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Tracking the spread of avian influenza viruses in live bird market networks

Project description

Understanding evolution and transmission patterns of avian influenza viruses

Avian influenza viruses (AIV) pose a significant threat to public and animal health globally, particularly in South-East Asia. Live bird markets in this region have reported high levels of AIV circulation with multiple strains, and they are associated with human infections, making them potential hotspots for devastating pandemics. However, current efforts to curb AIV transmission are hindered by a lack of comprehensive understanding and predictive capabilities. In this context, the ERC-funded TrackFLU project addresses this challenge by integrating large-scale fieldwork with epidemiological, phylodynamic and modelling tools. This initiative aims to understand the mechanisms and drivers of AIV evolution and transmission in these complex ecosystems. The project will yield a predictive model incorporating biological complexities, assisting in the development of tailored control measures.

Objective

Avian influenza viruses (AIV) represent tenacious and major public and animal health problems across the world. Controlling AIV at its poultry source in Asia is essential to decrease the virus load in susceptible avian species and environment, limit the risk of human infection with AIV and minimize the risk for future global AIV pandemics. In TrackFLU, I will improve our capacity to quantify, model and predict the AIV spread in live bird market (LBM) networks in Asia, which are urgently needed if the impact of future epidemics of AIV is to be mitigated and thus, represent key elements for pandemic preparedness. For the first time, extensive field work will be combined with state-of-the-art network analysis, phylodynamic and disease modelling tools with the view to successfully influence policy-making. I will use this unique and innovative analytical pipeline to address the following key objectives: O1) Identify the factors shaping the connectivity of LBM networks, O2) Quantify the transmission dynamics of AIV in LBM networks and O3) Optimize strategies to limit AIV spread in LBM networks. TrackFLU will help us to disentangle the LBM networks connectivity and to resolve the AIV transmission dynamics in LBM networks. TrackFLU will result in a cutting-edge predictive model of AIV spread that incorporates, for the first time, most of the biological complexities of AIV spread in LBM networks in Asia. The model and its associated web-application will represent very powerful and innovative tools for the design of novel control strategies tailored to the key features of AIV transmission in LBM networks. TrackFLU will thus contribute to the active research issue of improving capacity to predict AIV transmission in these complex systems in Asia, hence addressing the unmet need of local stakeholders and decision makers for better predictive tools. With TrackFLU, I anticipate very promising results, with huge impacts on animal and public health.

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2023-STG

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Host institution

INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 090 000,00
Address
147 RUE DE L'UNIVERSITE
75007 PARIS CEDEX 07
France

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Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris
Activity type
Research Organisations
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 090 000,00

Beneficiaries (2)

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