Vector competence of European mosquitoes to Rift Valley fever virus

RVFV是一种很容易通过包括伊蚊和库蚊媒介在内的几个蚊属传播的虫媒病毒，宿主范围很大。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，一个受感染的人或动物进入一个幼稚的国家就足以引发疫情。由于全球贸易和旅行的扩大，这种传播情况变得更有可能发生。这个名为RiftVectors的Emida项目的目标是了解RVFV天然媒介及其在欧洲的同行的生物学，作为评估RVFV风险的指标。在这个Emida项目中，我们将进一步分析、开发新的方法来区分蚊媒和潜在的媒介物种，并分析它们是否可以传播RVFV--特别是可能能够传播RVFV的欧洲蚊子。我们还将分析蚊媒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。有趣的是，昆虫内共生的沃尔巴克氏菌现在被广泛用于基于共生的虫媒病毒控制策略。我们将分析沃尔巴克氏菌对蚊子对RVFV媒介能力的影响，以及这是否可以作为控制这种病毒的策略。我们的国际合作伙伴联盟有专业知识来解决这些关于RVFV媒介的问题。我们预计，我们的结果将改善对何时以及哪些蚊子物种可能传播RVFV的评估，我们的目标是找到控制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 mosquito 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.