Determination of host factors restricting bunyavirus replication in mosquitoes

Bunyaviruses are of global concern and a major threat to human and animal health.

Many bunyaviruses are arboviruses which means that apart from infecting and replicating in vertebrates they also replicate in, and are transmitted by, different bloodsucking arthropods (the vectors) such as mosquitoes, ticks and biting midges.

Due to factors, such as climate change (can change/broaden the distribution of competent vectors) as well as travel and trade (can transport the virus and/or vectors across long distances) we have in the last decades seen an increased emergence of these viruses across the globe, including in Europe.

But despite the importance of these virus antiviral drugs and vaccines as well as proper vector control strategies are still lacking for most arbovirus infections.Therefore, considering the importance of the vectors when it comes to maintaining these viruses in nature and transmitting them to susceptible hosts this project will conduct fundamental research on the interaction between bunyaviruses and the immune system of its vector (i.e. in this project the mosquito) with the goal to identify host factors that can hinder the replication and transmission of bunyavirus in its vector.

This knowledge can later be used in a more applied setting to develop novel control strategies that directly targets the vector and makes it resistant to bunyavirus infection and thereby reducing the transmission of these viruses and contributes to improved human and animal health.