Congratulations Ellen Kearney on successful MDHS EMCR Catalyst grant

Advancing vector-borne disease surveillance with spatial modelling of vector serology

Investigators: CIA Ellen Kearney, CIB Katherine O'Flaherty, Senior Mentor Freya Fowkes

Value: $39,074

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) cause >700,000 deaths annually. Accurate surveillance is essential for targeting interventions and understanding climate change impacts. However, this is hampered by a lack of sensitive and feasible vector surveillance tools. Human antibodies against proteins present in vector saliva, injected during biting, could serve as sensitive biomarkers of vector exposure and VBD transmission. We have led the validation of biomarkers of malaria-transmitting anopheline mosquitoes and demonstrated their application for serosurveillance by developing geospatial models that leverage environmental data to predict malaria transmission and receptivity spatiotemporally. Here we aim to expand this proof-of-concept to develop a multi-vector serosurveillance tool of other major VBDs including dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis and Rickettsial infections. Using high-throughput immunoassays and geospatial modelling, we will validate this tool in >20,000 samples from South-East Asia to identify risk factors and predict VBD transmission and receptivity. This proposal will revolutionise VBD surveillance to optimise vector control responses.

MDHS Early and Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Project Catalyst Grant supports early and mid-career researchers to generate pilot/feasibility data and lead an external project grant application.