SCAPES - Cross-scale dynamics of LASV spillover within human-driven ecosystems.
Lassa virus (LASV) infection in humans causes Lassa fever, a hemorrhagic fever of public health significance in West Africa and a global health priority. Lassa fever epidemics are dominated by regular transmission of LASV from rodent reservoirs to humans within a rural context, which means LASV provides a uniquely tractable system to understand zoonotic spillover. This study examines the human behaviors that create exposures to LASV. We look at the proximate forms of human-reservoir overlap and interactions, as well as how humans ultimately construct ecological processes that affect the rate of zoonotic spillover. Data from our fine-scale ecological and anthropological field studies will integrate into broad-scale risk models to fill key gaps in how risk is propagated across scales and inform ongoing disease management efforts. This research utilizes a One Health approach that mobilizes multiple disciplines, sectors, and communities to sustainably balance and optimize the interdependent health of people, animals, and ecosystems.
Background
This is a five-year NSF EEID grant Cross-scale dynamics of LASV spillover within human-driven ecosystems (NPM2J7MSCF61) led by Sagan Friant at Pennsylvania State University in collaboration with Christian Happi, Lina Moses, Dave Redding and others. I am a postdoctoral scholar working on this project with a particular focus on factors of both human and rodent ecology which moderate the risk of Lassa fever infection in humans.
This project is being conducted in Ebonyi, Benue and Cross River states in Nigeria with field work to begin in late 2023.
Citation
@online{simons2023,
author = {Simons, David and Friant, Sagan},
title = {SCAPES - {Cross-scale} Dynamics of {LASV} Spillover Within
Human-Driven Ecosystems.},
date = {2023-09-18},
url = {https://www.dsimons.org/lassa/SCAPES.html},
langid = {en},
abstract = {Lassa virus (LASV) infection in humans causes Lassa fever,
a hemorrhagic fever of public health significance in West Africa and
a global health priority. Lassa fever epidemics are dominated by
regular transmission of LASV from rodent reservoirs to humans within
a rural context, which means LASV provides a uniquely tractable
system to understand zoonotic spillover. This study examines the
human behaviors that create exposures to LASV. We look at the
proximate forms of human-reservoir overlap and interactions, as well
as how humans ultimately construct ecological processes that affect
the rate of zoonotic spillover. Data from our fine-scale ecological
and anthropological field studies will integrate into broad-scale
risk models to fill key gaps in how risk is propagated across scales
and inform ongoing disease management efforts. This research
utilizes a One Health approach that mobilizes multiple disciplines,
sectors, and communities to sustainably balance and optimize the
interdependent health of people, animals, and ecosystems.}
}