Using multi-pathogen sequence-based diagnostics and climate-ecological modelling to investigate risks of Rift Valley Fever, Chikungunya and Dengue in Tanzania
Supervisors:
Dr Jo Halliday, School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Prof Fredros Okumu, School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Summary:
The global distribution of vector borne diseases are defined by climate and ecological factors. Understanding the climate sensitive dynamics of vector borne diseases is essential to control these infections and reduce their health impacts globally. This project will focus on the epidemiology of Rift Valley Fever, Dengue and Chikungunya in Tanzania. The burden of vector borne diseases is highest in tropical and subtropical global regions, and they disproportionately affect the poorest populations. In Sub-Saharan Africa, efforts to mitigate the impacts of vector borne diseases are hampered by the lack of high-quality data on their distribution and impacts.
This PhD project will build on established interdisciplinary research platforms and collaborative networks that span human clinical epidemiology, sequence-based diagnostics, vector biology, livestock health and quantitative analyses. The key aims of the project are to first determine the prevalence of the target human diseases – Rift Valley Fever, Dengue and Chikungunya - in Tanzania. Second to apply and evaluate novel sequence based multi-pathogen diagnostic tools and third to identify the climate and ecological drivers of human vector borne disease risk. The student will receive training in clinical epidemiology, serological and molecular diagnostics, vector biology and a variety of quantitative analyses.