Filemon Bucardo

The infectious disease group at UNAN-León has been performing research for more than 30 years. I joined this group in 1997, since then, my research group is focus on applied and translational research of viral diseases of public health importance. We have conducted studies on rotavirus, norovirus and sapovirus to better understand changes in virus genetics over time, immune responses, and host genetic susceptibility factors. We also participate in the Dengue Population Genetic Program, a genome wide association study which aim to identify SNPs that may predict dengue severe disease at global level. Given the gravity of the emerging Zika epidemic in Latin America including Nicaragua, we have established a strong collaboration with researchers from North Carolina University at UNC. As a product of well established laboratories, well qualified researchers for lab and fieldwork, and good collaboration with local and international institutions, our virology group has published more than 30 peer reviewed papers on the topics of viral gastroenteritis and host genetic. In collaboration with Prof. Sylvia Becker-Dreps and Dr. jan Vinje, we are conducting a 3 years birth-cohort study to describe the natural history of sapovirus in Nicaraguan children, including to elucidate the development of immunity to sapovirus in early childhood and the potential protective effect of maternal immunity. This cohort constitute a unique scenario to answer several other research questions on the topic of pediatric viral gastroenteritis, in particular, how adaptive immunity is developed following natural norovirus infection and how those infections shape immune response on subsequent norovirus infections in early childhood. Also, to investigate the potential protective effect of maternally-acquired norovirus immunity. In collaboration with CDC we have established molecular laboratory methods, in our lab, to confirm Zika infections and we are collaborating with the development of serological assays with Prof. de Silva. Our ongoing studies on Zika are aiming to: better understand modes of disease transmission, estimate the incidence of Zika in pregnancy, determine short- and long-term sequelae of in utero Zika exposure, explore fetal/neonatal immune response to congenital Zika exposure and neurological changes following Zika disease. The long lasting collaboration with Prof Lennart Svensson from Karolinska Institutet on virus gastroenteritis have been most rewarded by the fact that that Nicaragua was the first country to introduce national rotavirus vaccination with GAVI support.