¡Welcome to Emerging & re-emerging zoonoses research line !

History of the research line

Since 2007, the research group in Veterinary Science, "Centauro" (COL0001262), has a reserach line focused on emerging and re-emerging zoonoses, enrolled in the graduate biology program at the University of Antioquia. Which has been working in partnership with other research institutes of the department such as the Colombian Institute of Tropical Medicine - CES (ICMT), and from nation (Research Institute for Tropical Biology, IIBT, University of Cordoba, the University of Sucre, and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá). Internationally, this line has had the advice and logistical support of Dr. Silvana Levis, National Institute of Human Viral Diseases (INEVH), Pergamino, Argentina, Dr. Gustavo Valbuena and Dr. Charles Fulhorst of the University of Texas Medical Branch UTMB, and Marcelo Labruna from the University of Sao Paulo.

Goal of the Research line

The main focus of this research line has been the capture and sampling of wild and domestic rodents in search for viruses and bacteria transmitted by them or their vectors. We are also focusing on human samples identified with undifferentiated febrile syndromes, negative to malaria by blood smear, and consistent with hemorrhagic fever and acute respiratory syndrome originated by both viral and bacterial agents.

Achievements of the Research line

In 2009 the result of a minor project supported by the Committee for Research Development (CODI) of the University of Antioquia was published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygien, ("Prevalence of Leptospira spp. In Urban Rodents from to Groceries Trade Center of Medellin, Colombia", Piedad Agudelo-Flórez, Andrés F. Londoño, Víctor H. Quiroz , Juan C. Ángel , Natalí Moreno , Erica T. Loaiza, Luis F. Muñoz, and Juan D. Rodas, Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 81(5), 2009, pp. 906-910), and the last year the research line finished a 3-year project approved by Colciencias ("Search for Evidence of serological and genetic emergent and re-emergent agents in humans and rodents in urban and rural Antioquia, Colombia, code 111534319203"), which led to the first genetic evidence of emerging and re-emerging agents in urban and rural rodents in three regions of the northern department of Antioquia, Colombia. The results of this study represented a laureate Master thesis that was presented at several national and international events and was published  in 2011 (Londoño AF et al, Genetic Evidence of Hantavirus Infections in Wild Rodents from Northwestern Colombia, 2011. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis, 11 (6): 701-708).

Precisely from the achievements of the latter study, the detection of genetic sequences of a Hantavirus from tissue samples of wild rodents in the village of "Las Chagas" Necoclí, Antioquia, Colombia, in 2011 the line gain further support to form a new PhD student with the project: "Isolation, characterization and epidemiological analysis of a hantavirus detected in Necocli, Colombia" (code 20113600114763), and the advice of Dr. Silvana Levis, National Institute of Human Viral Diseases (INEVH), Pergamino, Argentina, and Dr. Charles Fulhorst of the University of Texas Medical Branch, UTMB.

Also in 2009, the research line of emerging and re-emerging zoonoses obtained funding from Colciencias to develop the project "Ecological study of endemicity by Rickettsia in Colombia" (Code: 111549326228), with the support of the national advisors Marylin Hidalgo of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and Salim Mattar from the University of Córdoba), international advisors (Gustavo Valbuena from the University of Texas Medical Branch, UTMB, and Marcelo Labruna from the University of Sao Paulo), a doctoral student (U de A) and an two master students, one from the U de A and the second one from the U of Cordoba. All the former, in order to be prepared for future outbreaks similar to those that occurred in the past 2006, 2007 and 2008 years in these regions. At the same time we pursue to develop the infrastructure that improves the knowledge of these neglected diseases in our country. As a result of the first two years on these work, we developed a new study based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) programs, in order to identify geographic risk areas and to model and predict the possibility of future areas of outbreaks and promising research. 

Expected outcomes of the Research line

The work of transferring diagnostic technology and the standardization of serological and molecular lab tests for emerging agents with our collaborators from Argentina (Dr. Silvana Levis, National Institute of Human Viral Diseases, INEVH, Pergamino), United States and Brazil as well as its application to the characterization of agents found, to determine its significance for human health, will greatly improve the outcome of viral and bacterial infections transmitted by reservoirs and will clarify the situation regarding agents that might be involved in undifferentiated febrile syndromes or complex cases such as co-viral and bacterial infection (dengue, leptospira, rickettsia dengue, hantavirus, leptospira, hantavirus-Rickettsia, etc).

The studies carried out by this research line will help improve the infrastructure and logistics in health services from areas who have these syndromes as endemic, and will contribute to confront health emergencies such as those presented in the former years 2006-2008 in the northern coast of Colombia. Similarly, by isolating the causative agents of these syndromes and generating reagents for research and diagnoses of such agents in biosafety level 2 conditions, the country will be able to acquire "independence" of the continuing need for non-commercial material, which until now have been provided by international advisers, but at the same time represent a difficulty of establishing a reference center of national standard for diagnosis of emerging infections and a drawback for the possibility of providing this service permanently, certify results, and provide advice to other groups and regions of Colombia.