Predictive Biology of Emerging Vector-borne Viral Diseases

The goals of this research program are: 1) understanding how viruses differentially adapt to insect and animal hosts, and how this knowledge can be used to break the cycle of transmission and 2) develop better countermeasures (detection and preventative tools) to increase the efficiency of livestock production, and in the case of zoonotic diseases, prevent the transmission to human hosts. The new funding will be used to study two new families of viruses that include important emerging vector-borne viruses of animals: 1) Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus (West Nile virus and Japanese Encephalitis virus) and 2) Rhabdoviridae, genus Vesiculovirus(Vesicular Stomatitis virus). The research described below addresses the following research components in the 2012-2017 Animal Health National Program (NP 103) Action Plan: 1) Component 1: Biodefense, Problem Statement 1A, Foreign Animal Diseases, and Problem Statement 1B, Emerging Diseases. The research addresses ARS Strategic Plan Performance Measures 4. 2.2 (Provide scientific information to protect animals, humans, and property from the negative effects of pests and infectious diseases. Specific Objectives of the Research: 1. Identify factors associated with Flavivirus infections, pathogenesis and maintenance in vector and animal hosts. a. Identify viral molecular determinants of virulence and mechanisms of viral pathogenesis in relevant animal hosts associated with arthropod-transmitted virus. b. Characterize vector and host innate responses (cellular and molecular) to virus infection. c. Characterize host, vector and virus interactions (molecular and cellular) associated with virus maintenance and transmission cycles 2. Identify epidemiological and ecological factors affecting disease outbreaks caused by Flaviviruses and Vesicular Stomatitis Virus a. Develop means to detect and characterize emergent arboviral diseases and use these data to generate models that predict future outbreaks. b. Identify the biotic and abiotic factors that favor establishment of emerging arboviral strains and predict trends in virus evolution.