Global Virus Network meeting unites Caribbean and Latin America to tackle emerging viral threats

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The Global Virus Network (GVN), in partnership with The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus and the State University of New York (SUNY) at the University of Buffalo, convened top virologists, epidemiologists, public health experts, and government officials for the 2025 GVN Regional Meeting: Caribbean and Latin America in Kingston, Jamaica held May 1-2, 2025.

Yellow_fever_virus

Source: NIAID

Yellow fever virus

The two-day summit focused on collaborative strategies to bolster viral surveillance, diagnostics, vaccine research, and pandemic preparedness across Latin America and the Caribbean, challenges intensified by climate change and globalization.

“The intellectual strength across the Caribbean and Latin America is extraordinary, but brilliance alone won’t prepare us for the next pandemic,” said Dr. Sten Vermund, GVN chief medical officer and dean of the University of South Florida College of Public Health. “We must build bridges across languages, borders, and disciplines. Rising global temperatures are not waiting, and neither are the viruses. Whether in Tampa or Kingston, the same mosquitoes carry the same threats. Our response must be as united as the challenges we face.”

Relentless waves

Dr. John Lindo, professor at UWI Mona and a GVN Affiliate, welcomed participants on behalf of UWI’s network across 18 Caribbean territories and nations. Emphasizing the university’s longstanding commitment to infectious disease research and regional leadership, he said, “We face relentless waves of arboviruses such as dengue and chikungunya and retroviruses like HTLV and HIV. UWI cannot respond alone. Our partnership with the GVN provides a vital opportunity to build capacity and act together.”

Representatives from across the region highlighted the value of local expertise in global virology. Dr. Calum MacPherson, professor at St. George’s University, a GVN Affiliate in Grenada, detailed how the COVID-19 crisis spurred infrastructure growth, transforming the university into Grenada’s national reference lab. “We need advanced research capacity. In our studies of febrile illnesses, 20% are due to dengue. The other 80% remain unidentified,” he noted.

Viruses and cancer

Dr. Eduardo Gotuzzo, professor at Peru’s Institute of Tropical Medicine, a GVN Center of Excellence, spotlighted the strong link between virus infections and cancers, such as human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1), particularly in indigenous and marginalized populations. He advocated for equitable research partnerships and called for stronger viral surveillance, especially for respiratory viruses and co-infections.

“Low- and middle-income countries must be equal partners in science and share knowledge and resources, not just samples,” said Dr. Gotuzzo.

A dynamic panel explored how AI, microbiome research, wastewater surveillance, and climate science can strengthen pandemic response. From predictive modeling of influenza outbreaks to real-time genomic data from wastewater, presenters underscored the need for interdisciplinary, regionally coordinated approaches. Climate change’s role in driving arboviral transmission—as seen in Brazil, the Andes, and the Caribbean—was a recurring theme.

Novel viruses

Dr. Lester Perez, a principal scientist at Abbott Laboratories, a GVN Center of Excellence in the U.S., presented updates from the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition (APDC), which has identified 24 novel viruses and trained over 120 field researchers. Notably, APDC uncovered a new yellow fever strain in Colombia genetically linked to a 1999 Bolivian lineage, potentially evading current vaccines. “We don’t know if the next pandemic will come from a known or unknown virus, but without proactive genomic surveillance, we’ll be one step behind,” said Dr. Perez.

Dr. Christine Carrington, professor at UWI St. Augustine, a GVN Affiliate in Trinidad and Tobago, described how her team uses genomic sequencing to track viral evolution across human, animal, and mosquito populations. This work supports regional frameworks for outbreak response. “We don’t just sequence viruses, we trace their journeys,” she said.

Small powerhouses

Dr. Arlene Calvo, associate professor at the University of South Florida College of Public Health in the U.S., highlighted Latin America’s rise in vaccine R&D. Panama is a leader due to its historic public health infrastructure, community trust, and new initiatives like the National Vaccine Research Center.

