Characterization of Human Immune Signatures to Zoonotic Virus Exposure in Cambodia

Launched by NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES (NIAID) · Nov 6, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is focused on understanding how the human immune system responds to certain viruses that can be transmitted from animals to humans, known as zoonotic viruses. The study is being conducted in Cambodia and is looking for healthy adults aged 18 to 65 who have had close contact with animals that might carry these viruses—like those who work in wet markets, farm guano (bat droppings), or live near areas where bats are found. By studying the immune responses of these individuals, researchers hope to learn more about how our bodies react to these viruses and improve public health strategies.

To participate, you need to be an adult within the specified age range and have interacted with animals that could be infected within the last two years. However, you cannot be pregnant or have certain health conditions that could interfere with your participation. If you join the study, you will provide some biological samples, such as blood, which will be stored for future research. This is an important opportunity to contribute to scientific knowledge about zoonotic viruses and how to better protect communities in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Capacity to provide informed consent.
• • 2. Adult aged 18-65 years.
• 3. Have interaction with suspected infected animals within the last 2 years, including (but not limited to) the following risk factors:
• • 1. Hunting, slaughtering, or consuming suspected infected animals;
• • 2. Fruit collection, date palm sap harvesting, or tree pruning within agricultural plantations containing bat roosts;
• • 3. Bat guano farming;
• • 4. Ancillary work in live animal markets or wild animal habitats identified as likely containing infected animals (e.g., provision of cleaning, transportation, or tourism services);
• • 5. Living within 5 km of identified animal markets or wild animal habitats identified as likely containing infected animals.
• • 4. Willing to allow biological samples and data to be stored for future research.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Pregnancy (based on self-reporting).
• • 2. Any underlying, chronic, or current medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with participation in the study (e.g., inability or great difficulty in drawing blood, known anemia).
• • 3. Self-reported symptoms suggestive of acute infection (acute myalgias, arthralgias, headache, retro-orbital pain, dyspnea, rash) within 7 days prior to enrollment.
• • 4. Signs suggestive of acute infection (fever, defined as internal temperature \>38°C; hypoxemia, defined as peripheral oxygen saturation of \<90%; hypotension, defined as systolic blood pressure \<90 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure \<50 mm Hg) present at screening.
• • 5. Self-reported diagnosis of immune deficiency, including HIV infection, chronic corticosteroid use (≥10 mg prednisone dose or its equivalent for a continuous period of ≥30 days within the last 1 year), ongoing or prior (within the last 10 years) receipt of chemotherapy or immunotherapy, or current hematological malignancy.
• • 6. Receipt of blood products, including immunoglobulin products, within 120 days of study enrollment.