez HM. 2016. Antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter isolates from small scale and backyard chicken in Kenya. Gut Pathogens, 8(1):39.
  10. Njeru J, Saidi S, Ngeranwa J, Orinda G. 2015. Plasmid profile analysis and antibiotic resistance patterns of Shigella isolates from Kwale county, Kenya. Journal of Infection and Molecular Biology. 3 (3): 66-74.