Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PANDASIA (Pandemic literacy and viral zoonotic spillover risk at the frontline of disease emergence in Southeast Asia to improve pandemic preparedness)
Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30
Current international pandemic control activities focus on preparedness, response, and infection containment. Pandemic prevention at the source, however, is underprioritized. Pandemics generally result from zoonotic spillover events. Spillover events arise at the human and animal interface – the frontline of zoonotic disease emergence – where humans interact with wildlife, livestock, insects, pathogens, etc., where pathogens have opportunities to jump to new species and initiate local emergence. A better understanding of these interactions will help develop and improve evidence-based strategies for pandemic preparedness and public health measures.
The main objective of PANDASIA is to investigate potential pandemic drivers along nature-rural-urban gradients through a comprehensive collection of social and biological data and predictive modelling of zoonotic spillover rates and disease emergence in high-risk settings in Thailand. Specific objectives relate to factors impacting zoonotic spillover risk, such as identifying human and societal factors, wild and domestic vertebrate animal hosts, previously unrecognized viral pathogens with spillover potential. Additional objectives relate to developing ecological, epidemiological and evolutionary conceptual models to understand spillover processes including potential effects of changes in land use, land cover, climate, and human demographic factors. Finally, PANDASIA will contribute to improved health care by developing a point-of-care virus test kit prototype to identify spillover at the earliest stages and to create and test a critical public health measure – a pandemic prevention and preparedness literacy (3PL) intervention to reduce zoonotic transmission and pandemic risk. PANDASIA contributes to the medium-term outcomes of the topic, the long-term impacts described in the Work Programme, and other impacts by pursuing the project objectives, establishing credible pathways, addressing potential barriers, and by designing and implementing an effective dissemination, communication, exploitation strategy towards the target groups.
The main objective of PANDASIA is to investigate potential pandemic drivers along nature-rural-urban gradients through a comprehensive collection of social and biological data and predictive modelling of zoonotic spillover rates and disease emergence in high-risk settings in Thailand. Specific objectives relate to factors impacting zoonotic spillover risk, such as identifying human and societal factors, wild and domestic vertebrate animal hosts, previously unrecognized viral pathogens with spillover potential. Additional objectives relate to developing ecological, epidemiological and evolutionary conceptual models to understand spillover processes including potential effects of changes in land use, land cover, climate, and human demographic factors. Finally, PANDASIA will contribute to improved health care by developing a point-of-care virus test kit prototype to identify spillover at the earliest stages and to create and test a critical public health measure – a pandemic prevention and preparedness literacy (3PL) intervention to reduce zoonotic transmission and pandemic risk. PANDASIA contributes to the medium-term outcomes of the topic, the long-term impacts described in the Work Programme, and other impacts by pursuing the project objectives, establishing credible pathways, addressing potential barriers, and by designing and implementing an effective dissemination, communication, exploitation strategy towards the target groups.
The first reporting period of PANDASIA (Jan 2023 – Jun 2024)) was marked with intensive preparatory activities, ethical and administrative approvals, including a first round of field collections of human, animal, and environmental data followed by virus profiling from collected samples. The preparatory activities included building the team, developing harmony between participants and an understanding of transdisciplinarity, obtaining ethical and administrative approvals to carry out the work, field inspections and scoping visits for assessing study sites in two provinces of Thailand: Chiang Rai and Chanthaburi. In each province, field work entailed trapping of rodents, bats and invertebrates from which biological samples (swabs, blood, and tissues) were obtained. Domestic animal samples from dogs, cats and pig samples were also obtained. Environmental data from air, water and sediments were successfully collected. In addition, social data regarding stakeholder analysis and baseline data were taken from Chanthaburi.
A comprehensive review of existing literature on the diversity and distribution of zoonotic viruses in domestic animals, rodents and bats across Southeast Asia is in progress. The aim is to elucidate the prevalence and geographic distribution of these viruses in key reservoir hosts, contributing to a deeper understanding of their zoonotic potential and informing targeted surveillance and mitigation strategies.
Data from in-depth interviews and shared walks with community stakeholders in Chanthaburi was carried out to elicit narratives regarding the locations and actions associated with zoonotic spillover events and spillover risk. Key findings highlight that the locations associated with zoonotic spillover risk are the home, the village, farm, school, market, and forest. The consumption of raw animal products, living near animals, the transfer of animal products between locations and across borders and a changing environment were described as increasing spillover risk. Developing community informed prevention strategies that reflect the reality of interactions between humans and the animal-environment interface is essential for future spillover prevention and mitigation.
A rapid review was carried out describing public health messaging and community engagement initiatives in Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Key findings show comprehensive strategies for risk communication, using creative communication methods, songs, and catchy slogans. Future communication programs should be developed with community members and hard to reach groups to ensure the channels of communication are appropriate and desirable.
Data from in-depth interviews and shared walks with community stakeholders in Chanthaburi was carried out to elicit narratives regarding the locations and actions associated with zoonotic spillover events and spillover risk. Key findings highlight that the locations associated with zoonotic spillover risk are the home, the village, farm, school, market, and forest. The consumption of raw animal products, living near animals, the transfer of animal products between locations and across borders and a changing environment were described as increasing spillover risk. Developing community informed prevention strategies that reflect the reality of interactions between humans and the animal-environment interface is essential for future spillover prevention and mitigation.
A rapid review was carried out describing public health messaging and community engagement initiatives in Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Key findings show comprehensive strategies for risk communication, using creative communication methods, songs, and catchy slogans. Future communication programs should be developed with community members and hard to reach groups to ensure the channels of communication are appropriate and desirable.