WASHINGTON — Species-jumping pathogens such as the 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus have caused more than 65% of infectious disease outbreaks in the past 6 decades, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council.
The report suggests that conditions that can drive the emergence of zoonotic disease, including global travel, are intensifying.
“We don't think business as usual is enough. We need to go beyond that,” said Dr. Gerald Keusch, of Boston University, who is cochair of the committee. “Clinicians around the world really need to be thinking about what's different, what's unusual,: 'Am I seeing the start of something?'” he said.
The report outlines 12 recommendations as part of a plan to establish a comprehensive, global surveillance system to identify zoonotic disease threats as early as possible.
The recommendations fall into three categories: technical, economic, and political.
▸ Technical. Instead of responding to individual diseases as they arise, the report calls for the establishment of a surveillance system that focuses on preventing the conditions that foster the development of zoonotic disease outbreaks, and monitoring signs of such outbreaks worldwide on an ongoing basis.
“Disease surveillance is critical for detecting the emergence of zoonotic pathogens in human populations, preventing their spread between animal populations, and preventing transmission to human populations,” according to the report, which was written by the Committee on Achieving Sustainable Global Capacity for Surveillance and Response to Emerging Diseases of Zoonotic Origin.
▸ Economic. The report also calls on the U.S. Agency for International Development to identify sustainable sources of funding to maintain a global surveillance system for zoonotic disease. Possible strategies include a tax on internationally traded meat and meat products, and economic incentives from the U.S. government and other donor groups to encourage the reporting of outbreaks at the local and national level.
▸ Political. Another high-priority recommendation calls for the creation of a coordinating body for global zoonotic disease surveillance and response. The the report also recommends that the director general of the World Organisation for Animal Health have the power to declare animal health emergencies and share information about animal disease outbreaks worldwide if national governments don't provide such information promptly.
“Greater transparency could improve control of animal diseases before they decimate livestock or wildlife or make large numbers of people sick,” according to a statement that accompanied the report.
Challenges to the development of a global surveillance system for species-jumping diseases include a lack of funding and coordination at the government level, lack of cooperation between human and animal health experts, and lack of concern for infectious disease issues among political leaders in some countries, according to the report.
Other recommendations include improving the use of information technology to monitor outbreaks and response activities, strengthening laboratory networks to assist in disease surveillance and response, and mitigating threats of zoonotic disease outbreaks from wildlife and trade.
The report was supported by a grant to the U.S. Agency for International Development. The complete report is available online at www.nap.edu