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Research Axis 1

Emergence of infectious diseases, transfer and pandemic risks

Due to the unpredictability of infectious diseases, new threats such as Zika virus, Nipah virus and re-emerging pathogens, including haemorrhagic fever viruses (Ebola, Crimea-Congo), will continue to be part of our environment, representing a major and recurring health danger for the human society. Ecofect Axis 1 aims to understand the main determinants of the (re)emergence of infectious diseases in order to improve our research efficiency to better prevent future epidemic threats.

Transmission of pathogens from animal reservoirs / vectors, their spread to humans & animals, and the potency of their pathogenic effect, result from complex combinations of multiple determinants. These questions are tackled by Ecofect through multidisciplinary approaches ranging from the study of eco-evolutionary processes to the dissection of host-pathogen interactions, integrating socio-political contexts.

A better understanding of the evolutionary, pathogenic and immunological mechanisms and of transmission of infectious diseases in different species is essential to advance this field of research and eventually, to predict and control future infectious epidemic episodes. You will find below the collaborative and structuring projects integrated in this Research Axis 1.