Coordinated One Health approach to risk assessment of hemorrhagic fever viruses in West Africa
Abstract
Here, we propose an integrated, One Health approach to risk assessment of hemorrhagic fever viruses (HFVs) which are expanding scope in West Africa including Lassa, Ebola, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and Rift Valley fever viruses. This project will build capabilities for identification of these pathogens and define prevalence and risk through the (i) standardization of molecular and serological diagnostics, (ii) training of key personnel on diagnostic tools and interspecies sampling methods, (iii) targeted seasonal and localized surveillance of symptomatic and asymptomatic populations in transboundary/transhumance regions of Senegal and the neighboring countries for the determination of geographical spread and hotspots, and (iv) empirical identification of risk factors for the development of risk maps for informed sampling and create predictive risk models to inform national risk mitigation strategies. This work will enhance the role of Senegal in the region by combining the strength of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture sectors to combat critical health threats and by building collaborations between these facilities and leading institutes in the West African region.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 13, 2021
- Source ID
- HDTRA12110036
Entities
People
- Jessica Radzio
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- Pennsylvania State University