Molecular Epidemiology and Ecology of Yersinia Species in the Transboundary Plague Endemic Territory in Georgia and Azerbaijan
Abstract
Yersinia pestis is a Gram-negative bacterium that is the causative agent of plague, an acute and lethal disease. Y. pestis can be transmitted to humans via a bite from a flea that previously fed on an infected rodent, as well as person-to-person through aerosol droplets charged with the bacteria. Y. pestis has been responsible for at least three pandemics in the past, killing an estimated 200 million people or more. Plague has continuously circulated in the Caucasus region for many centuries. The main plague endemic area occupies the majority of Azerbaijan and the Eastern regions of Georgia. Because of the absence of anti-plague prophylaxis of plague foci during the recent decades, the populations of both rodents and plague-transmitting insects have likely reached a dangerous density that surpasses the threshold necessary to initiate a massive outbreak of plague in free-living wild animals. Therefore, the epidemiological situation in the endemic areas in Azerbaijan and the Eastern part of Georgia requires improved monitoring for plague and other infections caused by Yersinia species. The objective of this project is to unravel the complexities of the co-existing diversity of Yersinia species in the same rodent population, with respect to ecology and microevolution of these pathogens. Our team of national and international experts will conduct ecological surveys targeting rodent populations in the transboundary focus located in both Georgia and Azerbaijan, and will develop culturing and DNA-based procedures for detection of multiple strains of Yersinia. We will also perform molecular screening of the collected rodent and flea samples, complete comparative analysis of genomes of strains of Yersinia species both obtained during the field work of the proposed study and archived in the collections of the foreign collaborating institutions, and carry out spatial analysis of distribution of strains of Yersinia species. This project will result in enhancement of the plague biosurveillance capacities in the endemic regions of Georgia and Azerbaijan. This will be the first comprehensive project investigating and modeling plague foci in the South Caucasian region, which will foster improvements in national and international public health, surveillance, and biodefense efforts. This project will not overlap with national surveillance efforts. The project is a joint effort of the U.S. partners, which are the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, and the global partners R. Lugar Center for Public Health Research, the National Center for Disease Control & Public Health, Georgia, and the Republican Anti-plague Station Named by S. Imamaliyev, Azerbaijan, as well as an industry partner Microbiota, Inc. All participants have complimentary expertise. The project is poised to form a long-standing partnership to develop epidemiological and ecological research for biodefense-related and emerging and re-emerging infectious disease agents. The collaboration will support Georgian and Azerbaijan scientists ties with U.S. academia, and expand the capacity of both countries to independently sustain engagement with, and effectively compete for funding within, the international scientific community.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 10, 2018
- Source ID
- HDTRA11710047
Entities
People
- Vladimir Motin
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- University of Texas Medical Branch