Period of Funding: 1 March 2020 to 28 February 2023
| Link to Project Website | https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/projects/biodiv-afreid/ |
| Project Number | |
| Funding Agency | Biodiversa+ European Biodiversity partnership |
| Lead Organization Name | Universiteit Antwerpen |
| Lead Organization Country | Belgium |
| Link to Lead Organization Website | https://www.biodiversa.eu/2022/10/31/biodiv-afreid/ |
| Link to Open Science Framework (OSF) public page |
List of Partner Institutions:
| Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences | Belgium | https://www.naturalsciences.be/en |
| University of Kisangani | Democratic Republic of Congo | https://ulikis.net |
| National Biomedical Research Institute | Democratic Republic of Congo | https://inrb.net |
| VIH and infectious diseases (TransVIHMI) – IRD | France | https://transvihmi.ird.fr/accueil/ |
| Robert Kock Institute | Germany | https://www.rki.de/EN/Home/home_node.html |
| OneHealth for all | Ivory coast |
List of Sampling Locations:
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Thuapa |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Bas Uele |
| Ivory Coast | Thai National park |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Maniema |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Thsopo |
BIODIV-AFREID investigated how biodiversity conditions (dis)favour transmissions of infectious agents from small mammals into human populations in African forests. It has:
linked changes in biodiversity to changes in communities of reservoirs and the pathogens they carry link differences in these reservoir communities to human health
The study will include a variety of viruses (Arenaviruses, Coronaviruses and Hantaviruses) but will have a specifc focus on two pathogens with an increasing frequency: Ebola and Monkeypox virus. Both are emerging from the African rainforest and cause major concerns for public health.
Field of action:
Animal (Vertebrates [Insectivores, Rodents, Chiroptera, CarnivoresArtiodactyls, Primates]), Microbes/Parasites (Viral, Bacterial), Environments (Tropical rainforest, Tropical dry forest), Environmental changes (Deforestation, Urbanization, Agriculture, Reforestation, Restoration), Disease metrics (Seroprevalence [animal], Seroprevalence [human], Prevalence [animal], Genomics)
