Location: Zoonotic and Emerging Disease Research
Project Number: 3022-32000-027-025-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2024
End Date: Sep 1, 2026
Objective:
The objective of this project is to investigate potential spillover events of henipaviruses and other similar zoonotic viruses. Bangladesh has been home to multiple Nipah virus outbreaks. Spillover events have had a devastating impact on local pig farms and the communities surrounding these farms. This project will investigate the risk of spillover of Nipah and closely related viruses. The project will explore the distribution of Nipah virus in bats and investigate potential outbreaks of Nipah like virus. A broad approach will be used to survey for Nipah and Nipah like viruses to minimize potentially missing viruses due to limited reagents. The investigations will take a multidisciplinary approach. The primary focus will be reports of documented and suspected animal outbreaks. In addition, we will work with human health partners to sample in and around areas with reported spillovers to identify the sources of the spillover events and the risk to surrounding farms.
Approach:
Henipaviruses are zoonotic agents capable of producing severe disease in animals and humans. Bats have been identified as the resevoir for Nipah and Hendra virus. Consumption of contaminated of date palm fruit and sap with saliva or urine from infected bats have been identified as routes for spillovers. Implementation of control measures have reduced reported spillover events but not eliminated the events.
