Global Zoonotic Disease Surveillance: An Emerging Public Health and Biosecurity Imperative

According to this article, international collaboration and cooperation and clear policy mandates are needed to encourage and ensure the rapid worldwide sharing and dissemination of information on infectious disease outbreaks. The author cites globalisation and the rapidly expanding and increasingly concentrated populations of humans and livestock as a cause for the emergence of virulent zoonotic pathogens that may be responsible for fatal disease in humans and animals.

The author points to the human deaths caused by the 2003-2004 avian influenza pandemic in Asia as well as to other emerging infectious diseases including SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and Ebola as examples of the growing list of infectious diseases transmitted between wild animals and humans. This growing list is proof of the need for effective surveillance and control of infectious diseases.

The article states that although there is cooperation and collaboration among individuals within the infectious disease surveillance and response communities, there are no mechanisms in place to actively seek out and disseminate information on emerging zoonoses and wildlife diseases to interested public and private sector organisations and agencies.

The article concludes that current information technology tools and methods could be used to enhance communication and coordination among stakeholders in the wildlife health, agriculture, and public health sectors and that
“...[d]ecisionmakers and governments must be encouraged to achieve greater levels of effectiveness in the surveillance and monitoring of infectious diseases in humans, wildlife, crops, and livestock.”

This article is available through a paid subscription only. Click here for information on how to access the article.