Virgil: European vigilance network for the management of drug-resistant viruses

Retroscreen Virology is a lead participant in the VIRGIL network which was established with a grant of £9 million from the European Union.

Infectious diseases have an uncanny ability to fight against all our containment efforts. Many strains of pathogenic bacteria, for example, are now so resistant to a large number of antibiotics that diseases such as tuberculosis are on the rise. Viruses can likewise mutate and develop resistance to antiretroviral drugs. The phenomenon is already well documented for HIV. Will influenza do the same? Could we end up with a ‘super strain’ of influenza for which we have no defences?

The European Surveillance Network for Vigilance against Viral Resistance (VIRGIL) is a Network of Excellence that aims to integrate and coordinate the activities of doctors and scientists from institutions across Europe who are investigating viral resistance. Hepatitis B and C, and influenza are the three primary diseases under scrutiny. Coordinated by the French Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), the network gives structure to Europe’s previously fragmented research and unites experts in the field. VIRGIL offers coherence and coordination between more than 60 organisations from 14 European countries.

As a whole, the VIRGIL network aims to act like a ‘virtual institute’ on all aspects of antiviral drug resistance in Europe. VIRGIL means that Europe can comprehensively address the problem of resistance at an early stage. By staying one step ahead of the virus we can hopefully always remain in control.