Spillover of High Consequence Emerging Viruses: West Africa and Southeast Asia

Date:

Tue, 05 March 2024

Time:

3 pm – 4pm [Singapore [GMT +8]

Location:

Tutorial Room 1, Level 9
Tahir Foundation Building (MD1)
National University of Singapore
12 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117549

Details:

You are cordially invited to the ON-SITE SPH Staff Research Round. We look forward to your attendance and we hope for an interesting discussion. Do hang around after the talk as light refreshments will be provided.

We will also be having a Lucky Draw at the end of the session, so register yourself on-site and stand a chance to win a special prize!

Abstract:

In the last 2 decades, there have been >50 recorded outbreaks caused by zoonotic spillover of high consequence emerging viruses. In reality, this represents a fraction of the true incidence of such events due to the challenges of clinical sampling and pathogen identification.

The 2013-2016 Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemic in West Africa further highlighted the need to understand the processes of zoonotic spillover events of filoviruses and other highly pathogenic viruses. Furthermore, the reports of subsequent outbreaks of Zaire and Bombali Ebola viruses in addition to Marburg virus, in the region, suggest numerous known and unknown emerging viruses have been circulating in animal reservoirs before the initial spillover event of EBOV in 2013. The evidence of EBOV virus persistence in male survivors provides additional threats of sexual transmission associated outbreaks.

We have been studying EBOV disease survivors and bushmeat hunters immunity in the forested region of Guinea since 2014. The forests, which straddle the borders with Liberia and Sierra Leonne, have extensive biodiversity and are home to an array of bat species as well as other small mammals previously identified as reservoirs for emerging viruses. We are also supporting the analysis of the serological profile of communities within Malaysian Borneo to compare immunological footprints of prior viral infections.

I will discuss the evidence of prior spillover of emerging viruses in these regions as well as the impact of environmental pressure, and other human factors, on the threat of future outbreaks.

Speakers:

Prof Miles Carroll 
Professor, Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford

Professor Miles Carroll is the head of the High Consequences Emerging Viruses Group at the University of Oxford’s Pandemic Sciences Institute. Previously, Miles was the Head of Research at the National Infections Service at Public Health England, Porton Down from 2008-2022. His current research portfolio includes naturally acquired immunity to Ebola Virus and other high consequence pathogens, understanding the host response to infection, high consequence emerging disease vaccines and diagnostics and the application of molecular epidemiology to outbreaks. He is also involved in ongoing infectious disease research in West Africa and Southeast Asia.

Miles has authored >250 publications and is the recipient of >15 granted patents. He serves on a variety of Scientific Advisory Boards including the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency, Defence Science & Technology Laboratories, UK Vaccines Network and the WHO R&D Road Map for Priority Pathogens. He has been awarded various honorary awards in recognition of research contributions in the field of infectious diseases.