Epidemiolgic and Ecologic Determinants of Monkeypox in a Disease-endemic Setting

Approximately $500,000 will be available in fiscal year 2011 to fund 1 award. This is an opportunity to investigate and characterize ecological and epidemiologic aspects of human monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Special emphasis will be placed on: the development and application of improved methods for laboratory-based surveillance; identification of risk factors for human-human monkeypox transmission; determination of the environmental conditions involved in animal-to-human (primary) transmission; development of appropriate public-health interventions based on identified risk factors; and evaluation of the efficacy and acceptability of those interventions. The ultimate goal of this project is to identify appropriate long-term strategies to minimize the morbidity and mortality of human monkeypox in affected areas, and to diminish the probability of virus spread to currently unaffected areas.