UK PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF IMPORTED ARBOVIRAL INFECTIONS

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  HOSPITALISED CASES OF IMPORTED ARBOVIRAL INFECTIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM; A Prospective observational cohort study.

• IRAS ID

  306309

• Contact name

  Lance Turtle

• Contact email

  lturtle@liverpool.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Liverpool

• Duration of Study in the UK

  3 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Arbovirus infections are illnesses caused by viruses which are spread by arthopod insects such as mosquitoes, midges or ticks to vertebrate hosts (humans, horses, cattle).

  Arboviruses in humans are many and include Japanese encephalitis (JE), dengue virus (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), west nile virus (WNV), yellow fever virus (YFV) and Zika virus (ZIKV).

  Arbovirus infections can cause a range of human illnesses. Sometimes people may not be aware they have been infected but more commonly people can experience headaches, muscle aches, high temperatures and a rash. Some people can experience very severe illnesses such as excessive bleeding (haemorrhage) throughout the body or inflammation in the brain (encephalitis). Sadly, in some cases, this can cause them to die.

  Arboviruses are found worldwide, mostly in tropical regions and are a huge problem. Arboviruses are rare in the UK although there some examples that affect animals and very rarely people. More commonly, they cause illnesses in returning travellers to the UK.

  We will be recruiting the following people to the study
  • Admitted to hospital to a specialist Infectious Diseases Unit in the UK
  • Confirmed positive test for an Arbovirus or clinical symptoms suggestive of an Arbovirus
  • Aged 18years and over

  The participants will be asked to
  • Provide a throat swab, blood sample and questionnaire at recruitment and 1, 6 months post illness onset
  • Give permission to obtain their clinical information regarding their illness.

  The study will last for 3 years in the first instance from commencing, funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit- Emerging Zoonotic Infections (HPRU-EZI) and aims to review how patients with an arbovirus are affected and treated plus providing important samples for scientists to be able to develop new tests to diagnose infections and potentially develop vaccines against Arboviruses in the future.

• REC name

  North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  23/NW/0008

• Date of REC Opinion

  16 May 2023

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion