Olivia Wesula Lwande lab

We work on mosquito-borne viruses (moboviruses) that infect humans and animals via mosquitoes and cause disease. With climate change and global transport, diseases can spread globally. These viruses are associated with specific mosquito species and different animal and avian hosts. The transmission of viruses depends on how efficient the transmission between these hosts is.

The research aims to understand which mosquito species and hosts are involved in this transmission, as well as what determines the efficiency of transmission. I study how different mosquito-borne viruses can infect different tissues in the mosquito and how well the virus is transferred from the mosquito to a susceptible host.

We also investigate how viruses are maintained in nature through the various host animals, for example birds, humans and livestock. Estimating the risk of invasion, establishment and spread of exotic mosquito-borne diseases is important for community planning. It is also important to consider the effects of climate change and the risk of increased flooding. The results of the research may lead to methods to combat mosquito-borne viral infections and their spread.