There are about 11 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in New Caledonia. The country of the clinical trial is determined by the location of where the clinical research is being studied. Most studies are often held in multiple locations & countries.
Oceania's populations, including Melanesians, are paying a heavy price for dengue fever, which has been circulating actively in the region since the Second World War. In New Caledonia (NC), the incidence of dengue fever is higher among municipalities predominantly populated by Melanesians, suggesting that Melanesians may have an increased susceptibility to symptomatic dengue fever. Differences in antiviral immune responses between populations of different geographical origins are partly the result of population-specific immune regulatory variants. In turn, viruses have imposed considerable selective pressure on human populations. Although crucial to understanding their susceptibility to viral infections, the genetic determinants of the antiviral immune response of Oceanians remain to be characterized. In this context, we hypothesize that the genetic origin of Oceanians, and Melanesians in particular, has shaped their antiviral immune response and contributes to their greater susceptibility to certain viral infections. We aim to characterize the immune response to pathogens affecting the New Caledonian population, and in particular to dengue virus, of Melanesian and European populations, and to identify its genetic determinants. We will also explore whether saliva can be used as a non-invasive sample to study the seroprevalence of dengue in Oceanian populations.