Ecology of Lassa virus and related arenaviruses in the natural host Mastomys natalensis

自然宿主 Mastomys natalensis 中拉沙病毒和相关沙粒病毒的生态学

• 批准号: 226377141
• 负责人: Professor Dr. Stephan Günther
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Evolutionary Ecology Group
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Priority Programmes
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2012-12-31 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/226377141?language=en
• 关键词: Ecology; Lassa; virus; related; arenaviruses

Lassa fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Lassa virus, an African arenavirus. The disease is endemic in West Africa and it is estimated that 100,000 infections occur each year as a result of transmission of Lassa virus from its rodent reservoir (Mastomys natalensis) to humans. Control measures aiming at reducing the virus prevalence in the rodent population could reduce the risk of rodent-to-human transmission. However, the course of infection, the dynamics of virus-rodent interaction, and modes of virus transmission among the rodent population are poorly understood. Therefore, a major objective of this research project is to enhance knowledge on rodent ecology to develop, in future, rodent-based intervention strategies that are applicable in the endemic area. Major objectives that were planned for the first stage and have been partially reached were: (1) description of basic infection parameters of Lassa virus and the related Morogoro and Mopeia viruses in vitro and in vivo (2) identification of virus host determinants important for persistence in the natural host (3) determination of modes and timing of transmission of the African arenaviruses among M. natalensis in the laboratory and in the field (Tanzania), using Morogoro virus as a feasible model, and (4) translation of this information into a mathematical model for Lassa virus transmission. The second phase is based on the results obtained so far. It is focused on (1) innate and adaptive immune mechanisms underlying the species barrier in immune cells of M. natalensis and the tolerance of neonatal animals towards infection with Morogoro and Mopeia viruses (2) relevance of the viral interferon antagonist for productive replication and persistence of Lassa, Morogoro, and Mopeia viruses in vitro and in vivo (3) longitudinal studies of arenavirus transmission in the wild, using both existing and new data (4) adjusting the preliminary models by including individual variation in shedding and contact rates, spatial variation and environmental stochasticity and (5) searching for ecological factors to explain the persistence of closely related arenaviruses in sympatric and closely related, but different, rodent species. The resulting model shall be used to predict the abundance threshold and environmental conditions below which the virus cannot persist in the natural host population.

LASSA热是由非洲体育症病毒Lassa病毒引起的一种人畜共患病。该疾病在西非是地方性的，据估计，由于Lassa病毒从其啮齿动物（Mastomys Natalensis）传播到人类，每年发生100,000次感染。旨在降低啮齿动物种群中病毒患病率的控制措施可以降低啮齿动物到人类传播的风险。然而，对啮齿动物种群中的感染过程，病毒 - 腐蚀相互作用的动力学以及病毒传播的模式知之甚少。因此，该研究项目的一个主要目的是增强对啮齿动物生态学的知识，以在将来开发基于啮齿动物的干预策略，这些干预策略适用于地方性地区。 Major objectives that were planned for the first stage and have been partially reached were: (1) description of basic infection parameters of Lassa virus and the related Morogoro and Mopeia viruses in vitro and in vivo (2) identification of virus host determinants important for persistence in the natural host (3) determination of modes and timing of transmission of the African arenaviruses among M. natalensis in the laboratory and in the field （坦桑尼亚），使用morogoro病毒作为可行模型，（4）将此信息转换为lassa病毒传播的数学模型。第二阶段基于到目前为止获得的结果。 It is focused on (1) innate and adaptive immune mechanisms underlying the species barrier in immune cells of M. natalensis and the tolerance of neonatal animals towards infection with Morogoro and Mopeia viruses (2) relevance of the viral interferon antagonist for productive replication and persistence of Lassa, Morogoro, and Mopeia viruses in vitro and in vivo (3) longitudinal使用现有数据和新数据（4）对野生体育馆的传播进行研究（4）通过包括脱落和接触率的个体变化，空间变化和环境随机性，以及（5）寻找生态因素来解释近距离相关的体育疾病的持久性，从而调整初步模型。所得模型应用于预测病毒在自然寄主种群中无法持续的丰度阈值和环境条件。