NATON representatives from the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf travelled to Nigeria in May to discuss the use of minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) in dealing with highly contagious infectious diseases such as Lassa fever with colleagues in the field. NATON coordinator Prof Dr Benjamin Ondruschka, NATON project manager Dr Kristina Allgoewer (both forensic medicine) and neuropathologist PD Dr Susanne Krasemann took part in the delegation trip. The focus was on professional dialogue with local medical institutions and exploring future opportunities for cooperation to improve infection pathology diagnostics under difficult conditions.
The MITS method offers a valuable tool for post-mortem diagnostics, particularly in regions with limited resources or in high-risk infectious situations such as Lassa fever deaths. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential of minimally invasive tissue sampling has already been impressively demonstrated under challenging conditions in terms of infection hygiene at the autopsy centres of individual locations. As an alternative to a full autopsy, MITS enables safe yet meaningful sample collection - an advantage that is particularly important in countries with limited autopsy capacities or cultural reservations.