research studies

research studies » current studies

In 2008, Morris Animal Foundation will fund nearly 200 new and continuing studies for dogs, cats, horses, llamas/alpacas, and wildlife as well as more than 40 veterinary student projects.

We also have numerous studies nearing completion. You can search our current study database by species and/or disease to learn more about the studies we are funding in the areas you care most about. The results will also show you whether a study is available for sponsorship.

Category



Disease/Species



Study



D07ZO-610: Wildlife-Human Interactions and Zoonotic Disease in Kabarole District, Uganda: The Case of Monkeypox

principal investigator: Michelle Madonia, Veterinary Student Scholar, University of Illinois

Full Sponsor: The Batchelor Foundation, Inc.

sponsorship not needed

Year: 1 of 1. $5,000

Monkeypox virus is related to smallpox but is transmitted primarily through human contact with animals rather than human-to-human contact. While many animals can be affected by the disease, rodents are most likely responsible for transmitting the virus to humans. Since the 1970s, the number of human monkeypox cases has increased dramatically in Central and Western Africa but not in East African countries, such as Uganda. However, recent studies have shown that dormice that have tested positive for monkeypox are living near human residences in the Kabarole District of Uganda. This study will explore wildlife-human interactions in this region and determine whether these interactions may help transmit monkeypox. The research will provide a better understanding of how the monkeypox virus is spread and how humans are impacting the wildlife living near Ugandan communities.