Summary 01 Letter from Dr. Paul BREY 06 Arbovirus and Emerging viral diseases laboratory Lao-French joint Lab 1 08 Arbovirus surveillance in Lao PDR 10 Ecomore2 project 11 Inputs of Research and development activities in Ecomore2 project 14 COVID19 activities 15 Training activities 16 Education activities (Elodie Calvez) 16 Evaluation of new diagnostic tools for Chikungunya virus 17 Medical Entomology & Biology of Disease Vectors Laboratory Lao-French joint Lab 2 20 Tick Map 3 project: Mapping of Vectors and Reservoir Hosts in Lao PDR 27 Origins, natural reservoirs and Interspecies transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other SARS-like CoVs 31 ECOnomic Development, ECOsystem Modifications, and Emerging Infectious Diseases Risk Evaluation (ECOMORE II). Entomology work package. 39 Assessing the risk of insecticide resistance in the tiger mosquito: A predictive approach combining experimental selection and molecular markers (TigeRisk) 41 Entomological field surveys in selected high-risk dengue transmission areas in Vientiane. (Baseline survey) 45 Vaccine Preventable Diseases Laboratory Lao-Lux Lab 52 Hepatitis B virus in Lao Blood donors: a nationwide serostudyviruses 69 Hepatitis B virus in Lao dentists: a cross-sectional serological study 63 Positive impact of HBV vaccination in Lao PDR 71 Timeliness of immunisation with Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis whole cell– Hepatitis B–Haemophilus influenzae Type B at different levels of the health care system in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: a cross sectional study 80 Pertussis in Lao PDR: Seroprevalence and disease 86 Parasitology Laboratory Lao-Japan joint Lab 88 Arboshield Project 90 Antimalarial Drug Therapeutic Efficacy Study 93 5-Aminolevlinic acid (5-ALA) Asymptomatic Malaria Project 101 IPL publications 2020 108 Teaching/Training 104 They visited Institut Pasteur du Laos! 110 Main organigram Mandate Institut Pasteur du Laos (IPL) is a Lao National Institution created by Prime Ministerial Decree in November 2007 IPL is the result of a long term and joint decision between Lao Ministry of Health and Institut Pasteur Paris which commits to stay 16 years before retroceding the full management of IPL. Sustainability will be achieved by preparing a new generation of Lao doctors and scientists to fill key positions as heads of laboratories and administration at IPL. IPL has a mandate from Lao Ministry of Health to fulfil activities of public service : 1. Research and diagnostics on emerging infectious diseases and vector borne diseases. 2. Training, education and capacity building. 3. Technical assistance to National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology (NCLE) for investigation of epidemics. IPL benefits from a large degree of autonomy (legal, scientific, management, financial) and as such can be considered as a new model of Lao public institution. All the ownership belongs and remains the property of Lao PDR. IPL has a scientific autonomy within its mandate provided by the MoH. It is able to engage freely in collaborative research and investigations with other Lao and international research and public health organisations. Financial issues are independent from the Lao public finance system. IPL is able to receive outside funding (dona- tions, grants, bequeaths, etc.) and to generate its own resources through its own discoveries to insure its sustainability. Main Organigram IPL is governed by a Board of Directors composed of 3 Lao Members appointed by the Lao Ministry of Health and 2 members appointed by IP Paris. A specificity of the Board meetings is the participation of the main contributors and stakeholders as observers in the spirit of transparency and partnership. Actual composition of the Board of Directors: Ass. Pr. Dr. Bounkong SYHAVONG, (Chairman), Minister of Health, Lao PDR. Dr. Ponmek DALALOY, (Honorary Chairman of the Board), Former Minister of Health, Lao PDR. Dr. Manivanh SOUPHANTHONG, Former Dean of University of Health Sciences, Lao PDR. Pr. Dr. Didier SICARD, Honorary President of the National Ethic Committee of France, France. Dr. Marc JOUAN, International Director of the Institut Pasteur, France. Actual composition of Scientific Advisory Board: Prof. Felix REY, Institut Pasteur, Paris. Prof. Olivier LORTHOLARY, Necker Hospital, Paris. Dr. Rabindra R ABEYSINGHE, WHO, Manila 01 INSTITUT PASTEUR DU LAOS ANNUAL REPORT 2020-2021 Letter From Dr. Paul BREY Director The year 2020 is now coming to a close! Who would On the 30th of January, the day the WHO Director have thought while writing this letter at the end of General declared that the outbreak constitutes a public last year that a deadly emerging virus was already health emergency of international concern, Institut circulating in Wuhan China and that this virus would Pasteur du Laos was fully prepared and ready to test cause a global pandemic with over 69 Million cases nasal pharyngeal swab samples for COVID-19. A week and 1.6 million deaths a year later! In the