Connecting respiratory virus spread, co-infections, and symptoms to real-world flu transmission
Official title: Connecting respiratory virus dynamics, coinfections, and symptoms to risk of real-world influenza transmission events
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11449661 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large, community-based study in Michigan will track how flu spreads in households, including how coinfections and symptoms relate to real-world transmission.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | August 25, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $749,112 |
| NIH project number | 1P01AI202602-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11449661 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are individuals in Michigan households enrolled in the CoVE cohort, especially those in high-transmission settings.
✕Less likely to help
People outside the studied communities or households with low transmission may see limited direct benefits.
What this research studies
This project will follow households in the CoVE cohort to collect frequent nasal swabs and symptom data over time, aiming to understand what drives influenza spread in real life. Researchers will combine weekly, illness-driven, and daily sampling to capture how viruses circulate and how symptoms appear. The study builds on a long history of observational work and uses a flexible enrollment approach to enroll households with higher transmission risk. The goal is to identify patterns that could inform better prevention and control strategies in communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to targeted prevention and quicker responses to reduce flu transmission in homes and communities.
How similar studies have gone: Previous observational studies have revealed important links between immunity, coinfections, and transmission, supporting the value of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Martin, Emily Toth — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Martin, Emily Toth
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.