Emerging viruses in Africa: Molecular identification and characterisation of rodent-, shrew-, and bat-borne hantaviruses and assessment of their public health potential

汉坦病毒是布尼亚病毒科的成员，是引起肾综合征出血热和汉坦病毒心肺综合征两种危及生命的人畜共患病的新兴病毒。汉坦病毒是从动物宿主传播给人类的，我们先前的研究成果导致在啮齿动物、鼩 鼱，特别是蝙蝠宿主中发现汉坦病毒（Sangassou，Tanganya，Magboi，Makokou，Ponan和Lompole病毒）以及人类感染和非洲汉坦病毒病发生的证据。在项目结束期间，病毒学家，动物学家，流行病学家，来自非洲和德国的医生将确定撒哈拉以南非洲不同国家小型哺乳动物宿主，特别是蝙蝠中汉坦病毒和进一步的人畜共患病毒的生物多样性。将根据生态和气候特征调查这些动物宿主的地理分布情况，并调查宿主种群内的病毒动态。动物采样将扩大到那些迄今为止代表性不足的生物群落。将尝试用分子方法研究新发现的病毒。将分析细胞培养分离株的生物学和遗传特性，以评估其与人类健康的相关性，并推断汉坦病毒在其自然宿主中的分子进化。目前开发的涵盖所有汉他病毒亚群的具体诊断方法将用于确定人类感染新的非洲汉他病毒，我们将在不同的非洲国家实施汉他病毒病的临床病例定义，并在区域医院建立诊断工具，正如目前在几内亚所做的那样。此外，将建立一个汉他病毒感染监测系统，该系统以哨点医院对不明原因发热患者的血清学评价为基础。这一持续努力将导致在非洲实验室进行汉坦病毒和其他新出现病毒的诊断和定性能力建设，并发展控制人畜共患传染病的病毒诊断和公共卫生专门知识。非洲青年科学家将接受动物学实地研究、分子生物学（包括遗传学）和医学病毒学方面的培训。

Hantaviruses, members of the family Bunyaviridae, are emerging viruses causing two life-threatening human zoonoses; hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. The viruses are transmitted from animal reservoirs to humans.Our previous achievements led to the discovery of hantaviruses in rodent, shrew, and, particularly, bat reservoirs (Sangassou, Tanganya, Magboi, Makokou, Ponan, and Lompole virus) and to the evidence for human infections and occurrence of hantavirus disease in Africa.In the concluding project period, a consortium of virologists, zoologists, epidemiologists, and physicians from Africa and Germany will determine the biodiversity of hantaviruses and further zoonotic viruses in small mammalian reservoirs, particularly bats, in different Sub-Saharan African countries. Both the geographical distribution of these animal reservoirs according to ecological and climatic characteristics and the virus dynamics within the host population will be investigated. The animal sampling will be extended to those biomes that are so far under-represented. Attempts will be made to molecularly characterise newfound viruses. Biological and genetic properties of cell culture isolates will be analysed in order to assess their relevance for human health and to infer molecular evolution of hantaviruses in their natural hosts. Currently developed specific diagnostic approaches covering all hantavirus phylogroups will be used to identify human infections by the new African hantaviruses.In different African countries, we will implement the clinical case definition of hantavirus disease and set up diagnostic tools in regional hospitals, as currently done in Guinea. Moreover, a surveillance system for hantavirus infections based on serological evaluation of patients with fever of unknown origin from sentinel hospitals will be established. This continued effort will result in capacity building for the diagnosis and characterisation of hantaviruses and other emerging viruses in African laboratories and in the development of virus-diagnostic and public health expertise for the control of zoonotic infections. Young African scientist will be trained in zoological field studies, molecular biology including phylogenetics, and medical virology.