VISAVET | Viral Immunology and Preventive Medicine Unit

Contact

Viral Immunology and Preventive Medicine Unit
VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre
Universidad Complutense
Av. Puerta de Hierro s/n. 28040 Madrid. Spain

e-mail:

Head office phone: (+34) 913 944 082

Laboratory phone: (+34) 913 943 702

The SUAT research service develops and coordinates a wide range of scientific activities focused on the surveillance, diagnosis, control, and prevention of animal infectious diseases with significant sanitary, economic, and ecological impact. Its research activity covers a broad spectrum of viruses relevant to animal health and public health, including African Swine Fever (ASF), Classical Swine Fever, African Horse Sickness, Bluetongue, SARS-CoV-2, herpesviruses, morbilliviruses, adenoviruses, and other pathogens of importance in livestock and wildlife. In addition, the service conducts continuous risk analysis and modelling related to the introduction, establishment, and spread of notifiable diseases in Spain, such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease, avian influenza, or West Nile virus.

SUAT also fulfils the functions of a reference laboratory for African Swine Fever, with extensive experience in diagnosis, method validation, molecular epidemiology studies, and evaluation of control strategies, both in domestic pigs and in wild species. In parallel, the service has a long track record in the study and control of other relevant diseases, such as tuberculosis in game species. Its activity is carried out in close collaboration with international reference organizations including WOAH, FAO, OIRSA, DG SANTE and EFSA, contributing to global networks for health surveillance and response.

Among its technical capabilities, the service manages the Marine Health Tissue Bank, operational since 2009, developed in collaboration with the Oceanogràfic Foundation and the Stranding Network of Comunidad Valenciana. This biobank is a unique resource in Spain, allowing the storage, characterization, and systematic study of biological samples from marine fauna, with particular value for research in marine health, epidemiology, toxicology, and conservation.

The service also offers specialized disinfectant-efficacy testing against the African Swine Fever virus, performing accredited assays in accordance with UNE-EN 14675 and ASTM E1053 standards. These tests allow the assessment of the virucidal efficacy of biocidal products under controlled conditions and are highly relevant for industry, health authorities, and operators in the livestock sector.

Research

Research lines:

Next scientific publications:

Barasona JA., Kosowska A., Gonzalez-Garcia G., Diaz-de Frutos M., Franzoni G., Nicolussi P., Porras N., Sanchez-Segovia M., de Antonio Gomez DE., Rueda P. and Barroso-Arevalo S.. A dual-gene-deleted ASFV Lv17/WB/Rie1-?CD candidate administered orally to wild boar confers DIVA-compatible protection against virulent challenge. The Veterinary quarterly, 46(1):2649573. 2026. (A)

Last scientific publications:

Aguilar-Vega C., Bosch J., Ito S., Ivorra B., Jeong H. and Sanchez-Vizcaino JM.. Estimating the velocity and direction of African Swine Fever spread in wild boar populations in South Korea using Trend-Surface Analysis. PLoS ONE, 21(4):e0346098. 2026. (A)
Kosowska A., Sanchez-Segovia M., Fernandez-Pinero J., Porras N., Barroso-Arevalo S., Sánchez-Morales L., Diaz-de Frutos M. and Barasona JA.. Ineffective oral immunization of wild boar with the attenuated African swine fever virus NH/P68 grown in MA104 cell line. The Veterinary Journal, 315:106554. 2026. (A)
Jiménez-Ruiz S., Jori F., Santos N., Barasona JA. and Fine AE.. Editorial: Pathogen transmission at the domestic-wildlife interface: a growing challenge that requires integrated solutions, volume II. Frontiers in veterinary science, 13:1780843. 2026. (A)
Vargas-Castro I., Andres-Barranco S., Crespo-Picazo JL., Torre-Fuentes L., Jimenez-Martinez MA., Hernandez M., Arbelo M., Alvarez J., Munoz PM., Marco-Cabedo V., de Miguel MJ., López-Gutiérrez D., Munoz-Baquero M., Garcia-Parraga D. and Barasona JA.. Towards Integrated Surveillance of Marine Brucellosis: Diagnostic and Phylogenetic Assessment of Brucella ceti in Stranded Dolphins of the Western Mediterranean Sea. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 31:2026:2075116. 2026. (A)
Porras N., Rodriguez-Bertos A., Barroso-Arevalo S., Kosowska A., Diaz-de Frutos M., De Pablo-Moreno J., Sanchez-Segovia M. and Barasona JA.. Viral Distribution of Wild Boar Exposed to Low (Vaccine Candidate) and High Virulence African Swine Fever Virus Isolates: Immunohistochemical Characterization. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 4258247. 2025. (A)

See all scientific publications

Last PhD thesis:

Aleksandra Kosowska . Characterization of shedding, transmission, and environmental contamination of different strains of African swine fever virus. 2025.
Ignacio Vargas Castro. New perspectives in the study of mayor emerging diseases in cetaceans: advances in the understanding of Herpesviruses, Morbilliviruses and Brucella. 2024. (Doctorado Internacional)
José Luis Crespo Picazo. Patología y causas de varamiento en tortugas marinas de la Comunidad Valenciana. 2024.
Carolina Muñoz Peréz. Strategies for African swine fever prevention. 2024. (Doctorado Internacional)
Cecilia Aguilar Vega. New tools to prevent the endemism of bluetongue. 2022.

See all thesis

Outreach

Last outreach publications:

Cuevas-Dominguez A., Vargas-Castro I. and Barasona JA.. Una bacteria marina conecta la conservación de los delfines con la salud humana. The Conversation, The Conversation Media Group. 2026.
Vargas-Castro I., Hernandez-Mora G., Gonzalez-Barrientos R. and Grattarola C.. Brucellosis in aquatic mammals. Brucellosis: The Silent Threat to Livestock and Human Health. Ed. 00. 8:133-145, Elsevier, 1997. 2025.
Kosowska A., Barasona JA., Barroso-Arevalo S., Diaz-de Frutos M., Dominguez L. and Sanchez-Vizcaino JM.. Nueva herramienta de muestreo para la detección temprana y segura de patógenos en entornos animales y su ambiente. Revista de la Organización Colegial Veterinaria, 1(2025):25, Consejo General de Colegios de la Profesión Veterinaria de España. 2025.
Martin-Sanz J., Martin-Gomez JC., Bazo Pérez C., Espinosa-Sanchez A., Salas-Fajardo MY., Barasona JA. and Calero-Bernal R.. Epidemiología y control de parasitosis: Hypoderma actaeon (diptera), causante de la hypodermosis del ciervo infestación emergente en corzos de la península ibérica. ParaJournal, 5/2024, Sociedad Española de Parasitología. 2024.
Barroso-Arevalo S. and Sanchez-Vizcaino JM.. Pets and SARS-CoV-2: Their role in disease epidemiology. Features, Transmission, Detection, and Case Studies in COVID-19. Ed. 1. 14:171-177, Academic Press. 2024.