Research

EPIDEMIOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS AND CONTROL OF VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC VIRUSES IN ANIMALS AND HUMANS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

The Zoonotic Arrbo- and Respiratory Virus (ZARV) program in the Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences is in the unique position to conduct research on both human and animal zoonotic diseases. This enables the group to study a wide range of pathogens such as the vector-borne flaviviruses (e.g West Nile virus), alphaviruses (e.g Middelburg and Sindbis), and bunyaviruses (e.g Shuni, Rift Valley fever and Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever) as well as viruses transmitted directly from animals to humans including Avian Influenza, emerging paramyxoviruses and coronaviruses. The group has a broad focus on disease surveillance; epidemiology, molecular biology; immunology and ecology of vector borne and zoonotic viruses; development of novel diagnostics and vaccines; viral pathogenesis and discovery. A state of the art BSL-3+ lab allow studies of known and emerging zoonotic viruses under secure biosafety conditions. The group has strong links with the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), Veterinary services and several overseas collaborators in Germany (Robert Kock institute), the Netherlands (Central Veterinary Institute, Lelystad) and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, USA.

 An important research focus area is on the surveillance of unexplained fevers, neurological, hemorrhagic syndromes and respiratory illness in animals such as horses, livestock, wildlife as well as in humans to identify zoonotic vector-borne, neuroinvasive, hemorrhagic fevers as well as respiratory viruses as causative agents. The group has described West Nile virus as a cause of neurological disease in humans and animals in South Africa over 8 years and provided the first description of the bunyavirus, Shuni and alphavirus Middelburg virus as a cause of up to 6-10% of neurological diseases in horses and several wildlife species including rhinoceros, buffalo, warthogs and crocodiles. Research focused on the Epidemiology, pathogenesis, ecology, molecular epidemiology and development of diagnostic tools and vaccines form part of the intervention strategies to control these pathogens.