UNMC College of Public Health researcher Joseph Fauver, PhD, has been awarded a grant to study transmission dynamics of West Nile virus, with an eye toward improved control strategies for the mosquito-borne illness – which could strengthen public health responses nationwide.
Dr. Fauver’s project, “Reassessing West Nile virus action thresholds for improved disease control,” received a grant of $436,157 over two years from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH/NIAID).
The study will focus on better understanding how West Nile virus spreads by using laboratory-based experiments and public health surveillance data from Nebraska and Colorado — two states that routinely report some of the highest rates of West Nile virus transmission in the United States.
The project, which began in April and will run through March 2028, is a research collaboration between UNMC and Colorado State University. The grant will support efforts to improve public health risk estimates and better understand West Nile virus viral kinetics, helping inform disease prevention and mosquito control strategies.
Dr. Fauver is partnering on the project with Brian Foy, professor at the Colorado State University Center for Vector-Borne Diseases. Dr. Foy serves with Dr. Fauver as principal investigators on the grant.
“This funding provides an important opportunity to better understand how West Nile virus spreads and how public health officials can respond more effectively,” Dr. Fauver said. “By combining laboratory research with real-world surveillance data from Nebraska and Colorado, we hope to improve disease forecasting and prevention strategies that will ultimately help protect communities from West Nile virus and other vector-borne diseases.”
More information about the grant can be found on the NIH Reporter project page.