VHFMoDRAD

Viral haemorrhagic fever: modern approaches for developing bedside rapid diagnostics
VHFMoDRAD logo

FACTS & FIGURES

Start Date
End Date
Call
IMI2 - Call 8
Grant agreement number
823666

Type of Action: 
RIA (Research and Innovation Action)

Contributions
IMI Funding
3 316 013
Associated Partners
1 574 000
Other
160 000
Total Cost
5 050 013

Summary

Better, faster diagnosis of viral haemorrhagic fevers like Ebola is the ultimate goal of the VHFMoDRAD project. As their name implies, viral haemorrhagic fevers are caused by viruses and a common symptoms is severe bleeding, which often results in death. Examples include Ebola and Marburg as well as dengue and yellow fever. As these diseases have many symptoms in common, it is often hard to deliver a rapid diagnosis, yet in an outbreak setting, this is essential. The aim of VHFMoDRAD is to develop rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tools capable of identifying a number of viral haemorrhagic fevers. The project builds on the work of IMI’s EbolaMoDRAD project, which advanced the development of rapid diagnostics for Ebola. The new tools and methods developed by VHFMoDRAD will be validated in the field. In addition, the project plans to run training courses for professionals in the west African region. It will also transfer the production capacity for the diagnostic tools to a project partner in the region so that the tests can be produced locally. Ultimately, VHFMoDRAD will contribute to better preparedness for outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fevers, and to capacity building in Africa.

Achievements & News

Rift Valley fever: antibodies identified to help develop diagnostic tests
June 2021

VHFMoDRAD has made progress in understanding how different antibodies can be useful for diagnosing and detecting Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus in animal and insect tissues. The findings bring us one step closer to the development of effective diagnostic tools.###

There is a pressing need for diagnostic tests to detect viral haemorrhagic fevers including RVF, Ebola, Marburg and yellow and dengue fevers These diseases have many symptoms in common, a fact that makes it very hard to make a rapid diagnosis, something essential in an outbreak situation.

VHFMoDRAD carried out a study where they looked at how different antibodies can be useful for diagnosis and detection of RVF virus in tissues from animals or mosquitoes. The authors used several different antibodies, and found that antibodies against nucleoproteins can be a good tools to find infected cells in sheep and mice and antibodies against glycoproteins can be used to find infected tissues in insects. The findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The aim of VHFMoDRAD is to develop rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tools capable of identifying a number of viral haemorrhagic fevers. Ultimately, VHFMoDRAD will contribute to better preparedness for outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fevers, and to capacity building in Africa.

Find out more

Participants Show participants on map

Universities, research organisations, public bodies, non-profit groups
  • Department of Health, Leeds, United Kingdom
  • Emergency Life Support For Civilian War Victims Ong Onlus, Milan, Italy
  • Folkhalsomyndigheten, Solna, Sweden
  • Institut National De La Sante Et De La Recherche Medicale, Paris, France
  • Institut Pasteur De Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
  • Istituto Nazionale Per Le Malattie Infettive Lazzaro Spallanzani-Istituto Di Ricovero E Cura A Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy
  • Kobenhavns Universitet, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Campus GMBH, Neuruppin, Germany
  • Sivas Cumhuriyet Universitesi, Sivas, Turkey
  • Universite D'Aix Marseille, Marseille, France
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-sized companies (<€500 m turnover)
  • Coris Bioconcept SPRL, Gembloux, Belgium
  • Inserm Transfert SA, Paris, France
  • Rd-Biotech, Besançon, France
Associated partners
  • Cepheid Europe, Maurens Scopont, France
Third parties
  • Biotech Investissement, Besancon, France
  • Institut De Recherche Pour Le Developpement, Marseille, France
Project coordinator
Ali Mirazimi
Folkhalsomyndigheten