Expected results

Expected scientific results: Information about presence or absence of pathogens of potentially zoonotic infectious diseases to humans and animals in bats and assessment of pathogen diversity in bat populations of Ukraine and Georgia; phylogenetic characterization of the novel viruses and bacteria from insectivorous bats in Ukraine and Georgia. Expected non-scientific results: Training for personnel in safe wild animal capture, updates on new techniques of specimen collection, and biosafety, implementation of high throughput laboratory techniques, GIS and its application to ecology and disease, and next generation sequencing analysis.

One Health Aspect: The results of laboratory research will be presented to Ukrainian State Veterinary Service (State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection), as well as to the Center of Diseases Control (Ukrainian Ministry of Healthcare) within the framework of One Health implementation. The results of laboratory research in Georgia will be presented to the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture and Georgian State Veterinary Service.

International, national, interdisciplinary, intersectoral cooperation. Experts from various fields (veterinary medicine, medicine, biology, molecular biology, zoology etc. ) will be involved in the implementation of the project, both international and national levels. It will allow to build a sustainable network of experts in the study of bats, their pathogens and ecology.

Amount of work

· Improve practical skills of project participants and to develop/update/adapt SOPs for field and laboratory studies, trainings with will be provided by US-CDC, USGS (Year 1);

· Field expeditions for sampling of biological material from bats and collect data about study site, environment characteristics. (Year 1, Year 2, Year 3);

· Laboratory studies of collected biological material (PCR) (Year 1, Year 2, Year 3);

· Analyze, generalize and map all obtained field and laboratory results (Year 3);

· Check of scientific hypothesis (Year 2, Year 3);

· Presentation of preliminary and final results (oral or/and poster) on scientific conferences (Year 1, Year 2, Year 3); Publication of result into peer-reweave journals (Year 1, Year 2, Year 3).

Technical approach and methodology

Task for perform 1. Update and improve hands on skills of local staff by implementing harmonized standard operational procedures (SOPs) for field activities, collection and sampling of bats, laboratory procedures for the detection, typing and full genome characterization of the agents of interest. (Year 1).

Subtask 1. 1. Assessment of facilities and available infrastructure in Georgia and Ukraine where laboratory-based SOPs will be implemented. An inventory of available equipment, proper functioning and documentation of preventive maintenance will be checked. Information technology infrastructure availability of adequate computing capacity. Cold chain, storage space and adequate sample inventory. This activity should be conducted by a commission integrated by personnel of institutions responsible of implementation as well a representatives of the host institution (USCDC, USGS, IECVM, STCU and NCDC). IACUC approved protocols should be presented by participating institutions so field activities can start as soon as possible.

Subtask 1. 2. A short seminar on harmonization of protocols for animal collection to submit to IACUC will take place after kickoff meeting, as well as on GIS techniques, trainings on how to obtain high quality data field and environmental variables. Brief tutorials on how to use some tools such as MERIS FR satellite-derived landscape features (Virginia Tech, CDC Luis Escobar Yoshinori Nakazawa).

Subtask 1. 3. Specific trainings for IECVM and NCDC staff lead by US-CDC and USGS on best practices for wildlife field investigations, safe animal handling, specimen collection and transport, use of personal protective equipment and biosafety, cold chain management will be given

Subtask 1. 4. Implement/update/harmonize SOPs for biosafety and biosecurity, laboratory testing, sequencing.

Subtask 1. 5. Run first screening tests on samples recovered from shelters.

Subtask 1. 6. Commence field expeditions and start sampling collection.

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