Comprehensive study on NS1 diversity among contemporary epidemic DENV strains in Indian ocean territories

Presenter: Associate Professor Marjolaine Roche, PIMIT (Infectious Process in Tropical Insular Territories) lab, Reunion Island, France

Title: Comprehensive study on NS1 diversity among contemporary epidemic DENV strains in Indian ocean territories

Abstract: Flaviviruses are a large of group viruses including many important human pathogens such as dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), West Nile virus (WNV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and yellow fever virus (YFV). Transmitted through the bite of an infected arthropod vector, these arboviruses cause a range of severe disease pathologies in humans with a broad range of symptoms including hemorrhage, neuropathology, and death. In the southeast Indian ocean territories, DENV is endemic and is vectored by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. There are no treatments or readily available vaccines efficient for local populations and travellers. The viral NS1 glycoprotein plays a key role in the pathogenesis of flaviviruses. It is of importance to evaluate the structural, molecular and biological characteristics of the NS1 proteins from the epidemic strains from the Indian Ocean territories.

Bio: Dr. Marjolaine Roche is an associate professor in La Reunion University in the PIMIT laboratory (infectious process in insular tropical area) since 2011. La Reunion Island is a French territory located in the southest of Indian Ocean where several epidemics took place as Chikungunya and recently dengue. She came in UQ for a Sabbatical leave in the Daniel Watterson Lab to work on the viral protein NS1 on epidemic flavivirus.