A joint research program in high-consequence animal diseases between Korea and Brazil, utilizing avian influenza as a model

• Grant number: 23/08501-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2024
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Agreement: National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)
• Principal Investigator: Helena Lage Ferreira
• Grantee: Helena Lage Ferreira
• Principal researcher abroad: Dong-Hun Lee
• Institution abroad: Konkuk University, South Korea
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

According to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), 75% of emerging infectious diseases in humans have an animal origin, and 60% of human pathogens are zoonotic. With the increasing deforestation and urbanization, populations of wild animals face modifications in their ecological compositions, which intensify the contact between wild/domestic animals and humans. This situation increases the risk of transmitting pathogens in these wild animals to domestic animals and humans. To leverage strengths and enhance our collective understanding of high-consequence viruses, the project aims to establish a joint research program on the ecology and molecular epidemiology of avian influenza viruses as a model pathogen. The H5N1 highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus has been detected in Korea during the past years and has now been detected in wild birds and backyard poultry from Brazil. Collaboration between Korea and Brazil can facilitate the exchange of research resources, including samples, data, and technologies, to establish tools for rapidly detecting pathogens in the one-health context, i.e., impacting human, animal, and environmental health. We will collect avian influenza viruses from wildlife and domestic birds and perform molecular and serological tests to identify and characterize currently circulating viruses. The protocols for genome sequencing and bioinformatics will be optimized for the obtention of complete genome sequences from clinical samples by both teams and shared. We will apply statistical phylodynamic analysis to characterize the viral diversity in South America and East Asia. Serology will also be applied to identify the circulation of avian influenza viruses in the collected birds to improve the knowledge of AIV ecology. Binational research cooperation will be promoted through technical visits and a virtual workshop. This can lead to improved diagnostic capabilities, advanced genomic sequencing, and enhanced surveillance systems, which are crucial for effective monitoring and response to avian influenza outbreaks in both countries. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ARAUJO, ANDREINA DE CARVALHO; CHO, ANDREW YONG; SILVA, LAURA MORAIS NASCIMENTO; CORREA, THAIS CAMILO; DE SOUZA, GABRIELA CRISTINI; ALBUQUERQUE, ADRIANA SILVA; MACAGNAN, EDUARDO; KOLESNIKVOAS, CRISTIANE K. M.; MEURER, RAFAEL; VIEIRA, JENYFFER VIERHELLER; et al. Mortality in sea lions is associated with the introduction of the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b virus in Brazil October 2023: whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. BMC Veterinary Research, v. 20, n. 1, p. 8-pg., 2024-07-02. (23/08501-0)