PARTNER N°

42

NAME OF INSTITUTION

UMR CNRS 5558 “Biometry and Evolutionary Biology, Lyon 1 University

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TEAM
 

Members of Eco-evolutionary-epidemiology team work on several mammalian groups including carnivores, rodents, bats, rabbits and primates. They conduct research in a broad range of subject area: demography, genetics, epidemiology and life-history variability.

We seek to answer important questions like how infectious agents are transmitted, how they impact host populations, which hosts are most likely to be affected. Studying infectious disease impact and evolution requires an understanding of the interactions between infectious agents, and host immunity at the within-host level, of parasite transmission, host behaviour, demography, and epidemiology at the between-host level, and of the links between levels. 

This team includes skills in population and community dynamics, genetics, mathematical modeling and statistical analyses as well as in bat sampling (good knowledge of French Guyana, working network with local groups including naturalists).

We also collaborate with virologists, physicians, ecologists, and biomathematicians.

 

KEY CONTACT PERSON(S) : Dominique Pontier

Key scientific contact person 1 (Team leader)

Name

Dominique Pontier

Photo

 

Position in the Institution

Professor

Email address

Dominique.pontier@univ-lyon1.fr

Phone number

+33 4 72 43 13 37

Mobile phone number

+33 (0)6 72 78 61 43

Postal address

UMR-CNRS5558 « Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive »

Université C. Bernard Lyon 1

43 Boulevard du 11 novembre 1918

69622 Villeurbanne Cedex

France

 

Role in the Consortium

WP: 5

Task: 5.1

Sub-task: 5.1.2. Small mammals

This WP will investigate whether ZIKV will be able to establish an enzootic (sylvatic) transmission cycle in naïve American ecosystems by infecting other vertebrates than humans, from which reoccurring ZIKV epidemics in the Americas can result despite the high immunization of the human population in affected countries.

Role: we will contribute to identify (i) vertebrate Zika virus reservoirs and (ii) ecological and evolutionary factors potentially aiding Zika virus.

Our team will investigate the role of bats for ZIKV ecology in two types of environment in French Guiana: peri-urban (<10km from human habitation, selected to be adjacent to highly populated areas) and forest (10-20 km from human habitation, French Guiana only). Bat colonies will be sampled continuously over time to investigate ZIKV patterns. We will also provide access to ca. 850 sera from 6 bat species sampled 2010-2015 in French Guiana as controls for the de novo field work. Faeces, ectoparasites, and saliva samples (where possible) will additionally be collected from sampled bats to allow comparative investigations of ZIKV shedding and transmission routes. Bats will be caught with mist nets and up to 50 µL of blood will be collected by trained biologists from tail veins before releasing the animals.