Project profile — Reinforced Investigation and Response to Emerging Viral Pathogens of Security Concern

• Laos (100.00%)

• Government And Civil Society, General: Disarmament of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) (1520010) (100.00%)

This project supports a collaboration with Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory to reduce risks and threats posed by emerging infectious zoonotic diseases in the Lao People's Democratic Republic and globally. Project activities include: (1) establishing a biosafety office within the Institut Pasteur du Laos; (2) delivering training and mentoring of Laotian scientists; (3) developing an inventory of previously undiscovered animal-borne viruses of security concern; (4) developing a database of zoonotic viruses with pandemic potential; and (5) publishing research papers on the risks and conditions that enable the interspecies transmission of zoonotic viruses.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) enhanced capacity of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to monitor for, rapidly detect and effectively respond to disease outbreaks that pose a bioterrorism or bioweapons risk; (2) increased knowledge and awareness of local scientists/community of zoonotic viral pathogens and best practices related to the safe acquisition, handling, storage and cataloguing of biological samples; and (3) strengthened detection, diagnosis, and response to emerging viral pathogens by Lao scientists, technicians, and other national stakeholders.

N/A

• Proactive disclosure
• Related activities:
• Investigation and Response to Emerging Viral Pathogens of Security Concern
• Reinforced collaboration with Canada on the Investigation and Response to Emerging Viral Pathogens