Building foundations for monitoring viruses at the interface of wildlife and indigenous communities in Peru.
Zoonoses, infectious diseases transmitted to humans from animal reservoirs, significantly impact global health (e.g., Covid-19, influenza, rabies). Indigenous communities face intersecting challenges such as poverty, climate change, limited access to health services, and a high burden of infectious diseases, particularly zoonoses. Zoonotic diseases remain neglected in research and policy, particularly in low-resource and indigenous settings.
During this meeting we covered neglected tropical diseases with special emphasis on human rabies, an important neglected zoonosis transmitted by vampire bats causing outbreaks in humans from remote communities in Latin America.
In May 2023, public health officials, academic researchers, and experts from non-governmental organizations working with indigenous communities and wildlife conservation met to evaluate the research and surveillance needs surrounding zoonotic diseases in remote indigenous communities in Amazonas, Peru.
Who was involved: Researchers from the UoG (University of Glasgow), international researchers collaborating on the project (from Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza (UNTRM) and from Tufts University) and invited colleagues from Peruvian human and animal health organisations (from the Regional Directorate of Health (DIRESA)-Amazonas and Condorcanqui Health Network, from the National Service of Agrarian Health (SENASA), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the NGO Yunkawasi.
The first day started with a symposium entitled ‘Perspectives on the research of emerging zoonotic diseases and capacity development in Amazonas’, that was open to the students and researchers from UNTRM and was live streamed on social media. In total, it consisted of 11 presentations carried out by the project leaders, collaborators, and invited researchers, about their most relevant and current research on zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, viruses, wildlife and with indigenous communities in Peru. The day concluded with a question-and-answer session regarding the presentations, triggered by the participants.
On the following day, the human and animal health authorities in the region (i.e., DIRESA-Amazonas, the Condorcanqui Health Network, and SENASA), presented statistics on the zoonotic and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in the region, and the work carried out to monitor and control these diseases. The third day of the event started with a presentation from the event organisers from UofG, summarising the research expertise from UofG and collaborators, and followed up with a round-table discussion with all the participants to identify research priorities for Condorcanqui, challenges, and ideas for future research. This day finished with the identification of the next step: writing a manuscript summarising the main points of the event and the actions needed to improve human and animal health in Condorcanqui
Funding: The meeting was funded by the University of Glasgow’s GCID Small Grants Fund.
Outcomes of the Meeting
Output/Impact | Metrics used to determine success |
---|---|
Identification of each community's self-determined health agenda including zoonotic diseases affecting indigenous communities from Condorcanqui. | Achieved. We obtained statistical data of the zoonotic and neglected tropical disease cases and outbreaks in Condorcanqui from DIRESA and the Condorcanqui Health Network. |
Identification of the communities’ perception about zoonotic disease risks | Achieved. We were informed by the Condorcanqui Health Network and Yunkawasi about the community's beliefs and perceptions about zoonosis and health research (including examples and recommendations for researchers). This information was typed and stored in the meeting minutes. |
Increased knowledge of the interaction of wild animal species with people from these indigenous communities and their domestic animals. |
Achieved. We were informed by the Condorcanqui Health Network about the hunting areas and common wild animals hunted in Condorcanqui. This information was typed and stored in the meeting minutes. We also obtained statistical data of rabies outbreaks in livestock in Amazonas from SENASA. |
Identification of joint intervention activities with the Condorcanqui Health Network in these communities which could contribute to research studies. | Achieved. Potential first intervention activities between IET-UNTRM, Condorcanqui Health Network and UoG were proposed focused on viral surveillance of bat roosts near indigenous communities. However, interventions will depend on each proposed project. |
Identification of community engagement approaches during research studies. |
This has not yet been achieved. Yunkawasi gave us examples about community engagement approaches, but we did not identify specific approaches to use for research studies. It will depend on each proposed project. |
Identification of international and Peruvian funding calls relevant to our subject area |
Achieved. At least 4 funding calls were identified for the year 2023-2024. Potential funders are: Medical Research Council UK, Prociencia-Peru, Wellcome Trust, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Human Frontiers in Science Program. |
Grant proposal preparation | Achieved. An application to the BBSRC fellowship and the LKAS Leadership Fellowship Fund for the project "Unravelling the mechanisms of virus spillover from bats" was submitted in early 2025. |
Leadership of ECR in grant management skills | Achieved. The meeting was successfully executed and 1 report to UoG was presented. |
Long term impacts of establishing a collaboration with Condorcanqui Health Network, DIRESA-Amazonas and UNTRM |
This has not yet been achieved. Successful grant applications, building research capacity, tangible personal benefits for the indigenous communities and outreach tools for reducing zoonotic disease risks are planned for future proposals. |
Unplanned outcome: Organisation of the Symposium ‘Perspectives on the research of emerging zoonotic diseases and capacity development in Amazonas’ at the auditorium of UNTRM | There were 11 presentations. Approximately 100 students and UNTRM researchers attended either in person or online. |
Unplanned outcome: New partnerships | We established a partnership with Wildlife Conservation Society and Yunkawasi NGOs. |
Unplanned outcome: Preparation of a meeting’s manuscript | We submitted our manuscript: “Integrating research and surveillance to mitigate zoonotic disease risk in indigenous communities: insights from an expert group meeting in Amazonas, Peru” for consideration for publication as a Policy Platform in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases early 2025. It is currently under review. |
We sought to fill the research-policy gap by proposing an integrated approach between the government and researchers to tackle zoonotic diseases in indigenous communities. The use of this approach beyond Peru could help to develop evidence-based policies and mitigate the risk of neglected tropical diseases in indigenous communities.
Future Plans
The UoG meeting organising team consisted of three early career female researchers, including a Peruvian PI. The majority of meeting presenters and attendees were Peruvian, and many were based in rural areas of the department of Amazonas. Indeed, we chose to hold our meeting in Chachapoyas rather than Lima to facilitate the participation of colleagues based in the remote province of Condorcanqui.[JPL1]
Who was involved in the meeting:
University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences
Jocelyn G. Pérez
Rita Ribeiro
Laura Bergner
Nardus Mollentze
Daniel G. Streicker
Medical Research Council - University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research
Laura Bergner
Nardus Mollentze
Daniel G. Streicker
Dirección Regional de Salud de Amazonas, Chachapoyas, Perú
T. Pershing Bustamante-Chauca
Laboratorio Referencial Regional de Salud Pública Amazonas, Dirección Regional de Salud de Amazonas, Chachapoyas, Perú
Lizandro Gonzales
Red de Salud Condorcanqui, Amazonas, Perú
Roberto C. Rivera
Miguel Bernal
Victor L. Osorio
Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina
Sergio Recuenco
Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
Bruno M. Ghersi
Wildlife Conservation Society, Lima, Perú
Paulo Colchao-Claux
Yunkawasi, Lima, Perú
Luis Soldán-Villarreal
Carlos Tello
Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas, Chachapoyas, Perú
Instituto de Investigación en Ganadería y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ingeniería Zootecnista, Agronegocios y Biotecnología
William Bardales
Instituto de Investigación para el Desarrollo Sustentable de Ceja de Selva
Jorge L. Maicelo Quintana
Instituto de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales
Rafael Tapia-Limonchi
Stella M. Chenet
Facultad de Medicina
Rafael Tapia-Limonchi
Stella M. Chenet
Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agraria, Cajamarca, Perú
Jesús Rodríguez-Chavez