How dengue and Zika spread across connected communities
Arbovirus Transmission Dynamics Across a Metapopulation Undergoing Environmental and Social Change
This project maps how dengue and Zika move between neighborhoods, towns, and travel routes to help people living where Aedes mosquitoes spread these viruses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11234256 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you live in the affected region, researchers will combine local mosquito counts, weather and environmental data, and information about where people travel and spend time to map how dengue and Zika move between neighborhoods and towns. They treat the region as a network of connected 'patches' and model how roads, work trips, and social ties link transmission across those patches. The team will follow antibody and infection patterns over time and may collect mosquito samples, human samples, and anonymous movement data to connect infections to specific places. Results are meant to point to where and when mosquito control or public health messages can best reduce infections.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 or older who live in or regularly travel through the study communities and are willing to share basic health information, movement data, or provide simple samples are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People younger than 21 or those living far outside the study communities are unlikely to qualify or see direct benefits from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help target mosquito control and public health actions to reduce outbreaks and fewer people getting sick.
How similar studies have performed: Other research shows human movement and mosquito patterns shape dengue outbreaks, but applying a regional metapopulation approach across linked communities is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Eisenberg, Joseph N. S. — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Eisenberg, Joseph N. S.
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 below.