beginning later on February 5th Institut Pasteur du Laos received an we called it novel Coronavirus and then it was named official letter of Mandate from the Lao Minister of Health by the WHO as SARS-CoV-2 and the resulting disease to serve as a second-line testing facility in addition to COVID-19. This pandemic has not only cost a countless the National Laboratory, subsequently IP Laos was number of deaths but also unmeasurable economic certified by WHO for COVID-19 testing. During the loss which bears a heavy burden on those who survive. early stages of the epidemic Institut Pasteur du Laos had all the necessary laboratory equipment to carry out On the 7th of January of this year, Chinese authorities the COVID-19 diagnostics. However, as the epidemic announced the emergence of a novel Coronavirus in grew into a pandemic and the number of cases started Wuhan China. A week later I met with Dr. Bounkong to appear in Laos, we questioned if our capacity was and we discussed the seriousness and need to prepare sufficient to be able to handle a larger number of samples for this novel coronavirus in Laos. The next day, the in case of an epidemic in Laos or as many feared a second 17th of January the Pasteur International Network sent wave of COVID-19. To prepare for this eventuality, IP out a dispatch with technical guidelines and diagnostic Laos provided a list of additional laboratory equipment protocols as posted by the WHO in Geneva, as well to donors to be ready for an increased number of tests. as the genomic sequence of the novel Coronavirus. Initially those tested were only patients manifesting symptoms according to the WHO COVID-19 case Over the first six weeks of the new decade the novel definition. However, this rapidly expanded to a much coronavirus, known as COVID-19, spread from the People’s larger public. Sam Schreiner was quick to ask us if we Republic of China to 20 other countries around the world. needed additional equipment to face a possible epidemic situation in Laos. Within a few days the Luxembourg Given the seriousness of the situation Institut Pasteur Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied favorably to our du Laos requested that the senior regional medical request for additional laboratory equipment and we virologist from the Institut Pasteur of Cambodia, established a contract with Luxembourg Development Dr. Philippe Dussart be dispatched to IP Laos with for this emergency equipment purchase, which included: diagnostic reagents and appropriate controls for the Berlin and Hong Kong RT-PCR diagnostic methods for the novel coronavirus recommended by WHO. 02 • One 96-sample RT-PCR Machine for COVID Testing is sharing some of that burden. IP Laos is also providing • Two 96-sample portable RT-PCR Machines for COVID testing for French and European passengers, as well as Testing diplomats and VIPs who need a COVID-19 test 72h • One high-speed centrifuge for Sample extraction in the prior to flight departure. BSL-3 plus lab • One Automatic DNA/RNA extractor for sample I want to commend the Minister of Health and Chairman extraction in the BSL-3 plus lab of IP Laos, Dr. Bounkong Syhavong for his leadership • Three -35°C Mid-range Freezer/Refrigerator Combos and the Lao Ministry of Health on their exemplary for molecular reagent storage contact tracing and the general handling of the COVID situation in Laos during this year, which has one of the All of this laboratory equipment significantly increases lowest confirmed case indices (41) in the world with no our diagnostic capacity of COVID and reduces the COVID-related deaths! amount of time needed to prepare and diagnose samples. We sincerely hope that 2021 will see the advent of To use a metaphor, the laboratory equipment provided COVID vaccination in Laos and around the world so by by Luxembourg Government through Lux Dev is like the time I write next year’s letter SARS-CoV-2 will be a “artillery” against COVID and we deeply thank them bad memory and we will be able to get on with our lives for that. However, “artillery” needs “munition” to take once again. aim at improving COVID diagnostics. Hence, I also want to take this opportunity to thank the ambassadors, of several other countries who provided additional support to purchase PPE and reagents for COVID Testing at IP Laos during this crisis. CANADA FRANCE Paul Brey UNITED STATES OF AMERICA UNITED KINGDOM EUROPEAN UNION JAPAN We now have the capacity to test several hundred of samples a week. We are also testing all passengers on the UN World Food Program flight and I want to thank Sara Sekkenes, the UN Resident Coordinator in Laos, for helping our Institute to join the World Food Program COVID Humanitarian Flight Consortium, which has allowed our international staff and experts to travel during the crisis. As the country slowly opens to accept additional flights of special workers from China India and Russia, IP Laos has now starting COVID-19 testing on passengers from these other flights especially from China and from Kuala Lumpur.