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PARTNER N° |
36 |
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NAME OF INSTITUTION |
INSTITUT DE RECERCA I TECNOLOGIA AGROALIMENTARIES |
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TEAM |
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IRTA is a research institute owned by the Government of Catalonia adscribed to the Department of Agriculture. Its mission is to contribute to modernising, improving, boosting competitiveness, and fostering sustainable development in the sectors of agriculture, food, agroforestry, aquaculture, and fishing, as well as in all areas of activity directly or indirectly related to the supply of healthy, high‐quality foodstuffs to end consumers, while also contributing to food safety and safe processing of foodstuffs and in general enhancing the health and well‐being of the population.In the framework of this project, the work will be assumed by the Animal Health Program at IRTA (CReSA). The Research Centre for Animal Health (CReSA) at IRTA carries out its research program on farm animal health and also on the protection of humans from zoonoses and vector borne diseases. As for the Subprogram “Transboundary viral infection”, Dra. Busquet’s research mainly focuses on the host‐pathogens‐vectors interactions for vector‐borne diseases, molecular and serological diagnosis of these viruses, identification of new viral variants and molecular epidemiology, vector competence and vector surveillance and control. Other researches carried out by the subgprogam include areas such as morphological identification of Culicoides and Culicidae, Culicoides and Culicidae ecology and vectorial competence studies of athropod‐borne viruses such as Bluetongue virus and Schmallenberg virus and West Nile virus, Rift Valley Fever virus, Dengue and Chikungunya.
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KEY CONTACT PERSON(S) |
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Key scientific contact person 1 (Team leader) |
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Name |
Dra. Núria Busquets |
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Photo |
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Position in the Institution |
Researcher (Animal Health Program - Subprogram Transboundary viral infection) |
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Email address |
nuria.busquets@irta.cat
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Phone number
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+34934674040 (1763) |
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Mobile phone number |
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Postal address |
Edifici CReSA, Campus UAB Bellaterra – Barcelona, 08193 Spain
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Role in the Consortium |
WP: 6 |
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Task: II - Vector Competence |
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Sub-task: |
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Role: To be able to transmit a pathogen, a mosquito must be a competent vector. Thus, vector competence measures the ability of a mosquito to become infected after an infectious blood‐meal, to allow replication, and to transmit virus to a susceptible host Most information on vector competence for ZIKV comes from domestic mosquitoes, the human‐biting mosquito Ae. aegypti and the less anthropophilic Ae. albopictus; however little is known about the ability of non‐Aedes anthropophilic mosquitoes such as Culex to transmit ZIKV. The involvement of non‐Aedes mosquitoes in ZIKV transmission will impact and modify the strategies for vector control and individual protection. Similarly the competence to transmit ZIKV of sylvatic mosquitoes, more difficult to be maintained in laboratory conditions, is unknown. The objective of the Task 2 will be to define the vector competence of different mosquito species to ZIKV (mainly Aedes and Culex). Mosquito collections Spain will be used. Mosquitoes will be collected as immature stages and reared to adults. Experimental infections with two genotypes of ZIKV (Asian and African) will be performed and susceptibility to ZIKV will be measured with common vector competence indices (mosquito midgut infection, viral dissemination to secondary mosquito tissues, and transmission with virus detected in mosquito saliva).
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