Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Diseases (ZVBD) Research and Training Centre

This proposed initiative, led by Martin Luther Christian University, in collaboration with Indian Council for Agricultural Research, Indian Institute of Public Health-Shillong, and Nazareth Hospital, will bring together public health researchers, social scientists, laboratory microbiologists, clinicians, and disease modellers to address gaps in understanding threats posed by Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Diseases (ZVBDs) and Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) in northeast India. This consortium will strengthen public-health research and training capacity by achieving the following objectives: 1. Establish and foster a ZVDB training and research centre to coordinate and strengthen research and training capacity for clinicians and allied health personnel, while promoting post-graduate training (MPH/MSc/DNB/MPhil and/or PhD). 2. Characterize and evaluate risk factor patterns that facilitate transmission of regional ZVBDs by implementing population-based, clinical and epidemiological studies to identify the hidden burden of undiagnosed infections, specifically six important zoonosis (Japanese Encephalitis, Scrub Typhus, Brucellosis, Leptospirosis, Cryptosporidiosis, H1N1-swine flu) 3. Monitor and forecast disease trends to enhance early cross-species detection of ZVBD outbreaks and TAD threats through syndromic surveillance, genetic identification of pathogens and simulation modelling of transmission dynamics. Real-time monitoring and syndromic surveillance in humans will be combined with laboratory determination of genetic relatedness of isolates from human and animal specimens.