Enzootic transmission cycles of Rift Valley Fever and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever viruses (Bunyaviridae) in Zambia and Mozambique: crossing the livestock - wildlife - human interfaces

媒介传播的布尼亚病毒目人畜共患病毒在撒哈拉以南非洲非常流行，但对其生命周期的了解甚少。因此，该联合会的目标是解决莫桑比克和赞比亚的高致病性裂谷热和克里米亚-刚果出血热病毒的流行病学问题，这些病毒感染人类、野生动物和牲畜，经常引起人类致命的出血热。RVFV由多种蚊子传播，而CCHFV由硬蜱传播。主要关注的是地方病传播循环在有能力的媒介和野生宿主物种之间的作用，以及在什么样的生物和非生物环境下，这些循环会发展成在人类和牲畜种群中引起暴发的流行病和流行病循环。应在以前发生过RVFV和CCHFV暴发的三个牲畜养殖区进行参与传播循环的各种物种的实地捕获和样品收集，或者将来可能发生。利用FLI开发和测试的最新可用诊断工具，应阐明牲畜、节肢动物媒介和野生动物物种中病毒的暴露和存在。通过对病媒血粉进行分子筛选，将在空间、环境和季节背景下确定不同血液宿主的身份、频率和相对丰度。最终，对病媒传播这些疾病的能力以及当地野生动物物种的宿主状态进行精确评估将有助于了解流行间隔期如何允许病毒传播，从而在情况有利时发展到流行病的程度。除了科学兴趣外，该项目还旨在将德国的知识、技术和基础设施能力转移到非洲同行。只要可行，就直接在伙伴国家的地方机构开展工作。一个独立行动，相互合作的研究合作伙伴在眼睛的水平，以全球科学界是我们的愿景。

Vector transmitted zoonotic viruses of the order Bunyavirales are highly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, yet their life cycle is poorly understood. Therefore, the consortium aims to address the epidemiology of the highly pathogenic Rift Valley Fever (RVF) and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) viruses in Mozambique and Zambia, which infect humans, wildlife and livestock, frequently causing deadly hemorrhagic fevers in humans. RVFV is transmitted by a variety of mosquito species while CCHFV is propagated and transmitted by ixodid ticks. Of main interest is the role of enzootic transmission cycles between competent vector and wild reservoir species, and under what biotic and abiotic circumstances those cycles progress into epizootic and epidemic cycles creating outbreaks in human and livestock populations.Field captures and sample collections of various species involved in transmission cycles shall be undertaken in three livestock breeding regions where RVFV and CCHFV outbreaks have arisen before, or may occur in the future. With the latest available diagnostic tools developed and tested by the FLI, the exposure to and presence of the viruses shall be elucidated in livestock, arthropod vector and wildlife species. By molecular screening of the vectors’ bloodmeal the identity, frequency and relative abundance of the different blood hosts will be determined in spatial, environmental and seasonal context. Ultimately, a precise evaluation of the vectors’ competences to transmit these diseases, and the reservoir status of the local wildlife species shall help to understand how inter-epidemic periods permit the circulation of the virus, which can hence advance into epidemic proportions when circumstances are favorable. Apart from scientific interest, the project aims to transfer capacity of knowledge, technology and infrastructure from the German to the African counterparts. Whenever it is feasible, the work is carried out directly at the local institutions in the partner countries. An independently acting, mutually collaborating research partner at eye level to the global science community is our vision.