Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill received a $771,510 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded July 9, 2026, with completion targeted for June 30, 2031. The project addresses viral and host genetic determinants of La Crosse virus (LACV) neuroinvasive disease, the most common cause of pediatric arboviral encephalitis in the United States. The research leverages a prospective patient cohort established in western North Carolina—an epicenter of LACV disease with approximately 25 percent of all U.S. reported cases—to generate the largest collection of clinical specimens to date and characterize LACV genetic diversity in both human neuroinvasive disease cases and peridomestic mosquitoes.

Key deliverables include comprehensive profiling of LACV genetic diversity in human cases and mosquito populations across western North Carolina households, determination of LACV seroprevalence in the region, and comparative analysis of viral strains circulating in mosquitoes versus strains associated with human neuroinvasive disease. The study will collect and analyze clinical specimens including serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from LACV patients presenting at a hospital in Asheville, North Carolina (which receives 10–30 LACV cases annually), combined with mosquito collections from patient households. These research products will advance understanding of pathogenic mechanisms and host immune factors underlying age-dependent susceptibility to neuroinvasive disease, contributing to improved diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic strategies for this pediatric infection.