Epidemiology and ecology of Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis: A project to build capacities for the detection and investigation of novel pathogens

新的、不寻常的和危险的病原体的发现是可以预期的，特别是在生物多样性高、生态变化巨大但卫生基础设施不足的地区，这是撒哈拉以南非洲许多国家所考虑的情况。为了控制这些新出现的病原体并保护人和动物的健康，了解病原体的流行病学、确定风险因素和建立国家快速和可靠的病原体检测能力至关重要。因此，我们的目标是在撒哈拉以南非洲装备最好的兽医实验室之一--位于科特迪瓦的LANADA/LCPA--建设检测和研究新型病原体的能力。与LANADA的合作伙伴一起，我们之前发现了一种新的致命细菌病原体，名为蜡状芽孢杆菌生物群炭疽杆菌，会在西非的类人猿和其他动物中引起炭疽病。关于这种病原体的流行病学、生态学以及可能对人和动物造成的影响，人们几乎一无所知。我们将共同开发分子和血清学测试，以研究这些病原体的流行病学，并调查非典型芽孢杆菌菌株。分析将包括对人类和动物的血清阳性率以及临床和环境样本中病原体的存在的研究。为了了解这种病原体的生物学和这种病原体的出现原理，我们将进一步通过对蜡状芽孢杆菌、炭疽杆菌和相关杆菌的比较测序来研究其生态(例如在不同底物中的生长)和进化。该项目还将包括处理高致病性病原体的生物安全和生物安全方面的培训。

The discovery of new, unusual and dangerous pathogens can be expected especially in regions with high biodiversity and massive ecological changes but also insufficient health infrastructure, circumstances given in many countries of sub-Saharan Africa. In order to control such emerging pathogens and protect human and animal health, it is of central importance to understand the pathogens’ epidemiology, identify risk factors and build in country capacities for rapid and reliable pathogen detection. Therefore we aim at building capacities for the detection and study of novel pathogens in one of the best equipped veterinary laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa, the LANADA/LCPA, situated in Côte d’Ivoire. Together with partners from LANADA we have previously discovered a new deadly bacterial pathogen named Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis causing anthrax in great apes and other animals in West-Africa. Almost nothing is known about the epidemiology, ecology and possible impact on humans and animals of this pathogen. Together, we will develop molecular and serological tests to study the epidemiology of these pathogens and investigate atypical Bacillus strains. Analyses will include studies of the seroprevalence in humans and animals as well as the presence of the pathogen in clinical and environmental samples. To understand the biology of this pathogen and the principle of emergence of such pathogens, we will furthermore examine the ecology (e.g. growth in different substrates) and evolution by comparative sequencing of B. cereus bv anthracis and related bacilli. The project will also include training in biosaftey and biosecurity for handling highly pathogenic agents.