Defining the biomedical, environmental and social risk factors for human infection with Plasmodium knowlesi; opportuniti

定义人类感染诺氏疟原虫的生物医学、环境和社会风险因素；

• 批准号: G0902437/1
• 负责人: Chris Drakeley
• 金额: $ 6.37万
• 依托单位: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2010 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=G0902437%2F1
• 关键词: Defining; biomedical; environmental; social; risk

The disease malaria is caused by a single celled parasite that lives predominantly in the blood of its host, and is transmitted between hosts by the bite of a female mosquito. Humans were thought, until recently, to be the natural hosts for 4 different species of malaria parasite; greater than 100 species exist and infect many different animals. In Malaysian Borneo, 2004, an outbreak of malaria in humans resulted from a parasite species that had previously been found only in certain types of macaque in Southeast Asia. This species is Plasmodium knowlesi and, although benign in its natural monkey host, it caused severe and even fatal disease in a small proportion of human sufferers. Currently, it is difficult to assess the potential threat to public health that might result from the apparent host switch. We know little about the proportion of humans carrying Plasmodium knowlesi and less about the prevalence of the parasite in its natural monkey host. Similarly, we need to investigate the reasons why the particular mosquito responsible for transmitting Plasmodium knowlesi bites both monkeys and humans. Environmental and social factors may lead to certain groups of people, such as forest workers, being at greater risk of Plasmodium knowlesi infection. These factors are also undefined, making prevention and control measures impossible to put into practice.We propose to fill the gaps in our knowledge of human Plasmodium knowlesi infections by building a network of researchers from biomedical, environmental, and social science disciplines, both from the UK and regions of Southeast Asia affected by Plasmodium knowlesi. Our objectives are:To collect and analyse preliminary data from fieldwork in the Philippines with which to inform a broader research strategy. Samples will be collected from humans and mosquitoes for the detection of Plasmodium knowlesi DNA, and land-use mapping and questionnaires will help us to pinpoint risk factors for infection. Areas of the Philippines will be the initial focus due to existing links between the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Philippine institutes. To hold a workshop for all collaborators and potential end-users of the study in which a research strategy, management structure and full network is formalised. Helped by preliminary results from the field sites, key research questions will be developed during the grant period, the aim of which is to produce a larger grant application for the regional wide study of Plasmodium knowlesi in humans.

疟疾是由主要生活在宿主血液中的单细胞寄生虫引起的，并通过雌性蚊子的叮咬在宿主之间传播。直到最近，人类还被认为是 4 种不同疟疾寄生虫的天然宿主。存在超过 100 个物种并感染许多不同的动物。 2004 年，马来西亚婆罗洲爆发了一场人类疟疾，其起因是一种寄生虫，而这种寄生虫以前只在东南亚的某些猕猴身上发现过。这种疟原虫是诺氏疟原虫，虽然在其天然猴子宿主中是良性的，但它却在一小部分人类患者中引起了严重甚至致命的疾病。目前，很难评估明显的宿主转换可能对公共健康造成的潜在威胁。我们对携带诺氏疟原虫的人类比例知之甚少，对这种寄生虫在其天然猴宿主中的流行情况也知之甚少。同样，我们需要调查传播诺氏疟原虫的特定蚊子叮咬猴子和人类的原因。环境和社会因素可能导致某些人群（例如森林工人）感染诺氏疟原虫的风险更大。这些因素也没有明确定义，使得预防和控制措施无法付诸实践。我们建议通过建立一个由来自英国和受诺氏疟原虫影响的东南亚地区的生物医学、环境和社会科学学科的研究人员组成的网络来填补我们在人类诺氏疟原虫感染方面的知识空白。我们的目标是：收集和分析菲律宾实地考察的初步数据，为更广泛的研究策略提供信息。我们将从人类和蚊子身上采集样本，用于检测诺氏疟原虫 DNA，土地利用测绘和问卷调查将帮助我们查明感染的风险因素。由于伦敦卫生和热带医学学院与菲律宾研究所之间现有的联系，菲律宾地区将成为最初的重点。为该研究的所有合作者和潜在最终用户举办研讨会，正式确定研究策略、管理结构和完整网络。在现场初步结果的帮助下，将在资助期内提出关键研究问题，其目的是为人类诺氏疟原虫的区域性研究提出更大规模的资助申请。