Scientific objectives and research project

Emerging zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance constitute major threats to humans and animal health, wildlife conservation, and the global economy. Latin America is one of the biggest global hotspots of biodiversity, but several wild species of the continent including birds and bats can spread diseases to both human and domestic animals such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), West Nile virus, rabies and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Migratory birds and bats could spread diseases across the continent, and changes in migration routes due to climate change could generate unexpected consequences for the introduction and spillover of these pathogens to humans and domestic animals. However, despite their ubiquitous distribution and known role as migratory animals and disease reservoirs, there is almost no research conducted on the role of migratory wild birds and bats in the transmission of pathogens across countries of Latin America. For example, there is no understanding on the migratory bird species infected with West Nile in North and Central America that could spread the virus to Southern localities of Bolivia, Peru and Chile. Similarly, the bird species responsible for catastrophic current spread of HPAI across the continent are unknown, as well as the identity of migratory birds that can spread antimicrobial resistant bacteria of critical priority for human health such as carbapenem-resistant E. coli other than a few studies conducted on gulls. Furthermore, the influence of climate change on migratory patterns and on the circulation of pathogens carried by migratory animal is almost completely unknown in the continent, with few available studies limited to North America. This lack of knowledge limits the development of effective and timely preventive strategies to reduce the potential disease spillover from wild migratory animals to humans and domestic animals. Therefore, the IRN MIGRAPATHO will focus on four scientific objectives: (1) Identify the main bird and bat migratory species potentially spreading zoonotic viruses and antimicrobial resistant bacteria across the continent (2) Quantify and enhance surveillance capacity of Latin American countries hosting the studied migratory species (3) Model different scenarios for the spread of pathogens across migratory routes that are consistent with cases reported within the continent (4) Predict the impacts of climate change on bird and bat migration and the subsequent risk of spillover to humans and domestic animals. MIGRAPATHO will consolidate existing and new partnerships with scientists and public health autorities from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru studying and preventing emerging zoonotic diseases transmitted by migratory bats and birds. This translational network will aim to increase surveillance capacity of zoonotic pathogens across Latin America, exchange scientific knowledge and promote South-South collaborations using online tools and workshops, and train postgraduate students and young researchers through summer schools and symposiums. The results of the network will be largely disseminated across regional and international initiatives focusing on zoonotic disease prevention using a One Health approach such as the PREZODE initiative, the FAO regional office for Latin America the Caribbean and the Pan American Health Organization.

IRD units involved

• Département société et santé (SAS)
• MIVEGEC

Member Institutions

IRD : Institut de recherche pour le développement

CHU Montpellier : Centre hospitalier universitaire de Montpellier

Health Secretary of Rio Grande do Sul/State Center for Health Surveillance (CEVS) - Brésil

National Institute of Public Health (ISP)/Department of National and Reference Biomedical Laboratory - Chili

UNAB : Universidad Andrés Bello 

UVG : Universidad del Valle de Guatemala

UNESP : Universidade estadual paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho

UMSA : Universidad Mayor de San Andrès

UNAM : Universidad nacional autonoma de Mexico

UPCH : Universidad peruana Cayetano Heredia

Targeted Sustainable Development Goal(s)

ODD02 - FAIM "ZERO"

ODD03 - BONNE SANTE ET BIEN-ETRE

ODD15 - VIE TERRESTRE