A global network of doctors and laboratories is working to identify emerging viral threats linked to climate change to prevent the next pandemic.
The coalition of "virus hunters" has discovered everything from a rare tick-borne disease in Thailand to an unexpected outbreak of a midge-spread infection in Colombia.
"The list of threats is constantly changing, as we saw with COVID-19," said Gavin Cloherty, an infectious disease expert and head of the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition. "We must stay vigilant about known threats and be aware of new ones."
The coalition includes doctors and scientists from universities and health institutions worldwide, funded by healthcare and medical device giant Abbott. Their work provides Abbott with early insights for developing diagnostic tests crucial for pandemic response.
The coalition has sequenced about 13,000 samples since its inception in 2021. In Colombia, they identified an outbreak of the Oropouche virus, which had rarely been seen in the region. Phylogenetic analysis traced the virus to Peru or Ecuador, not Brazil.
The coalition helped identify a tick-borne virus in Thailand behind a cluster of mysterious cases. Testing revealed many samples were positive for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTSV), a diagnosis that had been difficult due to the lack of PCR and serology tests.
The coalition's efforts are increasingly important as climate change expands the range of infectious diseases. Warmer temperatures, increased rainfall, and extreme weather events are creating new breeding grounds for vectors like mosquitoes and bringing people into closer contact with wildlife.
Phylogenetic analysis of the SFTSV strain in Thailand showed the virus evolved from a local tick species into the more resilient Asian long-horned tick, driven partly by pesticide use. These ticks living on migratory birds also facilitate the virus's spread.
Climate change's impact is evident in rising outbreaks of diseases like dengue in Latin America and West Nile virus in the U.S. The global spread of COVID-19 highlighted the importance of pandemic preparedness.
Despite these lessons, Cloherty worries that the urgency is fading. "You have to be vigilant," he said. "What happens in Bangkok could be in Boston tomorrow."
