Modelling interactions between respiratory viruses

包括流感和RSV在内的呼吸道病毒每年感染大部分人口，导致许多GP就诊、住院和死亡。这些在幼儿中可能特别严重。为了在种群中持续存在，病毒必须感染宿主，这可以通过宿主防御机制来阻止。免疫保护可以通过最近感染抗原性相似的病毒，或者通过激活广泛的跨物种免疫反应的其他感染来发生。对免疫刺激和病毒交叉保护机制的研究可以阐明轻度或重度疾病中特定病毒亚型或发病途径。该项目将涉及分析呼吸道感染的数据，以确定病毒与其他病毒的相互作用及其免疫力。此外，将建立和测试测试可能相互作用机制的动态模型，以预测疫苗接种或治疗对病毒生态的影响。该项目福尔斯分为两个主要的MRC LID研究主题：全球传染病和大型数据集的定量技能。技能将在传染病建模，分析监测数据和拟合模型的数据。此外，科学写作和文学的批判性阅读将在整个项目中得到发展。这与MRC的定量和跨学科技能的技能优先级是一致的。关键词：呼吸道病毒，数学建模，免疫，流感，RSV，免疫应答，病毒竞争，病毒相互作用

Respiratory viruses including influenza and RSV infect a large proportion of the population each year, resulting in many GP visits, hospital admissions, and deaths. These can be particularly serious in young children. In order to persist in the population, viruses must infect hosts, which can be hindered by host defence mechanisms. Immune protection can occur through recent infection with antigenically similar viruses or, alternatively, by other infections that activate broad cross-species immune responses. Investigation of the mechanisms of immune stimulation and of viral cross-protection, may elucidate specific viral subtypes or pathways of pathogenesis in mild or severe disease. This project will involve the analysis of data for respiratory infections to identify virus interactions with other viruses and their immunity. Further, dynamic models to test likely interaction mechanisms will be created and tested, in order to predict the effect of vaccination or therapy on viral ecology. The project falls into two main MRC LID Research Themes: Global Infectious disease and quantitative skills for large data sets.Skills will be developed in infectious disease modelling, analysing surveillance data, and fitting models to data. In addition scientific writing and critical reading of literature will be developed throughout the project. This is in line with the MRC skill priorities of Quantitative and interdisciplinary skills. Key words: respiratory viruses, mathematical modelling, immunity, influenza, RSV, immune response, viral competition, viral interaction