Caleb Huntington

Global pandemics are only expected to become more frequent in the coming decades. The most common way in which they arise is the spillover of pathogens, typically viruses, from animals into human populations. In my research, I explore a novel way of discovering and surveilling viruses while they are still circulating in wildlife using environmental air sampling.

There are potentially hundreds of thousands of undiscovered viruses in wildlife populations around the world. Undoubtedly, a portion of those viruses are able to infect humans and are at risk of spilling over into our communities. In my research, I am working to evaluate a new tool, environmental air sampling, for discovering and surveilling viruses while they are still circulating in wildlife. To do so, I am conducting traditional wildlife surveillance for a multi-species, cave-roosting bat population in Puerto Rico while concurrently conducting air sampling events. I will then be able to compare the surveillance strategies to determine the effectiveness of air sampling as well as the types of viruses where air sampling is useful. Already, we have shown that air sampling is capable of detecting two different viruses from a viral family of interest, Coronaviridae. As we continue to process our samples, we will be able to comment on the extent to which air sampling is useful and comment on whether it is a tool that should be integrated into existing wildlife surveillance strategies.