Investigation
Emerging flaviviruses: West Nile virus and beyond
During the last decades, we are observing an
increase in the incidence of viral zoonoses, with the associated risk for animal and human health.
A wide variety of factors such as the
globalization of trade and transport, together with
global warming, changes in land use,
destruction of ecosystems and
urbanization have contributed, for example, to the
proliferation of certain mosquitoes that act as transmitting agents (vectors) of some flaviviruses.
Our main object of study is
West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus whose natural reservoir are wild birds. This virus is responsible for outbreaks of encephalitis in horses and humans, which can be fatal. We also study other flaviviruses such as the
Zika virus, associated with malformations in newborns and neurological disorders; the
denge virus, responsible for a febrile illness that can evolve into a serious condition and become fatal; or the
Usutu virus, another bird pathogen associated with sporadic cases of infection in humans.
Our research is aimed to:
- Identify
cellular and viral factors necessary for the multiplication of flaviviruses
- Search new
drugs to combat flavivirus infection
- Generate new
vaccines to prevent flavivirus infection
- Develop new
biotechnological tools to improve detection and diagnosis of flaviviruses
- Analyze infection in
animal models, including natural hosts
The results of our research included:
-
Identification of the essential role of certain lipids (sphingolipids and fatty acids) for the multiplication of flaviviruses
- Characterization of the
mechanism of action of antiviral drugs such as Favipiravir
- Generation of
vaccines against West Nile virus, Zika virus and Usutu virus
- Development of
new methodologies (ELISA and qRT-PCR) for the detection of flaviviruses
- Assesment of the
susceptibility of natural hosts such as magpies (Pica pica) to West Nile virus infection
All these investigations are carried out by the ZOOVIR group thanks to a multidisciplinary approach that combines virology, cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, and animal experimentation..
You can follow the progress of our latest research on the Twitter account @hostmevir_ (https://twitter.com/HOSTMEVIR_)
Other viral zoonoses: our response against COVID-19
The techniques, tools and accumulated expertise of the ZOOVIR group working with multiple zoonotic viruses, allow us to address other zoonoses such as that associated with the
COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the spillover of a bat coronavirus to humans.
Our current efforts to combat COVID-19 are focused to investigate new antiviral strategies against SARS-CoV-2 based on nucleic acids (RNA) and to evaluate their efficacy in animal models. These studies pursue the development of effective drugs to combat the virus.
