Developing Diagnostics for Assessing Leptospirosis Burden of Disease in Peru

钩端螺旋体病是世界上最重要的人畜共患传染病之一，每年影响 全球估计有868,000人，估计病死率为5-10%。重要的差距仍然存在 将钩端螺旋体和钩端螺旋体病研究的最新基础分子进展转化为公共卫生 预防和改善这种传染病的方法。这个项目的长期目标是 开发和验证诊断钩端螺旋体病的新工具，以便能够解决真正的全球 疾病的负担。 在这项研究中，我们建议在对比鲜明的地方开发新的实地考察地点，以确定全国范围内的情况 以及具有区域重要性的血清型(目标1)。这些研究将使我们能够很好地描述 在已知多样性的国家中确定钩端螺旋体的国家和区域谱系的分离株(目标2)。这个 与阿甘波迪博士和斯里兰卡小组的合作将使我们能够从更多的地理位置进行评估 独特的环境。因此，这一南南合作建立在完善的科学基础上 关系是这个项目的一个关键方面，除了研究能力建设和跨学科 研究成果。最后，我们建议开发超灵敏、广谱、快速、廉价的测试。 基于1)高亲和力的抗脂多糖单抗；2)利用靶标进行抗原检测 使用蛋白质阵列进行鉴定。

Leptospirosis is among the world's most important zoonotic infectious diseases, annually affecting an estimated 868,000 people globally, with an estimated case fatality rate of 5-10%. Important gaps remain in translating recent fundamental molecular advances in studies of Leptospira and leptospirosis to public health approaches to preventing and ameliorating this infectious disease. The long-term goal of this project is to develop and validate new tools for the diagnosis of leptospirosis, in order to be able to address the true global burden of disease. In this study we propose to develop new field study sites in contrasting places to determine nationally as well as regionally important serovars (Aim 1). These studies will allow us to obtain well-characterized isolates to determine national and regional repertoire of Leptospira in a country of known diversity (Aim 2). The collaboration with Dr. Agampodi and the group in Sri Lanka will allow us to evaluate even more geographically distinct environments. Therefore this South-South collaboration build upon well-established scientific relationships is a key aspect of this project, in addition to the research capacity building and cross-disciplinary research outcomes. Lastly we propose to develop ultra-sensitive, broad-spectrum, rapid, inexpensive tests based on 1) high affinity monoclonal antibodies to lipopolisaccaride ; 2) antigen detection by using targets identified using protein arrays.