Enhancing laboratory preparedness for the detection and control of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases – ZODIAC in Asia and the Pacific
Closed for proposals
Project Type
Project Code
D32039CRP
2355Approved Date
Status
Start Date
Expected End Date
Participating Countries
Description
Multiple zoonotic diseases have impacted public health, peoples’ livelihoods, and the global economy in the last few decades. The COVID-19 pandemic is the most recent severe threat, which will have a long-term and far-reaching influence on the population and economy worldwide.
Surveillance and early detection tools and technologies are the critical links in the chain of disease control. They enable the rapid discovery of source and movement of pathogens as well as analysis, planning, and decision-making through the design and implementation of preventive or control measures.
Nuclear, nuclear-derived and -related techniques are reliable tools that can help scientists to investigate, prevent, detect, and contain outbreaks of zoonotic diseases. In addition, the IAEA has considerable experience in assisting the Member States in building their capacity to detect and characterize pathogens early and diagnose diseases rapidly and accurately. Moreover, the IAEA has developed or contributed to developing early detection and characterization tools, nowadays recognized as international testing standards.
Over the last few decades, technological development has enabled miniaturization and multiplexing of diagnostic assays, thus opening new windows in understanding the ecology and evolution of zoonotic pathogens. Next-generation sequencing, nanopore sequencing, and metagenomics-based approaches will enable novel pathogen characterization and discovery and will help to find potential reservoirs, vectors and additional susceptible hosts for known zoonotic pathogens.
The ZODIAC CRP for Asia and the Pacific aims to develop and validate immunological and molecular tools under Pillar 2 of the ZODIAC project. The running title of the CRP is: “Enhancing laboratory preparedness for the detection and control of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases – ZODIAC in Asia and the Pacific.”
Objectives
Empower the national and regional disease surveillance programs in Asia and the Pacific to identify potential sources of pathogen spill-over to humans and identify emerging- and/or re-emerging pathogens with zoonotic risk.
Specific objectives
To develop novel nuclear, nuclear-derived and -related technologies and approaches for the tracing, mining, and detection of zoonotic pathogens of interest for the end-users, the ZODIAC National Laboratories (ZNLs), based on specifically targeted eco-, wildlife-, or livestock systems.
To develop and validate innovative approaches for sample targeting, collection, and submission for molecular, virological, and serological studies.
To develop innovative, user-friendly and robust approaches and technologies for antigenic and genetic characterisation, to discover pathogen variants, new and potential reservoirs, and detect unknown pathogens.
To evaluate the potential of targeted surveillance at specific interfaces for the early detection of potential spill-over events.
To perform comprehensive field evaluation and harmonization of the assays/workflows through multiple competent laboratories
To facilitate technology transfer and dissemination enabling ZNLs to generate laboratory data, genetic sequences, and research results.