Southeast Asia (SEA) is a hotspot for emerging infectious diseases, and Vietnam, a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) in SEA, has unprecedented demand for meat from livestock such as pigs and farmed wild animals that act as zoonotic reservoirs for emerging and re-emerging pathogens. For instance, our previous studies in northern Vietnam have shown that a. HEV-3 superinfection and high seroprevalence are associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with hepatitis B-related liver disease, b. high HEV seroprevalence in occupationally exposed individuals is associated with risk of HEV exposure and infection, c. high (12%) HEV RNA positivity in pig livers and an associated risk of foodborne transmission in the human population. The aim of this project is to identify circulating zoonotic pathogens in domesticated and farmed wild animals and then to molecularly characterize them to understand their abundance, transmission dynamics and associated human health burden.

Who we are: The PAN ASEAN Coalition for Epidemic and Outbreak Preparedness (PACE-UP) is a Center for global health and pandemic prevention in Asia led by a multidisciplinary consortium of North-South and South-South collaborations. Our consortium leverages on equitable Asia-Europe-Africa partnerships to build and strengthen regional and ASEAN-wide capacity and systems to respond rapidly and effectively to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in the region. The Global Health and Pandemic Prevention Center is located at Vietnamese-German Center for Medical Research (VG-CARE) in Hanoi, Vietnam.