Viral and Bacterial Infections

Although mortality from infectious disease has declined globally, viral and bacterial infections still disproportionately impact the world's most vulnerable populations. Pneumonia and diarrhoea are major killers in young children while syphilis is the main cause of stillbirth and perinatal mortality. HIV, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis are among the leading causes of deaths due to infectious disease in adults living in low and middle income countries. Treatment for these devastating diseases exists, but their use and effectiveness face numerous challenges including timely diagnosis, drug resistance and access to healthcare. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 70% of the world’s people living with HIV and the highest tuberculosis burden in the world. Although treatment has saved many lives, daunting challenges in reaching, diagnosing and treating patients hamper their control.
Multi-resistant bacteria are found in all regions of the world and spread easily, thus constituting one of the most serious threats to global health. In the last decades, emerging infectious diseases, especially those related to emerging viruses such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika, have become an increasingly important area of concern in public health at a global level. The crisis triggered by SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, has brought the threat of emerging viruses to the forefront at a global level.
Main research lines
At ISGlobal, we use our experience to improve the diagnosis and treatment of viral and bacterial diseases, to understand the causes of antibiotic resistance, and to find novel ways of reaching underserved populations in the following areas:
Our Team
Head
-
Sara Soto Associate Research Professor and Head of the Viral and Bacterial Infections Programme at ISGlobal.
Co-directors
-
Jeffrey Lazarus Associate Research Professor and Co-director of the Viral and Bacterial Infections Programme
-
Jordi Vila Research Professor, Director of the Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative and Co-Director of the Viral and Bacterial Infections Programme
Our Team
-
Quique Bassat ICREA Research Professor, Head of the Malaria Programme
-
Climent Casals-Pascual Associate Research Professor
-
Alberto García-Basteiro Associate Research Professor
-
Julià González Associated Researcher
-
Emili Letang Associated Researcher
-
Mª Ángeles Marcos Associate Researcher
Highlighted Projects
Evaluation of Strategies for Yaws Eradication
Yaws eradication
Novel Marine Biomolecules against Biofilm (NoMorFilm)
Application to medical devices
COMBACTE-CARE
Combatting Bacterial Resistance in Europe - Carbapenem Resistance
Xpatial-TB
Improved case detection through TB contact risk stratification by Xpert results and spatial parameters in Mozambique
WHIP3TB
Evaluation of the effect of weekly high dose rifapentine and isoniazid (3HP) vs periodic 3HP vs 6H for preventing TB among HIV-positive individuals
VINCI
Optimizing provider-initiated HIV testing, linkage, and retention in care in the district of Manhiça, Mozambique
INTE-AFRICA
Integrating and decentralizing diabetes and hypertension services in Africa
Projecte de Recerca en Resposta Immunitària i Epidemiologia de Malalties Infeccioses
Conèixer la propagació. Entendre la protecció
AMR DetecTool
A breakthrough device for the rapid detection of antimicrobial resistance
ANTICOV
Large Clinical Trial in Africa on the Treatment of Mild Cases of COVID-19
HBV-COMSAVA
Hepatitis B Virus COMmunity Screening and Vaccination in Africans
Stool4TB
Evaluating a new stool based qPCR for diagnosis of tuberculosis in children and people living with HIV
Hep C Free Baleares
Eliminating hepatitis C on the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza): a study in governmental and non-governmental addiction service centres, a mobile methadone unit and a prison to test and link people who use drugs to HCV care.
CAPTB
Close the Gap, Increase Access, Provide Adequate Therapy
SAFE (Superbug Awareness For Education) - 2nd Edition
Antimicrobial Resistances
STREESCO
Strengthening Epidemiological Surveillance in Benin and Burkina Faso for an Effective Response to COVID-19
COVAIR-CAT
Air Pollution in Relation to COVID-19 Morbidity and Mortality: A Large Population-Based Cohort Study in Catalonia
END-VOC
ENDing COVID-19 Variants Of concern through Cohort studies (END-VOC)
Nuevos complejos de oro (III) frente a bacterias multirresistentes
Project Code: DTS21/00004
Desarrollo de dos nuevas estrategias terapéuticas (inhibidores de bombas de expulsion y ARN antisentido) activos frente a bacterias mutliresistentes
Más allá de la supresión vírica del VIH: un cuarto noventa para mejorar la salud de personas viviendo con el VIH en España
Project Code: PI20/01654
Other projects
See Past ProjectsVH-COMSAVAC
Viral Hepatitis COMmunity Screening, Vaccination, and Care
COMBACTE
Combating Bacterial Resistance In Europe
Prioritising Antimicrobial Resistance: establishing an interdisciplinary International Research Partnership to tackle an evolving global health threat
An interdisciplinary International Research Partnership to tackle an evolving global health threat
Development of new metal-antibiotics against pathogens causing chronic infections in patients with cystic fibrosis.
New metal-antibiotics for patients with cystic fibrosis
HU-MEN (High frequency Ultrasound-based MENingitis screening)
Non-invasive ultrasound-based screening for meningitis: Proof-of concept in infants
New antibacterial agents against 'Acinetobacter baumannii'
Search for new target proteins and use of antibacterial or inhibitory peptides against resistance mechanisms in 'Acinetobacter baumannii'
Development of New Metalloantibiotics Against Pathogens Associated to Chronic Infections in Cystic Fibrosis Patients
AVATAR
Searching the hidden: evaluating dengue, chikungunya and Zika autochthonous transmission in the city of Barcelona.
COVID-PREG
Eficacia de hidroxicloroquina en la prevención de la infección por SARS-CoV-2 y de la gravedad de la enfermedad de COVID-19 durante el embarazo
SARS-CoV-2 Ivermectin Navarra-ISGlobal Trial (SAINT)
Pilot Study to Evaluate the Potential of Ivermectin to Reduce COVID-19 Transmission
CoViproteHCt
TB-RECONNECT
Reconnecting Transmission to Global Tuberculosis Control by Mapping Pathogen Transmission Events to Host Infection Status
Estudio de la propagación de bacterias y genes de resistencia a los antibióticos en el ciclo integral del agua, en el área metropolitana de Barcelona
Propagación de la resistencia en aguas
ENDÈMIC
Community knowledge generation through scientific culture, urban ecology and art