Consortium for Genomic Surveillance of Acute Respiratory Viruses (IRAS) in the Valencian Community. Genomic Surveillance in Acute Respiratory Infections (IRAS) in the Valencian Community

This project continues the work initiated by the SeqCOVID project, which began in April 2020 as a national effort to track the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 across Spain. What started as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic has now evolved to include the genomic surveillance of additional respiratory viruses, specifically influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), alongside SARS-CoV-2, to monitor the emergence of viral variants that cause acute respiratory infections (IRAS) in the Valencian Community. The project is led by Dr. Fernando González Candelas, who heads the Molecular Epidemiology Group at FISABIO. The core objective is to track and analyze the genomic evolution and dissemination of these respiratory viruses, providing critical data to inform both regional and national public health authorities. This work forms part of the RELECOV 2.0 project, which contributes to a broader genomic surveillance effort across Spain, enhancing the understanding of viral transmission and epidemiology. The project is carried out in close collaboration with major hospitals across the region, including Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Hospital Universitario Doctor Peset, Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de València, Hospital General Universitario de Castellón, Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis in Alicante, and Hospital General Universitario de Elche. The team working under the leadership of Dr. González Candelas includes Dr. Lidia Ruiz Roldán, Alejandro Sanz Carbonell (MSc), Dr. Regina Antoni Alandes, and Carlos Valiente Mullor (MSc). Together, they contribute to the project's role as the central bioinformatics node in this genomic surveillance network, providing essential insights to bolster public health strategies for controlling respiratory viruses both regionally and nationally.