Bombali ebolavirus: a model for the evolution and ecology of ebolaviruses and a potential public health concern (BEMEP)

Bombali 埃博拉病毒：埃博拉病毒的进化和生态学模型以及潜在的公共卫生问题 (BEMEP)

• 批准号: 444844751
• 负责人: Professor Dr. Fabian Leendertz
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: NIMR Mbeya Medical Reseach Center
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 资助国家: 德国
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/444844751?language=en
• 关键词: Bombali; ebolavirus; model; evolution; ecology

Since 2014, ebolaviruses have repeatedly emerged in sub-Saharan Africa, which witnessed their quasi undisrupted activity and the two most severe outbreaks ever. Despite considerable efforts, the natural host(s) of these zoonotic agents remain elusive, which prevents a proper understanding of the processes leading to the emergence of ebolaviruses.Recently, a new ebolavirus, the Bombali virus (BOMV), was identified and unambiguously linked to free-tailed bats. BOMV could be used as a powerful model to investigate the ecology and evolution of ebolaviruses, which at the moment remains absolutely mysterious. The exact risk that this virus poses to human health also awaits to be properly assessed.Here, we propose to simultaneously tackle both questions, taking advantage of the capacities recently developed in the framework of a collaboration between the German partners (Drs. Leendertz and Calvignac-Spencer, RKI, Berlin) and the Tanzanian partner of this proposal (Dr. Mangu, Mbeya Medical Research Centre, Mbeya, Tanzania). These capacities have already allowed us to detect BOMV in local free-tailed bats.Using a combination of bat trapping, sampling and marking and molecular methods, we will characterize the association of BOMV with their natural hosts in their evolutionary, ecological and biological dimensions, unveiling the long and short-term drivers of BOMV diversification and circulation. We will also assess the public health impact of BOMV by investigating the exposure of local populations and potential association with febrile illness.The project will allow for a very significant extension of the theoretical and technical portfolio of the Tanzanian partner. It will notably include a very strong capacity building component aimed at setting up onsite high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic capabilities.Knowledge and know-how will be transferred to the Tanzanian partner and a local early career researcher (ECR) by means of an ambitious but realistic hands-on training program. The local ECR soft skills will also be enhanced, inter alia, through two secondments periods in Germany and France.This project will address public health-relevant questions pertaining to ebolavirus ecology, evolution and emergence. It will also support the local development of One Health approaches and pathogen genomic surveillance. Finally, it will measurably reinforce the laboratory of the Tanzanian partner and launch the research career of a local ECR.

自2014年以来，埃博拉病毒在撒哈拉以南非洲反复出现，其活动几乎不受干扰，并发生了有史以来最严重的两次疫情。尽管作出了相当大的努力，但这些人畜共患病原体的天然宿主仍然难以捉摸，这妨碍了对导致埃博拉病毒出现的过程的正确理解。最近，发现了一种新的埃博拉病毒——邦巴利病毒（BOMV），并明确地将其与无尾蝙蝠联系起来。BOMV可以作为一个强大的模型来研究埃博拉病毒的生态学和进化，这在目前仍然是绝对神秘的。这种病毒对人类健康构成的确切风险也有待适当评估。在这里，我们建议同时解决这两个问题，利用最近在德国合作伙伴之间的合作框架内发展起来的能力。Leendertz和Calvignac-Spencer，柏林RKI)以及该提案的坦桑尼亚合作伙伴（Mangu博士，姆贝亚医学研究中心，坦桑尼亚姆贝亚）。这些能力已经使我们能够在当地的无尾蝙蝠中检测到BOMV。利用蝙蝠诱捕、采样和标记以及分子方法的结合，我们将从进化、生态和生物学的角度描述BOMV与其自然宿主的关联，揭示BOMV多样化和传播的长期和短期驱动因素。我们还将通过调查当地人群的接触情况以及与发热性疾病的潜在关联，评估BOMV对公共卫生的影响。该项目将极大地扩展坦桑尼亚合作伙伴的理论和技术组合。值得注意的是，它将包括一个非常强大的能力建设部分，旨在建立现场高通量测序和生物信息学能力。知识和技术将通过一项雄心勃勃但现实可行的实践培训计划转移给坦桑尼亚合作伙伴和当地一名早期职业研究人员。当地ECR的软技能也将通过在德国和法国的两个借调期得到加强。该项目将处理与埃博拉病毒生态、演变和出现有关的公共卫生问题。它还将支持“同一个健康”方法和病原体基因组监测在当地的发展。最后，它将显著加强坦桑尼亚合作伙伴的实验室，并启动当地ECR的研究生涯。