Epidemiology and Transmission of Influenza in Nicaragua

候选人：Aubree Gordon，博士，公共卫生硕士，加州大学伯克利分校助理兼职教授和助理研究员。职业发展计划：戈登博士将在尼加拉瓜这个热带国家对流感的流行病学特征进行重要研究。这个项目的目标是 目的是在热带国家扩大对流感的了解，以便为干预措施的必要性提供证据，并为干预措施的设计提供知识。此外，这一K02奖项将为候选人的研究计划提供受保护的时间，以确保她继续成功地发展为全球卫生领域的独立研究员和领导者。项目：该计划将分为两个相关项目：项目1将重点放在 未来队列中儿童流感的流行病学和系统发育特征，项目2将包括一项流感的家庭传播研究。在项目1中，将在目标1中研究流感在队列中的负担和季节性。目标2将描述流感病毒感染和流感严重程度的个人人口和医疗风险因素以及社会人口风险因素。在目标3中，将使用从队列研究和家庭传播研究中获得的病毒，评估甲型流感病毒在时间和空间上的进化动态，包括对宿主内多样性的调查。在项目2的家庭传播研究中，将对222户流感指示病例家庭进行9天的跟踪调查。将从所有家庭接触者中收集血清和呼吸道样本，以调查发展中国家的流感传播参数，并检查影响流感传播和疾病严重程度的个人和家庭风险因素。目标4将计算基本的流感传播参数，包括二次发病率和连续间隔。 目标5将确定流感传播的个体特征。最后，目标6将审查无症状流感感染的比例和决定因素。指导：初级指导将由UCB的Eva Harris博士和尼加拉瓜卫生部的Angel Balmaseda博士提供。哈里斯博士是一名病毒学家，因在资源不足的情况下进行科学能力建设而闻名。Angel Balmaseda博士是病毒学家，尼加拉瓜国家实验室参考中心主任。亚瑟·莱因戈尔德博士将担任共同导师。Reingold博士是传染病流行病学方面的专家，其研究领域包括流感流行病学、儿科呼吸道疾病和疫苗。与公共卫生的相关性：由于缺乏对流感在热带国家的流行病学和传播的知识，这项建议将产生重大影响，拟议的研究将涉及这些问题。 公共卫生相关性：这项研究项目与全球公共卫生特别是发展中国家的健康密切相关，因为在发展中国家，呼吸道疾病是儿童的头号杀手。在热带地区，人们对流感的负担或其季节性知之甚少，这两者对于规划和促进疫苗接种等控制工作都是必要的。通过研究流感在儿童中的传播和流感在家庭中的传播，我们将有助于提供必要的知识，以减少流感的传播，并减少其对发展中国家儿童的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Candidate: Aubree Gordon, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Adjunct Professor and an Assistant Researcher at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB). Career Development Plan: Dr. Gordon will conduct vital research on the epidemiologic features of influenza in Nicaragua, a tropical country. The objective of this project is to expand knowledge of influenza in tropical countries in order to provide evidence for the need for interventions and knowledge for the design of interventions. Additionally, this K02 award will provide the candidate with protected time for her research program in order to ensure her continued successful development as an independent researcher and leader in global health. Project: The program will be divided into two related projects: Project 1 will focus on the epidemiology and phylogenetic characterization of pediatric influenza in a prospective cohort, and Project 2 will consist of a household transmission study of influenza. Within Project 1, the burden and seasonality of influenza in the cohort will be examined in Aim 1. Individual demographic and medical risk factors as well as socio- demographic risk factors for influenza virus infection and influenza severity will be characterized in Aim 2. In Aim 3, the evolutionary dynamics of influenza A virus will be evaluated over time and space, including an investigation of intra-host diversity, using viruses obtained from both the cohort study and the household transmission study. In the household transmission study in Project 2, 222 households with an index case of influenza will be followed for 9 days. Serum and respiratory samples will be collected from all household contacts to investigate parameters of influenza transmission in a developing country setting and to examine individual and household risk factors that affect influenza transmission and disease severity. Basic influenza transmission parameters, including the secondary attack rate and serial interval, will be calculated in Aim 4. The effect of household and individual characteristics on influenza transmission will be determined in Aim 5. Finally, the proportion and determinants of asymptomatic influenza infection will be examined in Aim 6. Mentorship: Primary mentorship will be provided by Dr. Eva Harris at UCB and by Dr. Angel Balmaseda at the Ministry of Health in Nicaragua. Dr. Harris is a virologist and reknowned for her work in scientific capacity building in under-resourced settings. Dr. Angel Balmaseda is a virologist and head of the Nicaraguan National Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Diagn ¿stico y Referencia. Dr. Arthur Reingold will serve as a co-mentor. Dr. Reingold is a specialist in infectious disease epidemiology, with topic areas that include the epidemiology of influenza, pediatric respiratory diseases and vaccines. Pulbic Health Relevance: This proposal is well- positioned to have substantial impact because of the lack of knowledge of the epidemiology, and transmission of influenza in tropical countries, which the proposed studies will address. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This research project is extremely relevant to global public health and especially to health in developing countries, where respiratory diseases are the leading killer of children. In the tropics, little is known about the burden of influenza or its seasonality, both of which are necessary for planning and promoting control efforts such as vaccination. Through conducting both a study of influenza in children and a study of the spread of influenza in households, we will help to provide the knowledge that is necessary in order to reduce the spread of influenza and lessen its impact on children in the developing world.