RiftVectors: Vector competence of European mosquitoes to Rift Valley fever virus

RVFV是一种虫媒病毒，容易通过包括伊蚊和库蚊载体的几种蚊属传播，并且具有大的宿主范围。最近RVFV地理范围的扩大清楚地表明RVFV并不局限于非洲。有人提出，一个被感染的人或动物进入一个未感染的国家就足以引发一场疫情。由于全球贸易和旅行的扩大，这种传播情况变得越来越可能。本Emida项目RiftVectors的目标是了解天然RVFV载体及其在欧洲的对应物的生物学，作为评估RVFV在欧洲建立的风险的指标。在本Emida项目中，我们将进一步分析和开发新的方法来区分载体和潜在的载体物种，并分析它们是否能传播RVFV-特别是可能传播RVFV的欧洲蚊子。我们还将分析蚊子媒介的免疫系统如何控制RVFV感染，以及这与蚊子是否可以传播RVFV或是否可以发现新的抗病毒靶点有何关系。昆虫体内共生的Wolbachia细菌目前已广泛应用于虫媒病毒的共生防治策略中。我们将分析沃尔巴克氏体对蚊子对RVFV的媒介能力的影响，以及是否可以将其用作对抗这种病毒的控制策略。我们的国际合作伙伴联盟具有解决RVFV媒介的这些问题的专业知识。我们希望我们的研究结果将改善何时以及哪些蚊子物种可以传播RVFV的评估，我们的目标是确定阻止RVFV出现的新方法。

RVFV is an arbovirus readily transmitted through several mosquito genera including Aedes and Culexmosquito vectors, and has a large host range. The recent expansion of the geographical range of RVFVclearly indicates that RVFV is not restricted to Africa. It has been proposed that a single infected personor animal that enters a naive country is sufficient to initiate an outbreak. This transmission scenario isbecoming more probable due to the expansion of worldwide trade and travel. The objectives of thisEmida project, RiftVectors, will be to understand the biology of natural RVFV vectors and their counterparts inEurope as an indicator for assessing the risk of RVFV to be established in Europe.Within this Emida project, we will further analyze, and develop new methods to distinguish vector and potential vector species, and analyze whether they can transmit RVFV- especially european mosquitoes which may be able to transmit RVFV. We will also analyze how the immune system of mosquito vectors can control RVFV infection, and how this relates to whether mosquitoes can transmit RVFV or whether novel antiviral targets can be discovered. Interestingy, endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria of insects now are widely used in symbiosis-based control strategies against arboviruses. We will analyze what the effect of Wolbachia on the vector competence of mosquitoes to RVFV will be, and if this could be used as a control strategy against this virus.Our international consortium of partners has the expertise to tackle these questions on thevectors of RVFV. We expect that our results will improve assessments of when and whichmosquito species could spread RVFV, and we aim to identify novel ways of controllingRVFV emergence.