WHO launches an international study on the Andes hantavirus outbreak coordinated by professionals from the Germans Trias Hospital

Photo credit: WHO / Hedinn Halldorsson

• The scientific protocol developed by Roger Paredes, head of the Infectious Diseases Department at Germans Trias Hospital, researcher at IrsiCaixa and scientific director of the Fight Infections Foundation, has been deployed in 21 countries to study the transmission, clinical progression and immune response to the virus.
• The protocol also includes an advanced virology and immunology study coordinated by IrsiCaixa and IGTP Principal Investigator Julià Blanco and IrsiCaixa Principal Investigator Nuria Izquierdo-Useros.
• The initiative forms part of the World Health Organization's strategy to strengthen preparedness for future health emergencies.

Roger Paredes, head of the Infectious Diseases Department at Hospital Germans Trias, researcher at IrsiCaixa and scientific director of the Fight Infections Foundation, is coordinating the international research initiative launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) to advance understanding of Andes hantavirus (ANDV), following the outbreak detected this year linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship.

The initiative, known as NAVIS (Natural History of Andes Virus Infection Study), is an international observational study designed to characterise key aspects of the infection, including incubation periods, transmission mechanisms, factors associated with severe disease, and immunological and virological determinants. The latter aspects are being investigated through a dedicated work package coordinated by IrsiCaixa and IGTP Principal Investigator Julià Blanco and IrsiCaixa Principal Investigator Nuria Izquierdo-Useros.

The study has been activated simultaneously across 21 countries on four continents, demonstrating the international scientific community's ability to generate evidence rapidly in response to an emerging health threat. The initiative is supported by WHO, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the European BeReady network, and numerous academic, healthcare and public health institutions worldwide.

According to WHO, the rollout of NAVIS provides a practical example of how research networks established in advance can be activated immediately in response to an emerging outbreak. In this case, more than 1,600 experts from over 130 countries participated in an international scientific consultation that identified the main research priorities and enabled the study protocol to be agreed within a matter of days.

"The outbreak has highlighted the importance of having protocols in place before emergencies arise. Research cannot begin when a crisis starts; it must be ready to be activated from day one", explains Paredes.

A unique opportunity to advance knowledge of hantavirus

Andes hantavirus is a zoonotic virus endemic to certain regions of South America that can cause a severe disease known as hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. It is one of the few hantaviruses for which person-to-person transmission has been documented.

Outbreaks of this disease are uncommon, making it difficult to conduct clinical and epidemiological studies. For this reason, each outbreak represents an opportunity to generate knowledge that can improve diagnosis, surveillance and treatment strategies, as well as support the development of future medical countermeasures. "Through the advanced immunology and virology studies that we coordinate from IrsiCaixa, we aim to analyse the immune response developed by patients infected with this virus and use that knowledge to identify potential antivirals and antibodies with therapeutic potential", says Blanco. Izquierdo-Useros adds: "studying the viruses around us in depth and building scientific knowledge allows us to respond more rapidly to outbreaks such as the recent hantavirus event, while also helping us prepare for future health emergencies and for new viruses that may emerge".

NAVIS uses a harmonised protocol that enables data and biological samples to be collected in a standardised manner across all participating countries, facilitating the comparison of results and accelerating the generation of scientific knowledge.

The scientific coordination of this initiative from the Can Ruti Campus reinforces its position as an international reference centre in emerging infectious diseases, epidemic preparedness and collaborative research.