Investigation of leptospirosis epidemiology in the South Western Indian Ocean Islands

Offre d’emploi du CENTRE DE RECHERCHE ET DE VEILLE SUR LES MALADIES EMERGENTES DANS L’OCéAN INDIEN (Ile de la Réunion) :

A two year position in Bacteriology is available at CRVOI on Reunion Island. The young scientist will conduct the bacteriological aspects of a research programme on leptospirosis in the Indian Ocean Islands. The region displays some of the world’s highest human leptospirosis incidence levels with contrasted epidemiology between the islands.

The recruited scientist will explore this contrasted epidemiology through the investigation of Leptospira genetic diversity and prevalence in the wild animal reservoirs.

She/he will perform leptospira PCR diagnosis and genotyping on tissue samples collected on rodents, bats and endemic insectivores previously sampled throughout the islands of the region.

In addition, she/he will isolate Leptospira from wild animals’ urine or kidney tissues.

For this, she/he will have to work within a multidisciplinary network involving clinicians, conservation biologists, phylogeneticists and geographers.

The researcher will be based at CRVOI (www.crvoi.org) on Réunion Island and will work within the team headed by Dr. Pablo Tortosa (http://www.crvoi.org/spip.php?article46).

She/he will be integrated within the research programme on leptospirosis and will contribute to the capacity building objectives of the RUN-EMERGE programme.

The successful candidate will have a PhD with a validated experience in bacteriology (including classic techniques : culture, identification, and serology). Good skills in molecular biology are required. A previous experience on leptospira research will be highly appreciated.

For more details on the position, contact Dr Pablo Tortosa : [email protected] - Phone +262 262 93 88 39

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