Title of Project: Transmission of zoonotic influenza between humans, pigs and poultry. STCU #5271;

Project duration: 01.01.2012 – 31.12.2014. 

Project summary:

a)Project objectives: Identifying risk factors for zoonotic influenza infection transmission; Influenza virus identification and characterization; Develop recommendations to reduce cross-species influenza virus transmission among persons occupationally exposed to animals.

b) Project implementation: 

• Assess the prevalence of evidence for zoonotic influenza infection among human populations with occupational animal exposures; 

• Determine and assess risk factors for such zoonotic influenza infection among these populations;

• Identify influenza virus among study populations with influenza-like-illness;

• Identify influenza virus among study participants' domestic animals with influenza-like-illness;

• Characterize influenza isolates through molecular amplification, sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. 

c) Expected resuluts: The proposed study will be the first investigation of zoonotic influenza infections conducted in Georgia and also one of the first studies in former Soviet Union Countries. 

• The study will generate data regarding the circulation of zoonotic influenza viruses in swine, poultry and agriculture workers; 

• Phylogenetic analysis of influenza strains isolated in the frame of the project will provide us with findings for understanding influenza virus evolution;

• Identification of the risk factors will provide us with the evidence to elaborate recommendations for prevention zoonotic influenza; 

• Study findings may lead to improved influenza surveillance among populations at occupational risk of zoonotic influenza infection. In particular, study data will provide with seroprevalence data, incidence rates, and risk factor estimates that are fundamental to modeling influenza epidemics and analyzing the effectiveness of epidemic interventions;

• Antigenic and genetic properties of the isolated influenza viruses will be important for selecting further vaccine candidates or changes in antiviral recommendations.

 

Title of Project: “Transmission of zoonotic influenza between humans, pigs and poultry”,CRDF Global, GRDF; Project duration: 01.11.2014- 30.04.2015

Project summary:

a) Project objectives: 1. Identification of influenza viruses circulating among backyard pigs and poultry; 2. Characterization of detected influenza viruses through sequencing and phylogenetic analyses.Human influenza pandemics demonstrate the important role of zoonotic influenza viruses in the origin of pandemic influenza viruses. Pigs are an important host in influenza virus ecology as they are susceptible to infection with both avian- and human-origin influenza A viruses, and are often involved in interspecies transmission. The objectives of the proposed study are identification and characterization of influenza viruses circulating among backyard pigs and poultry in Kakheti region.

b) Project implementation: 

The study will be conducted in Kakheti Region. Households will be selected randomly to seek for ill animals. Sick animals with influenza-like illness will be swabbed and Animal Swab Collection Form will be completed. In case of poultry, veterinary staff will take cloacal and tracheal swabs and in case of pigs pharyngeal and nasal swabs. 

Special animal questionnaire will be filled out for each ill animal. Each specimen will be screened for influenza A by real-time RT-PCR method and positive samples will be further characterized through sequence study. 

c) Expected results: 

The proposed study will generate data regarding the circulation of zoonotic influenza viruses in pigs and poultry in Georgia. Phylogenetic analysis of influenza viruses will provide us with findings for understanding influenza virus evolution.