Molecular Tracing of Viral Pathogen in Aquaculture (MOLTRAQ): a new EMIDA project

Here we present a new research-project funded under the EMIDA-ERA Net under the EU 7th Framework program (For more details about EMIDA: www.emida-era.net). The purpose of the project is to increase knowledge on transmission, prevention and control of viral diseases in aquaculture and develop a generic approach to viral disease control by using information on epidemiological and phylogenetic attributes from several important aquatic animal viruses.

The project will i) generate and use spatio-temporal epidemiological data, phylogeographic data and gene expression data for important host-viral pathogen systems to identify important factors affecting the spread of diseases in aquaculture, and ii) integrate these in scenario simulation models to assess effects of various control strategies for selected host-pathogen systems.

The project consists of six workpackages: WP 1: Project co-ordination and consortium management; WP 2: Collection of virus sequences and epidemiological data; WP 3: Phylogeny and evolution of viruses; WP 4: Investigation of the effect of temperature on gene expression patterns; WP 5: Scenario simulation models for control options and WP 6: Dissemination and exploitation.

Partners into the project are: Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NO, Coordinator), Technical University of Denmark-National Veterinary Institute (DK), Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire (FR), Friedrich-Loeffler Institut (DE), Institut Francais de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (FR), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR) and Norwegian Computing Center (NO).

The project began on April 1st, 2012, and will run until March 31st, 2015. The total budget is 1.9€, of which 1.4€ is funded via the EMIDA-ERA Net.