Existing and emerging pathogens
The 5-year EU-funded project 'European management platform for emerging and re-emerging infectious disease entities' (EMPERIE), involving 11 international participants, was completed in 2014. The mission was to address the public health threat caused by new and emerging infectious diseases. For this purpose, project partners established a network capable of prediction, early detection, identification, modelling and surveillance of pathogens. Rapid identification of pathogens gives public health authorities the needed knowledge and time to prepare and implement emergency measures. EMPERIE built a virus discovery pipeline using advanced technologies to rapidly detect and characterise novel viruses. The project resulted in a discovery of over 40 new viruses. EMPERIE scientists discovered the Schmallenberg virus and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), as well as multiple novel viruses in mammals, insectivores and arthropods. During the course of the project, virus discovery and bioinformatics protocols underwent optimisation, ensuring its continued operations. The resulting world's most successful virus discovery network may be activated whenever a novel virus challenge emerges. Research findings have been described in over 240 peer-reviewed publications. Project accomplishments include rapid research responses to H1N1, H7N9 and MERS-CoV. In addition, identification of genes involved in SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV virulence lead to the development of novel vaccine candidates. EMPERIE developed novel computational methods, epidemiological models and software for analysing emerging outbreaks and mitigation strategies. These techniques were used by public health partners, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), to respond to the H1N1 pandemic and the ongoing MERS-CoV outbreak. The governments of China, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States used approaches and tools developed by EMPERIE. In addition, EMPERIE built close working relationships with international partners in Ghana, Indonesia, Nepal and Vietnam, providing training to clinical, support and laboratory staff. The network built by EMPERIE has already proved its capacity to increase public safety during viral outbreaks on an international scale.
Keywords
Pathogens, viral epidemics, infectious disease, public health, virus discovery