Dr. Calvo was pleased to present alongside her Panamanian colleagues, including Dr. Jose Loaiza of Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT-AIP) and Dr. Jean Paul Carrera of the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies and Regional Center for Innovation in Vaccines and Biopharmaceuticals (CRIVB), all key institutions within Panama’s national research ecosystem. “Panama may be small, but we’re a powerhouse in vaccine research,” she said.

Wastewater-based epidemiology

Dr. Helena Solo-Gabriele, professor at the College of Engineering at the University of Miami in the U.S., shared how wastewater-based epidemiology can forecast viral trends and identify outbreaks before clinical confirmation.

Building on their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Calvo’s team has expanded their research to include additional respiratory pathogens, Candida auris, Mpox, and poliovirus, with a new emphasis on dengue virus. These efforts are supported through ongoing collaborations with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, a GVN Center of Excellence, and Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control.

“Wastewater surveillance offers a real-time lens into infectious disease transmission within communities, including those transmitted by vectors,” she said.

Arboviruses and the climate connection

Dr. Scott Weaver, professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, a GVN Center of Excellence in the U.S., discussed the rising threat of arboviruses in the Americas, including the sharp increase in dengue, the spread of more virulent chikungunya strains, and the reemergence of Western equine encephalitis.

He also raised concerns about the Oropouche virus, which is spreading in rural areas with little surveillance and emerging genetic variants.

Dr. Weaver stressed that many of these threats are poorly understood due to limited data and funding. “Viruses like Oropouche are spreading quietly, not because they’re mild, but because we’re not looking closely enough,” he said.

From brain drain to brain gain

Dr. Gene Morse, a SUNY Distinguished Professor at the University of Buffalo, a GVN Center of Excellence, stressed that advancing virology in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) demands multidisciplinary collaboration and sustained investment in mentored training.

He outlined a comprehensive framework that connects virology, genomics, immunology, and environmental factors, from pathogen and vector dynamics to host biology and clinical outcomes.

Dr. Morse lauded the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s Global Infectious Disease Research Training (GID) program at the Fogarty International Center and called for greater involvement from industry and philanthropic foundations to support capacity-building programs in LMICs.

“Training the next generation of virologists in LMICs isn’t just about education, but it’s also about building integrated systems that connect science, geography, and public health,” said Dr. Morse.

Vaccines as game changers

In a presentation on vaccinology, Dr. Sten Vermund praised past breakthroughs while identifying current blind spots. While vaccines have nearly eradicated diseases like polio and smallpox, others like herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), HTLV-1, and emerging arboviruses remain unaddressed.

He also said officials should reframe vaccine conversations to suggest that vaccines are not merely tools for preventing infection but also essential instruments for mitigating disease severity, reducing transmission, and protecting public health.

“The only vaccine that immunizes is the one that’s administered correctly and equitably. Scientific innovation holds no real power unless it reaches every community as discovery must be matched by delivery, equity, and access,” he said.

Honoring regional lLeadership

During the Regional Meeting, the GVN honored UWI St. Augustine’s Dr. Christine Carrington with its inaugural GVN Regional Excellence in Leadership Award (Caribbean and Latin America). Dr. Carrington was recognized for her groundbreaking contributions to viral genomics and leadership in advancing regional pandemic preparedness.

“Professor Carrington is a beacon of scientific leadership in the Caribbean and beyond,” said Dr. Vermund. “We deeply value her unwavering commitment to advancing GVN’s mission, and her leadership exemplifies the power of collaborative, science-based approaches in confronting the world’s most urgent viral challenges.”

Looking ahead

The GVN will continue its global momentum with upcoming events: the GVN Short Course in Translational Virology (December 3-12, 2025) and the GVN Annual Scientific Meeting (March 4-6, 2026), both in Tampa, Florida.

The CDC Foundation, USF Health, and the University of South Florida College of Public Health supported the meeting. Click here for the complete program from the 2025 GVN Regional Meeting: Caribbean and Latin America.