Arthropod-borne infections

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Dr Alain Kohl and Dr Emma Thomson, Lead Investigators, Dr Emilie Pondeville and Prof Massimo Palmarini as Collaborators, MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR), University of Glasgow.Urbanisation, agricultural practices, mass transportation and changing interactions between humans and their environment create unprecedented opportunities for viruses to emerge and spread globally among human populations. Many emerging viruses are transmitted to vertebrate hosts, including humans by arthropod vectors, such as mosquitoes. “Arboviruses” can replicate in both vertebrates and arthropods and thus overcome a diverse array of hostile antiviral responses from the mosquitoes and the mammalian hosts. In this programme we aim to understand the fundamental processes governing the immune responses of mosquitoes to arboviruses. These studies will increase our understanding of vector “competence” (i.e. the ability of insect vectors to transmit certain arboviruses) and facilitate the development of novel control measures. Studies on arboviruses and other emerging viruses will also be conducted in collaboration with the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Uganda, where several emergent viruses with epidemic potential have been identified in the past. We aim to identify viruses and other pathogens causing febrile illness in the human population living in 3 geographically distinct regions of Uganda (North West, Central and South West districts).