Research
Arboviruses, a worldwide threat
Viruses transmitted by mosquitoes or other arthropods, the so-called arboviruses, are a substantial threat to the health of humans and animals worldwide. They can cause severe diseases such as hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis and chronic arthritis. Due to increased travelling, climate change and adaptation of arthropod vectors to urbanization, the global human and animal population at risk for mosquito-borne diseases is expanding. Despite the significant disease burden and widespread presence, antiviral drugs and (efficient) vaccines are not available. Improving global preparedness for arboviruses is thus of utmost importance.
Mosquitoes, the deadliest animals on earth
Aedes mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of several medically important arboviruses, such as the Zika virus, dengue virus and chikungunya virus. Aedes mosquitoes are mainly present in tropical and subtropical regions. However, not only tropical mosquitoes can transmit arboviruses. Native Belgian mosquito species can also act as arbovirus vectors. The most prevalent mosquito species in Belgium is Culex pipiens. This mosquito species plays an important role in the transmission cycle of two emerging arboviruses in Europe: West Nile virus and Usutu virus.
Our research goals
Our research group studies interactions of arboviruses with human and animal hosts and with the mosquito vector. Our goal is to develop new concepts to reduce arbovirus transmission and disease. To study the role of the mosquito vector in arbovirus infections, we established a mosquito rearing facility (L2-Q) and a mosquito infection laboratory in the BSL3 facility of the Rega institute, which enables us to infect mosquitoes with viruses in the lab.
Ongoing projects
- The replication of arboviruses in the skin after the mosquito bite is a key step in arbovirus infection. Our research groups studies what happens in the early stages of arbovirus infection in the skin using arbovirus in vivo and ex vivo infection models.
- Certain skin bacteria are known to attract mosquitoes. Together with teams from the University of Ghent (Prof. Marie Joossens, Prof. Yves Briers) and the University of Zurich (Prof. Niels Verhulst) we are investigating if we can modulate the skin bacteriome using bacteriophage lysins to reduce mosquito attraction and virus infection.
- As a partner in the PANVIPREP EU consortium, we are developing and advancing broad(er)-spectrum antiviral compounds targeting five selected RNA virus families with high epidemic or pandemic potential. Our team is focusing on alphaviruses.
- To understand the risk of arbovirus infections in Belgium, we study the vector competence of local and invasive mosquitoes for important arboviruses in combination with local mosquito surveillance in Leuven and the surrounding areas. We recently showed that Belgian Culex pipiens mosquitoes can transmit West Nile virus. Currently we are investigating if Oropouche virus can be transmitted by European mosquitoes (in collaboration with Prof. Ruth Müller and Dr. Marco Brustolin, ITM, Antwerp)
- In collaboration with the Laboratory of Viral Metagenomics at KU Leuven, we are studying the virome of tropical and native mosquitoes. Furthermore, we investigate whether the virome impacts the ability of mosquitoes to transmit arboviruses.
- We are investigating if antiviral drugs can be used to block virus transmisison inside the mosquito. We previously showed that ingestion of the DENV inhibitor JNJ-A07 by blood feeding significantly reduced DENV transmission by Aedes aegypti. Read more about this study here.