Outbreaks of Pediatric Encephalitis in Northern Vietnam and Litchi Harvesting Season

Thanks to the generous support of the FCIS Fellowship, I will be performing research at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. I will be working on extending the analysis of a study that found a link between outbreaks of pediatric encephalitis in Northern Vietnam and litchi harvesting season. My goal during the internship will be to attempt to connect the dots and explain why there is this surprising association by investigating the interactions between enteroviruses (which live in the gut and are responsible for the encephalitis outbreaks), malnutrition and vitamin deficiency among the children, and environmental triggers during litchi harvesting season.