Understanding, forecasting, and mitigating zoonotic mosquito-borne viral disease in the U.K.

了解、预测和减轻英国人畜共患蚊媒病毒性疾病

基本信息

批准号：
BB/X018024/1
负责人：
Grant Leslie Hughes
金额：
$ 129.47万
依托单位：
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2023
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2023 至无数据
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FX018024%2F1
关键词：
Understanding forecasting mitigating zoonotic mosquito

项目摘要

Effective surveillance and control of vector-borne disease (VBD) in the UK requires an integrative approach. This multi-disciplinary project combines diverse expertise from medical entomology, virology to computational modelling to investigate areas related to the understanding, forecasting, and mitigation of mosquito-borne disease in the UK. By forging partnerships across several institutions, we will address questions including (i) how and where local transmission will most likely occur; (ii) how can proven vector control strategies be adapted to a UK context; and (iii) and investigate novel approaches to mitigate risk. Our collaboration spans academic, industry, and governmental organisations, providing the unique capacity and expertise needed to address these questions. The first work package (WP) (led by Co-I Dr Jones and Co-I Dr Lord [Early Career Researcher - ECR]) will determine factors that influence the potential for transmission of WNV over a fine scale using field studies and computational modelling. This includes mosquito community composition in different habitats, movement between these habitats (Dr Chapman), and whether mosquito and bird communities have the capacity to sustain transmission (Dr Mason, STFC Hartree). Models of WNV transmission will then be used to determine the efficacy of control strategies in the context of these communities. Focusing on these fine-scale dynamics is important as this granularity may be overlooked in broad scale national surveys, and the questions raised here will inform on the usefulness and reliability of these surveys. In work package two (led by RCo-I Dr Longbottom [ECR] and Co-I Dr Lord [ECR]), we will produce species distribution maps for potential WNV vectors. Previous estimates are over 10 years old and additional contemporary spatial data has since become available. Additionally, this work package will explore different spatial scales for model prediction and accuracy and investigate the use of outputs of varying scales in policy and implementation. Elements of this work package will leverage partnerships at UKHSA to facilitate stakeholder discussion and research uptake. Collectively WP1 and 2 will build on existing WNV risk assessments to inform government policy, by providing fine-scale data and a focus on communities of mosquitoes rather than individual species. In the final work package, we will explore novel and proven vector control strategies for their applicability to the UK. In part A (led by PI Dr Hughes), we will partner with Verily Life Sciences and Dr Walker (University of Warwick) to develop a Wolbachia-based control strategy for Culex mosquitoes. We will introgress a novel Wolbachia strain into the Culex molestus background and examine its capacity to alter mosquito reproduction and suppress mosquito populations. Additionally, we will examine the ability of Wolbachia to block pathogens relevant to the UK including WNV and Usutu virus (USUV). Results from this work will form the basis of future control approaches and our partnership with Verily Life Sciences uniquely places us to rapidly transition this research into an applied control approach in the UK. In part B of this final work package (led by RCo-I Dr Casas-Sanchez), we will examine how glycosylation pathways affect arboviruses such as WNV and USUV in vitro and in vivo. The ability to block the virus, rather than target the mosquito enables vector control approaches that can work across mosquito species, a critical factor given the role of multi-species communities in transmission (identified in WP1). We have ECRs as work packages leads and we commit to mentoring these researchers in this project and more generally towards their independence. Together, our OneHealth approach and spectrum of understanding, forecasting, and mitigation of VBD will provide critical data for future planning and research as we move towards the aim of reducing the risk of transmission in the UK.

在英国，对媒介传播疾病（VBD）的有效监测和控制需要采取综合方法。这个多学科项目结合了从医学昆虫学、病毒学到计算模型的多种专业知识，以研究与了解、预测和缓解英国蚊媒疾病相关的领域。通过在多个机构之间建立伙伴关系，我们将解决以下问题：(i) 本地传播最有可能如何以及在何处发生； (ii) 行之有效的病媒控制策略如何适应英国的实际情况； (iii) 并研究降低风险的新方法。我们的合作涵盖学术、行业和政府组织，提供解决这些问题所需的独特能力和专业知识。第一个工作包 (WP)（由 Co-I Jones 博士和 Co-I Lord [早期职业研究员 - ECR] 博士领导）将利用现场研究和计算模型确定影响西尼罗河病毒在精细范围内传播潜力的因素。这包括不同栖息地的蚊子群落组成、这些栖息地之间的移动（查普曼博士），以及蚊子和鸟类群落是否有能力维持传播（梅森博士，STFC Hartree）。然后，西尼罗河病毒传播模型将用于确定这些社区背景下控制策略的有效性。关注这些细粒度的动态非常重要，因为这种粒度在大规模的全国性调查中可能会被忽视，而这里提出的问题将说明这些调查的有用性和可靠性。在第二个工作包中（由 RCo-I Longbottom 博士 [ECR] 和 Co-I Dr Lord [ECR] 领导），我们将为潜在的 WNV 媒介绘制物种分布图。之前的估计已经有 10 多年的历史了，并且此后也可以获得更多的当代空间数据。此外，该工作包将探索不同空间尺度的模型预测和准确性，并研究不同尺度的输出在政策和实施中的使用。该工作包的要素将利用 UKHSA 的合作伙伴关系来促进利益相关者的讨论和研究的吸收。 WP1和WP2将共同建立在现有的西尼罗河病毒风险评估的基础上，通过提供精细数据并关注蚊子群落而不是单个物种，为政府政策提供信息。在最终的工作包中，我们将探索新颖且经过验证的病媒控制策略，以使其适用于英国。在 A 部分（由 PI Hughes 博士领导）中，我们将与 Verily Life Sciences 和 Walker 博士（华威大学）合作，开发基于沃尔巴克氏体的库蚊控制策略。我们将一种新的沃尔巴克氏菌菌株引入到骚扰库蚊背景中，并检查其改变蚊子繁殖和抑制蚊子种群的能力。此外，我们将检查沃尔巴克氏体阻止与英国相关的病原体的能力，包括西尼罗河病毒和乌苏图病毒 (USUV)。这项工作的结果将构成未来控制方法的基础，我们与 Verily Life Sciences 的合作使我们能够迅速将这项研究转化为英国的应用控制方法。在最终工作包的 B 部分（由 RCo-I Casas-Sanchez 博士领导）中，我们将研究糖基化途径如何在体外和体内影响 WNV 和 USUV 等虫媒病毒。阻断病毒而不是针对蚊子的能力使得病媒控制方法可以在蚊子物种之间发挥作用，考虑到多物种群落在传播中的作用（在 WP1 中确定），这是一个关键因素。我们将 ECR 作为工作包的领导者，并致力于在该项目中指导这些研究人员，并更广泛地指导他们的独立性。我们的 OneHealth 方法以及对 VBD 的理解、预测和缓解的范围将为未来的规划和研究提供关键数据，帮助我们实现降低英国传播风险的目标。