Epidemiology of zoonotic viruses in forest communities in a key biodiversity area of rural Myanmar

 描述（由申请人提供）：大多数新发传染病起源于野生动物宿主，这在人/野生动物接触普遍且疾病诊断有限的国家尤为重要。在哺乳动物多样性较高和生态系统破坏的地理区域，人畜共患病毒性疾病存在和出现的风险增加。这使得东南亚成为地方性和新出现的人畜共患病病毒的热点，包括那些具有大流行潜力的病毒，如SARS相关冠状病毒和H5 N1流感，以及那些导致区域性爆发的病毒，如尼帕病毒和日本脑炎。缅甸被假设为人畜共患病病毒出现的关键地区，因为其地理环境包括八个独特的生物多样性地区，这些地区拥有丰富的哺乳动物和鸟类动物群，而且由于最近将土地转用于农业和木材采伐，缅甸经历了重大的景观变化。人们对在农村森林社区传播的人畜共患病病毒的类型以及与野生动物接触相关的可能导致疾病负担的人类行为知之甚少。国际研究科学家职业发展奖（K 01）将为加州戴维斯大学博士后DVM和传染病流行病学家Tierra Smiley Evans博士提供受保护的时间，以调查缅甸关键生物多样性地区高风险森林社区内人类和野生动物之间的人畜共患病病毒共享。分子、血清学和行为流行病学方法将用于（1）调查关键生物多样性走廊中野生动物和人类之间的人畜共患病病毒溢出，（2）确定森林社区中人畜共患病病毒的关键人口、行为、地理和物种接触风险因素。拟议的K 01研究、指导和培训将为Evans博士提供机会，以扩展她在以下方面的技能：（1）先进的流行病学研究设计，以调查人类和动物之间的病毒传播动力学;（2）先进的病原体发现，包括下一代分子和血清学技术;（3）在国际领域应用行为流行病学;（4）吸收当地合作伙伴并建立持久的科学合作关系，这对成功的国际研究至关重要。埃文斯博士将在加州戴维斯一号健康研究所和比较医学中心、医学研究部（下缅甸）病毒学研究部和哥伦比亚大学感染与免疫中心的主要指导下参加一个为期五年的培训计划。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The majority of emerging infectious diseases originate in wildlife reservoirs and this is especially important in countries where human / wildlie contact is prevalent and disease diagnostics are limited. The risk for zoonotic viral disease presence and emergence increases in geographic areas with higher mammal diversity and ecosystem disruption. This makes Southeast Asia a hotspot for endemic and emerging zoonotic viruses, including those with pandemic potential such as SARS-associated coronavirus and influenza H5N1, as well as those causing regional outbreaks such as Nipah virus and Japanese encephalitis. Myanmar is hypothesized to be a key area for zoonotic viral emergence because its geography encompasses eight unique biodiversity areas that are rich in mammal and avian fauna and because it has recently undergone significant landscape changes through land conversion for agriculture and timber harvesting. Little is known about the types of zoonotic viruses circulating in rural forest communities and the human behaviors associated with wildlife contact that could be contributing to disease burdens. This International Research Scientist Career Development Award (K01) will provide Dr. Tierra Smiley Evans, a Post-doctoral DVM and infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of California Davis, the protected time to investigate zoonotic viral sharing between humans and wildlife within high-risk forest communities in a key biodiversity area of Myanmar. Molecular, serological and behavioral epidemiological approaches will be used to (1) investigate zoonotic virus spillover between wildlife and humans in a key biodiversity corridor and (2) identify key demographic, behavioral, geographic and species contact risk factors for zoonotic viruses in forest communities. The proposed K01 research, mentorship and training will provide Dr. Evans with the opportunity to expand her skills in (1) advanced epidemiological study design to investigate viral transmission dynamics between humans and animals, (2) advanced pathogen discovery including next-generation molecular and serological techniques, (3) applied behavioral epidemiology in an international field setting and (4) incorporating local partners and building lasting scientific collaborations which are essential to successful international research. Dr. Evans will engage in a five-year training program under the primary mentorship of the University of California Davis One Health Institute and Center for Comparative Medicine, the Department of Medical Research (Lower Myanmar) Virology Research Division, and the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University.