Last August 15-17, 2017, the Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in coordination with Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam organized the 3rd International Conference on Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease at Premiera Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The theme of the conference was "Global Challenges in Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Disease". It focused on three major issues in public health namely: Vaccination, Antimicrobial Drug Resistance and Zoonoses.

The keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Cheong Chee Kheong of Ministry of Health, Malaysia. He emphasized the importance of series of discussions among scientists, academicians and technologists on various aspects of combating new threats in emerging and reemerging diseases. More than 200 scientists from 15 countries participated in the event. Of which more than 40 researchers presented their papers.

Undersecretary of Department of Health Dr. Gerardo V. Bayugo presented the Philippines' Experience on Zika virus while Dr. Norbel A. Tabo of De La Salle University-Dasmarinas presented his PCHRD-funded research titled "Prevalence of Leptospira in abbatoir workers, slaughtered animals and abbatoir environment in Cavite, Philippines".

Dr. Tabo focused his discussion on the continual source of leptospires and the presence of common serovars in abbatoir worker-slaughtered animal-abbatoir environment interface could pose problems on human health. The serovars identified could be potential candidates for the development of vaccines and diagnostic tests.

The conference provided an avenue for researchers to search for solutions to problems not only on drug discoveries but also on strategies combatting new biological threats.