Through this project, we aim to better understand the ecology and epidemiology of henipavirus spillovers from bats to humans in Bangladesh, a country that has experienced consistent outbreaks of Nipah virus infection since 2001. The project will involve a transdisciplinary approach that integrates longitudinal monitoring of henipavirus prevalence in bat populations using molecular detection and serology, establishing cohorts of domesticated animals to assess the frequency of henipavirus spillover from bats, surveys of human and animal behavior to understand the timing and nature of contacts between bats, humans, and domesticated animals, and infrared camera and GPS tracking of domesticated animals to capture contacts with bats that may not be captured in surveys. These data will help us to better understand the risks and proximate drivers of henipavirus spillovers into humans and other animals and to design more effective interventions that reduce the pathways to spillover. 

Dr. Gurley and colleagues at icddr,b have been investigating Nipah virus spillovers and outbreaks in Bangladesh since 2004.