Enhanced Surveillance and Control of Endemic and Emerging Arboviruses in Puerto Rico

The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to strengthen an established research platform for arboviruses in hospital and community settings in Puerto Rico, identify emerging and endemic pathogens like dengue and Oropouche viruses, improve patient management, and evaluate prevention and control strategies. The core objectives include: 1) strengthen hospital surveillance of acute febrile illness (AFI) to ensure early detection of emerging arboviruses and other pathogens; 2) use the established AFI surveillance platform to conduct clinical research on dengue and other arboviral diseases, including among special populations such as women and children; 3) maintain and enhance the community cohort to assess incidence and prevalence of arboviral infections and other AFIs, while also evaluate the effectiveness of vector control strategies; 4) strengthen and modernize infrastructure for project data management and analysis, ensuring the surveillance platform is capable of handling large, complex datasets in real-time; and 5) strengthen collaborations with the local government, community leaders, and other interest holders to ensure the continuity of the established program while fostering an environment of rapid and effective communication and cooperation.