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Emerging Flea-Borne Rickettsial Diseases: vector competence and transmission biology

Award Number: R01AI122672
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 12/01/2015
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2027

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Emerging Flea-Borne Rickettsial Diseases: vector competence and transmission biology - Rickettsia felis was originally identified in the United States as a human pathogen in 1991 and is now associated with human infection in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Our ultimate goal for this research is to elucidate the biological and molecular mechanisms that are critical to rickettsial transmission by fleas in order to better understand the epidemiology of flea-borne rickettsial diseases and identify novel points of intervention. Recent discoveries including transmission of R. felis in the absence of a rickettsemic host and the identification of multiple flea-borne rickettsial agents cocirculating in flea populations have guided the research to determine if sympatric rickettsial agents circulating in flea populations influence the transmission one another. Additionally, the assembly of the cat flea genome now allows for investigation of the flea-derived factors that facilitate or prevent Rickettsia transmission. The experimental focus of this proposal is to delineate horizontal transmission mechanisms through comparative analyses of coinfections using three distinct rickettsial strains in cat flea transmission bioassays. The flea-derived molecules associated with the transmission of Rickettsia by flea hosts are not known. Studies will also employ gene-editing in fleas to identify transmission determinants in a flea transmission system. Two limiting factors for vector/disease management and the barriers to advancing the field are the scant knowledge of 1) basic transmission biology of R. felis and other rickettsial pathogens in the context of coinfections and, 2) the flea-derived determinants of transmission. The need to overcome these barriers is evident as field collected fleas in areas of flea-borne rickettsioses outbreaks have multiple rickettsial agents circulating in the vector population and the fleas are known to be vectors of a number of pathogens, thus providing knowledge with a broad impact. Through completion of the specific aims outlined in this proposal, these studies will overcome the hurdles by delineating the role of coinfections in the transmission of R. felis (Specific Aim 1) and through identification of flea-derived molecules regulated in response to rickettsial infection relates to vector competence (Specific Aim 2). Thus, this is a multifaceted approach to decipher the vector and pathogen-associated factors essential to transmission and will provide a platform to examine other flea-borne bacterial pathogens.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2022	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA	307 N UNIVERSITY BLVD	MOBILE	AL	36608	MOBILE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	6	1/21/2025	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$6,281
2025	2020	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA	307 N UNIVERSITY BLVD	MOBILE	AL	36608	MOBILE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	5	1/21/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	-$6,281
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $460,013 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA	307 N UNIVERSITY BLVD	MOBILE	AL	36608	MOBILE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	8	7/31/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$460,013
														Subtotal = $460,013

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $459,308 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA	307 N UNIVERSITY BLVD	MOBILE	AL	36608	MOBILE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	7	8/11/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$459,308
														Subtotal = $459,308

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $460,848 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA	307 UNIVERISTY BLVD 380 ADMINISTRATION BLDG	MOBILE	AL	36688	MOBILE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	002	6	8/1/2022	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$460,848
2022	2020	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA	307 UNIVERISTY BLVD 380 ADMINISTRATION BLDG	MOBILE	AL	36688	MOBILE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	5	10/22/2021	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
2022	2020	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA	307 UNIVERISTY BLVD 380 ADMINISTRATION BLDG	MOBILE	AL	36688	MOBILE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	5	7/22/2022	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
														Subtotal = $460,848

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $385,000 )
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA	307 UNIVERISTY BLVD 380 ADMINISTRATION BLDG	MOBILE	AL	36688	MOBILE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	004	5	4/28/2020	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$444,486
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA	307 UNIVERISTY BLVD 380 ADMINISTRATION BLDG	MOBILE	AL	36688	MOBILE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	5	11/21/2019	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$385,000
2020	2019	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY	202 HIMES HALL	BATON ROUGE	LA	70803	EAST BATON ROUGE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	4	11/28/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2020	2019	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY	202 HIMES HALL	BATON ROUGE	LA	70803	EAST BATON ROUGE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	003	4	4/28/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$370,000
2020	2018	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY	202 HIMES HALL	BATON ROUGE	LA	70803	EAST BATON ROUGE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	002	3	4/28/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$74,486
														Subtotal = $385,000

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $370,000 )
2019	2019	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY	202 HIMES HALL	BATON ROUGE	LA	70803	EAST BATON ROUGE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	4	11/15/2018	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$370,000
														Subtotal = $370,000

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $370,000 )
2018	2018	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY	202 HIMES HALL	BATON ROUGE	LA	70803	EAST BATON ROUGE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	3	11/15/2017	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$370,000
														Subtotal = $370,000

Issue Date FY: 2017 ( Subtotal = $370,000 )
2017	2017	LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY	202 HIMES HALL	BATON ROUGE	LA	70803	EAST BATON ROUGE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	2	11/30/2016	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$370,000
														Subtotal = $370,000

Issue Date FY: 2016 ( Subtotal = $370,000 )
2016	2016	LOUISIANA STATE UNIV AND A&M COLLEGE	THOMAS BOYD HALL	BATON ROUGE	LA	70803	EAST BATON ROUGE	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	1	11/11/2015	NEW	$370,000
														Subtotal = $370,000

Grand Total All Awards = $3,245,169

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Emerging Flea-Borne Rickettsial Diseases: vector competence and transmission biology

Award Number: R01AI122672

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 12/01/2015

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2027

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