PRD - Projets de Recherche pour le Développement - Predicting viral transmission between the wildlife and human population in Rwanda

Just as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused millions of deaths worldwide and socio-economic disruption in a short space of time, other pathogenic viruses will certainly emerge or re-emerge in the future. Global capacity for rapid detection and characterisation of viruses is therefore of the utmost importance, not only to mitigate the threat of pandemics in human populations, but also to protect wildlife and biodiversity. As part of this project, Belgian and Rwandan universities and scientific partners will work collectively to implement methods and tools that provide a dynamic landscape of viruses circulating in humans and wildlife in Rwanda, particularly in the region home to endangered species such as mountain gorillas and bats that are important reservoirs of zoonotic viruses. Analysis of viral genomes will identify candidate viruses with the potential to cause global pandemics and help formulate risk mitigation strategies. This programme will require collaboration with local communities to ensure that people who come into regular contact with wildlife understand the risk of viral transmission. The project’s global objective is to contribute to a better understanding and control of zoonoses in Rwanda. Its specific objective is to strengthen the local capacities (academic, scientific, stakeholders, communities) in the understanding of viruses’ dynamics and their transmission between the wildlife and local communities.