XVIII National Congress of the Spanish Society of Virology

The XVIII National Congress of the Spanish Society of Virology (SEV) was held in Cáceres from 16-19 June 2026, bringing together around 300 researchers, clinicians, veterinarians, microbiologists and public health professionals to discuss the latest advances in virology. Under the theme "Investigating the invisible to protect what matters most" the congress highlighted the essential role of virology in protecting human, animal, plant, and environmental health.

The scientific programme covered a broad range of topics, including emerging and zoonotic viruses, respiratory infections, viral evolution, epidemiological surveillance, molecular diagnostics, vaccines and antivirals, virus–host interactions, structural virology and innovative technologies. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of integrated surveillance, preparedness, and multidisciplinary collaboration to address current and future infectious disease threats.

Elisa Pérez-Ramírez, member of the OHS animal virology coordination team, delivered an oral presentation entitled “A decade of One Health actions to tackle emerging arboviral diseases in the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Sahel regions”. During the talk, she exposed the main achievements of the MediLabSecure project and explained how, building on this legacy, the project OneHealthSecure addresses remaining gaps in preparedness such as the integration of  the environmental sector and the promotion of community engagement in prevention and control strategies.