For describing the full spectrum Congenital Zika Syndrome, the MERG group has unprecedented amount of long-term follow up data on Zika affected neonates including socioeconomic information which will go beyond ZikaPLAN. An International Committee for Birth Defect Surveillance & an Inventory of Birth Defect Surveillance Tools is established and available for further use. A Tablet App is available for use and adopted in many low resource settings.
The multi-centre clinical studies have led to various outcomes that will be exploited beyond ZIkaPLAN: (1) Utilisation of online platforms for data collection to build capacity for clinical research into neurological disease, (2) Established biobanks in Colombia and Brazil with ongoing sample collection, (3) Production of courses and an expert consensus publication in a high profile journal on clinical management guidance on GBS. IGOS has adapted its protocols, made them widely available, and expanded its network. This will benefit Latin America beyond the ZikaPLAN project.
Diagnostic evaluation platform work has resulted in harmonized bio-banking procedures, a manual & Standard Operating Procedures on sample collection & characterization to ensure harmonisation of bio-banking procedures. Requests by the industry & UNICEF for evaluating new tests are addressed.
Major T & B cell epitopes on ZIKV were identified, both important for diagnostics and vaccine development. One of the major impacts of ZikaPLAN will be the longitudinal cohort study involving 16,235 subjects aged 2-59 years in 16 geographic locations in Brazil. Samples are now being analysed to assess seroprevalence by age, gender & geographic location. Such information is necessary for policy-makers & vaccine developers.
REDe website is highly frequented. REDe works in strong partnerships with organisations like Fiocruz, PAHO, public-private partnerships, well connected to international networks (GLoPID-R, ALERRT, ISARIC). Our members are sought-after speakers at international conferences and at WHO technical consultations. EU DG-RTD has recognised ZikaPLAN as an outstanding example of successful international cooperation and collaboration.
