Enzootic transmission cycles of Rift Valley Fever and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever viruses (Bunyaviridae) in Zambia and Mozambique: crossing the livestock - wildlife - human interfaces

布尼亚病毒目的病媒传播人畜共患病毒在撒哈拉以南非洲非常普遍，但人们对其生命周期知之甚少。因此，该联盟旨在解决莫桑比克和赞比亚的高致病性裂谷热（RVF）和克里米亚-刚果出血热（CCHF）病毒的流行病学问题，这两种病毒感染人类、野生动物和牲畜，经常导致人类致命的出血热。裂谷热病毒由多种蚊子传播，而CCHFV由蜱虫传播。主要感兴趣的是在有能力的病媒和野生宿主物种之间的地方性动物传播周期的作用，以及在何种生物和非生物环境下，这些周期进展为在人类和牲畜种群中造成暴发的动物流行病和流行病周期。应在以前发生或将来可能发生裂谷热病毒和CCHFV疫情的三个牲畜养殖区对涉及传播周期的各种物种进行实地捕获和样本采集。利用FLI开发和测试的最新诊断工具，将阐明家畜、节肢动物媒介和野生动物物种的病毒暴露和存在情况。通过对媒介血粉的分子筛选，可以确定不同血宿主在空间、环境和季节背景下的身份、频率和相对丰度。最终，对病媒传播这些疾病的能力以及当地野生动物物种的储存库状况进行精确评估，将有助于了解疫情期间如何允许病毒传播，从而在环境有利时发展成流行病。除了科学兴趣之外，该项目还旨在将知识、技术和基础设施的能力从德国转移到非洲同行。只要可行，这项工作就直接在伙伴国家的当地机构进行。我们的愿景是成为与全球科学界平视的独立行动、相互合作的研究伙伴。

Vector transmitted zoonotic viruses of the order Bunyavirales are highly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, yet their life cycle is poorly understood. Therefore, the consortium aims to address the epidemiology of the highly pathogenic Rift Valley Fever (RVF) and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) viruses in Mozambique and Zambia, which infect humans, wildlife and livestock, frequently causing deadly hemorrhagic fevers in humans. RVFV is transmitted by a variety of mosquito species while CCHFV is propagated and transmitted by ixodid ticks. Of main interest is the role of enzootic transmission cycles between competent vector and wild reservoir species, and under what biotic and abiotic circumstances those cycles progress into epizootic and epidemic cycles creating outbreaks in human and livestock populations.Field captures and sample collections of various species involved in transmission cycles shall be undertaken in three livestock breeding regions where RVFV and CCHFV outbreaks have arisen before, or may occur in the future. With the latest available diagnostic tools developed and tested by the FLI, the exposure to and presence of the viruses shall be elucidated in livestock, arthropod vector and wildlife species. By molecular screening of the vectors’ bloodmeal the identity, frequency and relative abundance of the different blood hosts will be determined in spatial, environmental and seasonal context. Ultimately, a precise evaluation of the vectors’ competences to transmit these diseases, and the reservoir status of the local wildlife species shall help to understand how inter-epidemic periods permit the circulation of the virus, which can hence advance into epidemic proportions when circumstances are favorable. Apart from scientific interest, the project aims to transfer capacity of knowledge, technology and infrastructure from the German to the African counterparts. Whenever it is feasible, the work is carried out directly at the local institutions in the partner countries. An independently acting, mutually collaborating research partner at eye level to the global science community is our vision.