Research - From field to the lab – from Bangladesh to Pécs

biologyresearchscience

Staff from the National Virology Laboratory returned to Bangladesh for the fourth time, where they conducted research, held field training sessions, workshops and lectures to support the local scientific community and inspire the next generation.

Dr. Zsófia Lanszki studied fruit bats and viruses in domestic and farm animals, including the WHO priority Nipah virus, as well as diseases spread by mosquitoes. According to Zsófia:

"Basically, the fact that so many people live here means that, from a biological point of view, there is a high risk of them catching various diseases."

The team collected samples at local animal markets and livestock farms, working in collaboration with students from veterinary science universities. Zsófia emphasized:

"I can only say positive things. People in Bangladesh are very welcoming, and it was great to work with them."

During the fieldwork, the samples were processed on site in a mobile laboratory, and drones and thermal cameras were used to track the movements of bat colonies. Several new viruses were identified during the expedition, and joint publications, grant applications, and educational activities were carried out with the locals.

Zsófia summed up the experience as follows:

"As a professional, I was able to work with viruses that I had only encountered in textbooks here in Hungary. On a personal level, I was able to go to a place that I might never have been able to visit as a private individual."