Mastomys natalensis hybrid zones as natural laboratories to investigate the limits of arenavirus spread.

The Natal multimammate mouse is probably the most widespread African rodent. In West-Africa it carries Lassa virus, which can be transmitted to humans and can cause lethal haemorrhagic fever; in other regions of Africa it carries closely related arenaviruses, but these are not pathogenic to humans. These viruses seem to be restricted to certain geographic regions because they are specific to genetically different subgroups of this mouse species. In Tanzania, three of these subgroups carrying three different non-pathogenic viruses come into contact. It is therefore an ideal place to investigate what happens to these subgroups when they meet and how this affects their arenaviruses. More specifically, I will describe the divergence of the host subgroups, characterise the hybrid zones where the subgroups come into contact, assess the association of different arenaviruses with their host subgroups and study arenavirus evolution and viral load in the hybrid zones. This research will yield insights into speciation processes and help to understand the geographic distribution and evolution of arenaviruses, which is crucial to predict future emergences and to plan interventions.

Keywords:EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, RODENT BORNE DISEASE

Disciplines:Phylogeny and comparative analysis

Project type:Collaboration project