Identifying Infectious Disease Transmission Pathways for Improved Population Health and Pandemic Preparedness

Countries:

Sponsors:

  • Duke University

Collaborators:

  • Steven Goodman, Vahatra Association (Madagascar),
  • Voahangy Soarimalala, Vahatra Association (Madagascar)

Start Date:

End Date:

  • Ongoing

Identifying Infectious Disease Transmission Pathways for Improved Population Health and Pandemic Preparedness

This project is applying novel serological approaches to screen for pathogen exposures in rural Madagascar.  A wide range of zoonotic and non-zoonotic diseases occur in Madagascar, including leptospirosis, and measles.  We are sampling humans, domesticated animals, and introduced and endemic small mammals (rodents and tenrecs) to screen for an array of viral pathogen exposures using VirScan. Throughout, our approach enables us to investigate the roles of mammalian sampling, ecology, and human behavior in predicting disease transmission – all of which are critical elements in identifying “best practices” for pandemic preparedness. 

Last updated on March 24, 2021