Many emerging diseases are caused by zoonotic pathogens which spillover from wildlife reservoirs tohumans following changes in demography, behavior or environment. Veterinarians can provideimportant input into research on emerging zoonoses, but specific training programs for these are lacking.The proposed training program will provide multidisciplinary training in molecular and serological diagnostictechniques and mathematical modeling of disease dynamics of a lethal zoonosis. Nipah virus (NiV) is arecently discovered, lethal, Class C potential bioterror pathogen with a case fatality rate of 40 - 79% inhumans and for which no vaccines, nor clinically-proven therapies exist. Fruit bats (Pteropus spp.), havebeen identified as the natural reservoir for NiV and related viruses in Asia and Australia. Since 2001, NiVhas caused five recognized outbreaks in Bangladesh and one in India. In contrast to Malaysia, where thevirus first emerged, no intermediate animal host has been identified in Bangladesh, and there is evidence ofdirect bat-to-human transmission and person-to-person transmission.
The specific aims of this proposal are to: 1) Examine the distribution of NiV in flying foxes (Pteropusgiganteus) in Bangladesh and bat migration among colonies by catching and testing bats for NiV usingserological and molecular techniques, and satellite telemetry; 2) Test the hypothesis that seasonal NiVoutbreaks in Bangladesh correspond to seasonal spikes in viral prevalence in fruit bat reservoirs duringpregnancy and synchronous birthing, by conducting a longitudinal study within a bat colony in an areaadjacent to a human NiV outbreak; and 3) Develop a parameterized predictive model for Nipah virusemergence in Bangladesh using data from this research to inform the model. I will co-analyse humanepidemiological data with bat transmission data to identify specific temporal, spatial and contact risks for NiVspillover.Results from this study can be used to inform public health policy for the prevention of Nipah virus outbreaks.Ultimately, I hope to create a model for identifying 'hotspots' of high risk for NiV outbreaks in Bangladeshwhich can then be extrapolated to other countries where fruit bats occur such as India. This training programwill provide a unique opportunity to develop my skills as a veterinary epidemiologist so that I can design andlead future research on the causes of zoonotic disease emergence.
