Less than two months before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Pasteur Institute is on high alert. Researchers from the institute’s Biological Emergency Intervention Unit (CIBU) are preparing to monitor and track viruses likely to cause epidemics this summer. With millions of visitors from all over the world, the threat of rapid virus spread is real.
Virus monitoring and epidemic prevention
Dr Jean-Claude Manuguerra, head of CIBU, explains the challenges his team faces: “They will come with viruses and bacteria that we would not necessarily expect at this time of year. Take the flu for example, it will be winter in the southern hemisphere and there the flu will certainly circulate. We should expect to possibly find flu and small outbreaks of flu at this time. »
Laboratory analysis and diagnosis
To manage these risks, the Institut Pasteur has a secure laboratory where potentially dangerous samples can be analyzed. Valérie Caro, head of the pathogen genotyping division, describes the process: “We will first prepare the ingredients, the reagents which allow the revelation of the virus which may be present in the sample. Then, we will treat the sample, extract all the genetic material of the virus that may be present, mix with the reagents that we have prepared to be able to carry out the diagnosis of the presence or not of a virus. »
The “Glove Box” mobile laboratory
CIBU researchers are also preparing to intervene in the field. They use a mobile laboratory, nicknamed “glove box”, which allows them to handle patient samples in any environment. Jessica Vanhomwegen, head of the viral identification center, explains: “When we receive a potentially infectious sample from a patient, we will receive it in a completely airtight transport box. It’s locked, there is no possible contact with the outside air, and so we are going to insert it in order to be able to unlock the door and be able to open it once we have put our hands inside. inside the glove box to access the patient sample. »
Constant vigilance
The security of the “glove box” is essential to avoid any contamination: “If we expose the inside of the glove box to infectious particles, viruses, bacteria which could be found in the samples that we are handling in this glove box, under no circumstances can they constitute a danger for the person handling them or for the environment,” assures Jessica Vanhomwegen.
Ready to react immediately
To guarantee rapid and effective intervention, CIBU members have PCR tests and mobile sequencers to quickly characterize viruses. During the Olympic Games, the cell will be on alert 24/7. The constant vigilance of Institut Pasteur scientists is crucial to prevent and contain any potential epidemics, thus ensuring the health safety of athletes, visitors and the local population.
