Arboviral diseases in Brazil, Italy and Tanzania: towards a comprehensive One Health strategy for the virological, epidemiological, entomological and immunological profiling

The following project, “Arboviral Diseases in Brazil, Italy, and Tanzania: Towards a Comprehensive One Health Strategy,” is one of the selected One Health Network Funds projects for 2025/2026 and is led by Mkunde Chachage. Below is a brief overview of the project:

Background:

Arboviral infections such as Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, West Nile, and Rift Valley Fever are spreading rapidly across different continents, threatening global health. Climate change, urbanization, and international travel have expanded the geographic range of both vectors and viruses. Countries like Brazil, Italy, and Tanzania are increasingly affected by these diseases, often simultaneously. ArbOne responds to this challenge by integrating virological, epidemiological, entomological, and immunological expertise to develop a comprehensive One Health strategy. The project connects experts from Africa, South America, and Europe to harmonize surveillance methods, share best practices, and improve preparedness against future outbreaks.

Objectives:

• Develop and standardize immunological protocols to study protective immune responses and identify factors linked to severe disease.
• Harmonize epidemiological, entomological, and virological data collection to enable cross-country comparability.
• Train network members in key surveillance and laboratory methods to build long-term research and response capacity.
• Disseminate results through seminars, publications, and collaborations with public health authorities to inform better control and prevention strategies for arboviral diseases.