SOW_IPB.docx

Statement of Work (SOW)

I. INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:

Arthropods like mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, mites, and lice are important infectious disease vectors. They thrive in Indonesian tropical climates and forests. During military training and humanitarian civic assistance (HCA) activities to promote regional stability, vector-borne viral and rickettsial pathogens may threaten the military personnel deployed to Indonesia. It is also possible that the pathogens will be spread to other countries after the soldiers return. Unfortunately, little is known about the endemic vector-borne viral and rickettsial diseases (VBD) in Indonesia to assess the risk of infection and determine the best preventive action. Assessing the risk of VBD within training and HCA areas is vital for accomplishing the missions. Similar to most Asian countries, VBD is underestimated and underreported because of inadequate VBD research, physicians' unawareness, and inaccessible diagnostic tests.

This study aims to evaluate the potential vector-(mosquito-, tick-, flea-, mite-, louse-) borne viral and rickettsial disease threats during joint exercises and HCA activities.

Specific objectives include:

1. To determine the infestation rate of vectors in non-human hosts -mammalians (livestock, rodents, pets, wild animals) and birds.

2. To identify Rickettsia, bunyavirus, and flavivirus pathogens, the vectors, and non-human hosts.

3. To determine the infection rate of each detected pathogen and the association of the infection rate of each pathogen with specific vector species.

4. To submit results and data to VectorMap and, as applicable, AFHSB Health Surveillance Explorer submission.

II. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. Sample collection by Bogor Agricultural Institute/Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB).

A team from IPB will survey areas where Garuda Shield 2023 were conducted, e.g., areas near Marine Combat Training Center 5 (Karangtekok village, Banyuputih subdistrict, Situbondo regency, East Java) and HCA villages. IPB and NMRC will choose the study site(s). Upon agreement, a total of 2000 to 4000 arthropods and samples from hosts will be collected with the details below:

a. Small mammals (rodents) –Tomahawk live traps w/ baits.

i. Traps will be set out in the late afternoon and checked the following morning, and those with animals will be returned to the processing site.

ii. Pest rodents will be sedated and exsanguinated at the field site and identified. Dried blood specimens will be collected from unidentified hosts using Whatman paper for host identification. All other species will be sedated and released alive after identification and ectoparasite collection.

iii. Ectoparasites will be removed from each animal by vigorously brushing to dislodge them. After brushing, each animal will be examined for any remaining ectoparasites by searching through the pelage with fine forceps. Ectoparasites collected will be kept in tubes. Alive: can be at room temperature; dead: maintain cold chain until identified and tested in the laboratory.

b. Livestock, pets, and wild animals (birds and bats)

i. Ectoparasite collection using brushes or forceps.

ii. Dry blood specimens will be collected using Whatman paper from unidentified hosts.

iii. Symptom-related samples will be collected from febrile livestock and pets.

c. Dragging (more open habitat) and flagging (dense vegetation) to sample questing ticks.

d. Mosquitoes will be collected using mosquito traps and identified.

2. Laboratory analysis by IPB:

a. Vector species, sex, and life stage will be identified morphologically.

b. Pooling Strategy: Depending on the size, up to 5-10 ectoparasites of the same species collected from the same animals will be pooled for total nucleic acid extraction and downstream molecular analysis. Ectoparasites from animals with fewer than five, each species of ectoparasites will be pooled by site and host species.

c. Pan-bunyavirus, pan-flavivirus, Rickettsia, and Orientia PCR will be performed following Standard Operating Procedures developed by the Diagnostics and Surveillance Department (DSD).

III. DELIVERABLES:

1. Official IACUC approval

a. Animal use protocol: The Contractor will develop an animal use protocol in consultation with NMRC and have it approved by its Animal Use Committee.

b. WRAIR-NMRC IACUC Animal Use Appendix: If the animal protocol is not in DoD format, the Contractor will provide this appendix to the P.I. for DoD acknowledgment.

c. The P.I. will coordinate the acceptance from the NMRC IACUC.

2. Site Survey report

a. Proposed study areas.

b. Field work plan.

3. Field collection report Use BestPractices_Data_Mgmt_Reporting_DataEntryForm_WRBU_2021 Form

a. Data on all the ectoparasites collected: the type, species, sex, and life stage.

b. Data on the host of these ectoparasites.

c. Data on the location of the collected ectoparasites.

4. Laboratory results, sample shipment to NMRC, and final report

a. Provide PCR results

b. Material samples (i.e., samples, dried blood, extracted nucleic acid, and PCR products) will be shipped to NMRC for subsequent PCR tests and sequencing.

c. Provide final report and discussion covering the whole contract period.

IV. PAYMENT SCHEDULE:

Payment schedule is as follows:

V. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:

· The established survey site(s) proposed by the Contractor and approved by NMRC.

· IPB laboratories.

VI. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The Project Start (P.S.) date shall be the day the Contractor is awarded the contract. The selected Contractor will initiate the study upon approval of the contract and approval of the protocol by the IACUC. All deliverables should be completed within nine months from the date the contract is awarded. The Contractor should compose a timeline in the proposal based on deliverables.

VII. MONITORING THE PROGRESS:

Progress will be closely monitored by the P.I. and/or designated personnel via email and teleconference as needed. Based upon mutual agreement of schedule, the Contractor will provide access to study personnel assigned by the P.I. to observe procedures.

VIII. ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

· Approval of Animal Use protocol by the IPB University ACUC and NMRC IACUC.

· Sample collection is executed as per the approved Animal Use protocol.

· Laboratory assays are performed according to the DSD SOPs.

· Material samples shipped to DSD/NMRC according to P.I.'s instructions as they become available.

· Acceptance of final report by the P.I.

IX. OTHER REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor should not initiate the sample collection without authorization from the P.I. at NMRC.

3 | Page