Scientific research services in Colombia

The contract supports scientific research services in Colombia under the study titled “Zika virus and other tropical pathogens in Latin America,” led by the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit South (NAMRU SOUTH) in partnership with the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division’s Global Emerging Infections Surveillance Branch. The work is to be performed over a twelve-month period from May 4, 2026, to May 3, 2027, primarily in Urabá, Antioquia, Colombia, with the primary point of performance centered in Medellín, Antioquia. The contractor is required to collect at least 120 clinical samples, perform rapid dengue testing on all 120 samples and additional rapid diagnostics on at least 50 others in the field, and conduct molecular testing for vector-borne viruses including dengue, chikungunya, Mayaro, Oropouche, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, and yellow fever on a minimum of 108 samples using RT-qPCR. Further testing includes molecular detection of Leptospira on at least 50 RT-qPCR-negative samples, indirect immunofluorescence assays for spotted fever group rickettsiosis on a comparable number of negative samples, and molecular analysis using FilmArray on at least 12 negative samples. All biological samples must be handled under strict cold-chain conditions between -70°C and -80°C, properly labeled, and prepared for shipment to NAMRU SOUTH or designated laboratories in compliance with regulatory and ethical standards. The contractor must secure all necessary ethical approvals and regulatory permits for human subject enrollment and specimen collection in Colombia, and must strictly adhere to the government’s IRB-approved protocols, ensuring no inherently governmental functions are performed. Data, including de-identified laboratory results and demographic information, must be transferred securely using the DoD SAFE platform. Weekly and monthly technical reports are mandatory, and the government will provide specific equipment including a BioFire FilmArray 2.0 with a associated laptop, which must be returned upon contract completion. This is an 8(a) Sole Source acquisition under NAICS code 541715 issued by the Department of Defense through Naval Medical Research Unit South, with no competitive bidding due to its sole-source designation, and payment terms, contract value, and other administrative details are unspecified in the available documentation.