Understanding the genetic basis of susceptibility to West Nile Virus in birds. TransWNV
Emerging infectious diseases that have a wildlife reservoir pose a major challenge to global health. This is the case for West Nile Virus (WNV), which is the number one causative agent of viral encephalitis worldwide. Although it infects humans, the
main hosts of WNV are birds. Thus, to develop effective intervention strategies it is critical to understand the disease dynamics in birds. In WNV, disease dynamics are
influenced by variation in disease susceptibility across individuals and species, but the factors underlying this variation are poorly understood. To further understand disease susceptibility we will use genomic tools to identify candidate genes and pathways that will allow us to gain insights into the avian immune response to the virus and uncover the genetic basis of susceptibility both at the species and individual level. This work will be carried out in collaboration with the INIA, and is supported by the European Union through the Marie Curie program H2020-MSCA-IF-2017.
Emerging infectious diseases that have a wildlife reservoir pose a major challenge to global health. This is the case for West Nile Virus (WNV), which is the number one causative agent of viral encephalitis worldwide. Although it infects humans, the
main hosts of WNV are birds. Thus, to develop effective intervention strategies it is critical to understand the disease dynamics in birds. In WNV, disease dynamics are
influenced by variation in disease susceptibility across individuals and species, but the factors underlying this variation are poorly understood. To further understand disease susceptibility we will use genomic tools to identify candidate genes and pathways that will allow us to gain insights into the avian immune response to the virus and uncover the genetic basis of susceptibility both at the species and individual level. This work will be carried out in collaboration with the INIA, and is supported by the European Union through the Marie Curie program H2020-MSCA-IF-2017.