Spatial Analysis Of The An. Punctulatus Group Of Malaria Vectors In Australia And Papua New Guinea.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$66,430.00
Summary
Malaria has been eradicated from Australia but the country remains receptive to its reintroduction as the mosquitoes which transmit the disease are still present in the tropical north of the country. These are the Anopheles punctulatus group which are the major malaria vectors in the south west Pacific region. The Australian Army Malaria Institute conducted Operation Anopheles to collect these mosquitoes in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea by detailed surveys with the aid of helicopters a ....Malaria has been eradicated from Australia but the country remains receptive to its reintroduction as the mosquitoes which transmit the disease are still present in the tropical north of the country. These are the Anopheles punctulatus group which are the major malaria vectors in the south west Pacific region. The Australian Army Malaria Institute conducted Operation Anopheles to collect these mosquitoes in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea by detailed surveys with the aid of helicopters and 4-wheel-drive vehicles. These surveys, which were made for a month each year between 1984-1998, represent the most detailed dataset of mosquito locality records that have ever been produced. This project will utilise the computing power of modern Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software and computer induction techniques to spatially map the range of the different mosquitoes collected during Operation Anopheles to highlight environmental characteristics which limit their distribution and to permit control activities to accurately target the species which actually transmit malaria.Read moreRead less
Natural Variation And Genetic Basis Of Dengue Virus Transmission Rate In Australian Mosquitoes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$680,088.00
Summary
Dengue fever outbreaks occur in Australia when infected travelers enter the country and are bitten by local mosquitoes. Here we examine the degree of genetic compatibility between mosquitoes and incoming dengue viruses that may affect disease risk for humans. We will identify the mosquito genes that determine the insect’s capacity to transmit dengue virus and develop a geographic map of transmissibility for a range of different dengue strains across Australian populations of the insect.
Release The Sterile Males: A New Direction For Mosquito Population Control Technologies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,110,112.00
Summary
With over 40% of humans at risk from mosquito-borne disease, new environmentally friendly mosquito control tools are required. We’ve developed a novel sterile male population suppression technology – using neither radiation nor genetic modification – to produce sterile adult male mosquitoes from both male and female larvae. We will show that exposing mosquito larvae to specific RNA molecules can produce fit sterile males adult mosquitoes that can crash mosquito populations in large cage trials
Dynamics Of Malaria Transmission Stages In Host And Vector: Bottlenecks And Their Impact Transmission And Parasite Population Diversity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$780,554.00
Summary
The adoption of malaria elimination as the long-term goal requires malaria programs to shift their focus from controlling the burden of malaria disease & deaths to the interruption of transmission itself. This will be impossible without an improved understanding of the processes involved and novel tools directly targeting transmission. We therefore plan to conduct an in-depth examination of bottlenecks to malaria transmission in Papua New Guinea, the country with the highest malaria burden in ou ....The adoption of malaria elimination as the long-term goal requires malaria programs to shift their focus from controlling the burden of malaria disease & deaths to the interruption of transmission itself. This will be impossible without an improved understanding of the processes involved and novel tools directly targeting transmission. We therefore plan to conduct an in-depth examination of bottlenecks to malaria transmission in Papua New Guinea, the country with the highest malaria burden in our region.Read moreRead less
Development Of Contemporary Surveillance And Control Methodologies For Dengue And Other Mosquito-borne Viral Diseases.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$512,290.00
Summary
This research proposal will address the need for better surveillance and control methodologies for mosquito-borne viral diseases and their vectors, including dengue and its global mosquito vector, Ae. aegypti, and a range of other important arboviral diseases throughout Australia. Research will focus in three areas: surveillance and control of Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses; development of contemporary risk management frameworks for dengue; and innovative investigations of insect age to pr ....This research proposal will address the need for better surveillance and control methodologies for mosquito-borne viral diseases and their vectors, including dengue and its global mosquito vector, Ae. aegypti, and a range of other important arboviral diseases throughout Australia. Research will focus in three areas: surveillance and control of Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses; development of contemporary risk management frameworks for dengue; and innovative investigations of insect age to provide evidence based monitoring and novel approaches to arbovirus disease prevention.Read moreRead less
Improving The Safety Characteristics Of Lentiviral Vectors.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$296,250.00
Summary
Gene therapy holds great promise for the treatment of many types of disease including inherited disorders, cancer and cardiovascular disorders. However, the potential of gene therapy has in many cases been limited by the lack of suitable technologies for gene delivery. We have developed a novel gene delivery vehicle from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Although this vehicle has many of the characteristics desired of a gene therapy vector its derivation from a retrovirus, particularl ....Gene therapy holds great promise for the treatment of many types of disease including inherited disorders, cancer and cardiovascular disorders. However, the potential of gene therapy has in many cases been limited by the lack of suitable technologies for gene delivery. We have developed a novel gene delivery vehicle from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Although this vehicle has many of the characteristics desired of a gene therapy vector its derivation from a retrovirus, particularly one with such an unenviable reputation, raises obvious safety concerns. In order to properly address this issue it is necessary that the vector is carefully designed and properly tested. This project aims to continue our rational, systematic and stepwise approach to the development of our vector with the aim of producing a vector that can be used with a high degree of confidence in its safety, such that it is suitable for clinical usage. Given the highly desirable properties of these vectors, and the wide range of diseases where their use is being considered, the availability of such a vector will have great significance for the widespread practical application of gene therapy. Indeed, several of the projects we are developing with our vector will in all likelihood lead to lead to clinical trials and it is clear that the conduct of these trials will depend on the availability of a suitable vector.Read moreRead less
Japanese Encephalitis Virus In Northern Australia And Papua New Guinea:its Ecology And Risk To Australia.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$292,045.00
Summary
Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is a mosquito-transmitted virus of Asia. Infection causes clinical disease in about 1 in 50 people infected, and of these, about 25% will die from a fatal encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and a further 50% will have lifelong severe disabilities. There are over 50,000 cases annually in Asia, with about 12,000 fatalities. However, many more cases may go unrecognised. The virus normally circulates between mosquitoes and water birds and between mosquitoes an ....Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is a mosquito-transmitted virus of Asia. Infection causes clinical disease in about 1 in 50 people infected, and of these, about 25% will die from a fatal encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and a further 50% will have lifelong severe disabilities. There are over 50,000 cases annually in Asia, with about 12,000 fatalities. However, many more cases may go unrecognised. The virus normally circulates between mosquitoes and water birds and between mosquitoes and pigs. The World Health Organization has recognised JE as one of the most important mosquito-borne viruses because of its propensity to spread and to colonise new areas. The virus first appeared in the Torres Strait of northern Australia in 1995, causing three clinical cases of whom 2 died. This was unexpected as the nearest known focus of virus activity was in Bali, over 3000km away. The virus returned again in 1998, with a further case in the Torres Strait and the first case to occur on mainland Australia in Cape York. Both of these patients recovered. We have shown that the virus is established in Papua New Guinea (PNG), where it is spreading rapidly, and our results suggest that PNG was the source of the virus causing the outbreaks in 1995 and 1998. This project is aimed at finding out more about JE virus in PNG, particularly as it relates to spread into northern Australia. The project also seeks to investigate the potential mosquito and animal hosts in Australia that might be involved if the virus becomes established in our wildlife in Cape York. Australia is already known to have suitable mosquito vector species and suitable animal hosts in water birds and feral pigs, but the ecology is not yet understood. Thus the overall aim is to provide information on which a sound risk assessment can be based.Read moreRead less